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Fairfax County Public Schools, Virginia

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Taxes Y
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Budget Y
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Meetings Y
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Elected Officials Y
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Administrative Officials Y
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Contracts Y
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Audits Y
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Public records Y
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Academics Y
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Background checks Y
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Transparency grading process


Fairfax County Public Schools is one of 40 school districts in Virginia. The district has 193 schools and serves 177,611 students.[1]

Website evaluation

Main article: Evaluation of Virginia school district websites

This Web site was reviewed on 2013-01-31.

The good

  • Budget
    • The most current budget is listed.[2]
    • Budgets are archived for 12 years.[3]
  • Administrative Officials
    • Department heads are listed for each department.[4]
    • Contact information for administrative officials is provided including a mailing address, phone number, and personalized email.
  • Elected Officials
    • Elected officials are listed with a mailing address, phone number and personalized email.[5]
  • Meetings
    • Meeting minutes are archived for 24 years.[6]
    • Meeting agendas are archived for 8 years.[7]
    • A meeting calendar is available and names the times and locations of public meetings.[8]
    • Meeting videos are available.[9]
  • Audits
    • The most recent audit is posted.
    • Audits dating back to 2002 are available.[10]
  • Contracts
    • Bids and RFPs are posted online.[11]
    • Approved contract statements are provided for vendors.[12]
    • Salary schedules are posted.[13]
  • Public Records
    • The public information officer is identified and maintained by the Public Information Specialist. This person provides a mailing address, phone number and personalized email.[14]
    • A fee schedule for documents is provided.
  • Taxes
    • Tax revenues are broken down by federal, state, and local funding in the budget.
    • Local taxes, like property taxes, are available online.[15]
  • Academics
    • Academic performance reports for the school are posted online.[16]
  • Background Checks
    • The criminal background check policy and teacher certification requirements are posted online.[17]

School Board

The Fairfax County School Board is comprised of twelve elected members serving four-year terms. Nine members are elected from the county’s magisterial districts and three serve at-large. The Board is responsible for setting and administering school policy.[18][19]

The current division superintendent is Dr. Jack D. Dale.[20]

The Virginia Public School System is supervised by a Board of Education, comprised of nine members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Virginia General Assembly. Members serve staggered four-year terms.

The Board of Education is responsible for dividing the Commonwealth of Virginia into school divisions and reviewing existing divisions to ensure standards of quality are being met. The Board makes annual reports to the General Assembly regarding public education in the Commonwealth and is further charged with certifying to the school board of each division a list of persons for the office of division superintendent of schools, one of whom the school board ultimately selects to fill the position. The Board also approves all educational materials used in the public schools. Supervision of school divisions is conducted by individual school boards.[21]

Budget

2012

2012 Operating Revenue[22]
Source Revenue % of Total
County general fund transfer $1,610.8 million 71.2%
State aid $319 million 14.1%
Sales tax $153.1 million 6.8%
Federal aid $63.2 million 2.8%
Beginning balance $57.3 million 2.5%
City of Fairfax $37.0 million 1.6%
Reserve $3.0 million 0.1%
Other $17.9 million 0.8%
Total $2.3 billion 100%
2012 Operating Expenditures[22]
Category Expenditures % of Total
Instruction $1,925.2 million 85.7%
Transportation $124 million 5.5%
Facilities Mgmt $94.3 4.2%
General Support $102.2 million 4.5%

2011

The 2010-2011 budget was adopted by the School Board on February 4, 2010 and totals $2.3 billion, an increase from 2009-2010’s $2.2 billion budget. The budget reflects $1,708.5 million in county funding (74.9% of the funding source), $79.2 million in federal funding (3.5%), $140.1 million in state sales tax (6.1%), and $247.7 million in state aid (10.9%). 85.7% of the budget is dedicated to instruction costs. The 2009-2010 average cost per pupil is $12,898.[23][24]

Academic Performance

The Commonwealth of Virginia assesses schools based on Standards of Learning (SOL) tests and other statewide assessments; schools receive two accountability ratings a year based on student performance on these assessments. SOL tests assess student performance in English, math, science and history. Ratings are also given based on school and school division adherence to the goals of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which requires 100 percent proficiency in reading and mathematics by 2014.

School's state accreditation is based on performance in English, history, mathematics and science.

Schools and school divisions, as well as the State, are rated as achieving Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) if they meet or exceed annual benchmarks in reading and mathematics.[25]

2011

Math and English

The district did not make AYP in 2011, as certain student subgroups failed to meet math and English assessment standards.[1]

Student Assessment Results[1]
Subject % Passed in 2009 % Passed in 2010 % Passed in 2011
English 93 93 93
Math 90 92 92
Writing 92 94 94
History 92 93 89
Science 91 92 91

Graduation/dropout rate

The federal four-year graduation rate was 85%, and the district's 2010 dropout rate was 1.36%.[1]

College readiness

In 2011, Fairfax students scored an average of 551 on the critical reading section of the SAT, 563 in math, and 540 on writing. The average composite score was 1654, down from the 2010 average of 1663, but above the nationwide average by 39 points in reading, 54 points in math, and 45 points in writing.[26]

2010

The Virginia Department of Education School Division Report Card reports Fairfax County Public Schools as having a student population of 171,959 and 195 schools in the division.

Fairfax County Public School Division made AYP for the 2009-2010 school year.[27]

Statistics for the 10 largest schools in the division are tabulated below.

School Grade Enrollment Made Adequate Yearly

Progress for 2009?

Robinson Secondary 7 – 12 4,067 Yes
Lake Braddock Secondary 7 – 12, PG 3,789 Yes
Westfield High 9 - 12 2,951 Yes
Hayfield Secondary 7 – 12 2,855 No
Annandale High 9 - 12 2,719 Yes
Chantilly High 9 – 12, PG 2,671 Yes
Fairfax High 9 - 12 2,422 Yes
Oakton High 9 - 12 2,398 Yes
West Springfield High 9 – 12, PG 2,285 Yes
Centreville High 9 - 12 2,278 Yes

Unions

The Virginia Education Association (VEA) is the teachers union for the Commonwealth of Virginia.[28] The VEA is affiliated with the National Education Association (NEA).[29] Fairfax County is also represented locally by the Fairfax Education Association[30], a branch of the VEA, as well as the Fairfax Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers.[31]

External links

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Virginia Department of Education "Report Card," Accessed December 21, 2011
  2. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Recent Budgets, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  3. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Prior Budgets, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  4. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Staff Directory, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  5. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Elected Officials, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  6. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Meeting Minutes, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  7. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Meeting Agendas, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  8. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Meeting Calendar, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  9. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Meeting Videos, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  10. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Audits, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  11. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Bids, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  12. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Contracts, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  13. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Salary Schedules, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  14. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, FOIA Request, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  15. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Recent Budgets, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  16. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Test Scores, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  17. ↑ Fairfax County Public Schools, Background Checks, Accessed: Jan 21, 2013
  18. ↑ ‘Fairfax County Public Schools’, School Board Members, June 24, 2010
  19. ↑ ‘Fairfax County Public Schools, School Board Information, June 24, 2010
  20. ↑ FCPS "Superintendent," Accessed December 21, 2011
  21. ↑ 'Legislative Information System', Constitution of Virginia, June 10, 2010
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 FCPS "Approved 2012 Budget," Accessed December 21, 2011
  23. ↑ ‘Fairfax County Public Schools’, Office of Budget Services, June 24, 2010
  24. ↑ ‘Fairfax County Public Schools’, Statistics, June 24, 2010
  25. ↑ 'Virginia Department of Education', School Report Card Accountability Guide, June 14, 2010
  26. ↑ FCPS "News Release," Accessed December 21, 2011
  27. ↑ ‘Virginia Department of Education’, Fairfax County Public Schools, June 24, 2010
  28. ↑ 'Virginia Education Association', June 10, 2010
  29. ↑ 'National Education Association', June 10, 2010
  30. ↑ 'Fairfax Education Association', June 24, 2010
  31. ↑ 'Fairfax Federation of Teachers', June 24, 2010


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