2010 Persistently Lowest Achieving (PLA) Designation
In March 2010, the U.S. Department of Education designated T.C. Williams High School as as a PLA school based upon Criterion B as noted below.
(E-mail sent on March 2, 2010, by the Virginia Department of Education)
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has been informed that on March 3, 2010, USED will begin posting the states' definitions of persistently lowest-achieving (PLA) schools and the list of those schools. USED will only post the information for states with an approved definition. To receive approval from USED, VDOE was required to submit a revised definition of PLA and subsequent list of schools. The list of schools identified as Tier I did not change as a result of the revised definition. The list of schools identified as Tier II did change as a result of the revised definition.
States have been assured that the changes requested by USED will not affect schools previously identified and submitted through the Race to the Top grants. The revised list of schools will have an impact on the 1003(g) School Improvement Grant funds.
Listed below is the revised approved definition and list of schools.
Revised Based on Request from the United States Department of Education (USED)
Persistently Lowest-Achieving Schools
A persistently lowest-achieving school is defined as:
A. A Title I school in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring that is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools in improvement, corrective action, or restructuring based on the academic achievement of the "all students" group in reading/language arts and mathematics combined and the school has not reduced its failure rate in reading/language arts and/or mathematics by 10 to 15 percent each year for the past two years (Tier I); or
B. A secondary school that is eligible for, but does not receive, Title I funds that is among the lowest-achieving five percent of schools based on the academic achievement of the "all students" group in reading/language arts and mathematics combined and the school has not reduced its failure rate in reading/language arts and/or mathematics by 10 to 15 percent each year for the past two years (Tier II); or
C. A high school that has had a graduation rate as defined in 34 CFR 200.19(b) that is less than 60 percent for two years. As required by the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) - Phase II requirements, the following factors were considered to identify the persistently lowest-achieving schools:
1) the academic achievement of the "all students" group in reading/language arts and mathematics combined; and
2) the schools' lack of progress on those assessments over a number of years in the "all students" group.
The adding ranks method stipulated in the United States Department of Education (USED) Frequently Asked Questions Concerning Phase II of the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund, December 1, 2009, was used to determine the academic achievement of the "all students" group.
Tier II* Persistently Lowest-Acheiving Schools that Meet Criterion B
| Division | School | 2008 Reading Pass Rate | 2009 Reading Pass Rate | 2008 Mathematics Pass Rate | 2009 Mathematics Pass Rate |
| Academic Achievement | |||||
| Alexandria City Public Schools | T.C. Williams High School | 82.03 | 84.42 | 78.5 | 76.65 |
** The total number of Title I eligible secondary schools for the 2009-2010 school year is 128.
The PLA designation announced a wake-up call for T.C. Williams High School in the form of a new state definition of persistently lowest-achieving (PLA) schools. The accuracy of this label, based solely on scores from four specific tests, has been questioned by some, but the need and desire to transform T.C. from a good school to a great school remains strong. Lowest-achieving does not mean low-achieving.
T.C. is not a failing school. This new designation compares select assessment indicators to other schools across Virginia which are Title I eligible. That comparison resulted in T.C. falling in the lowest five percent of schools in that category. The reality that some students are not meeting state performance guidelines is not new. One out of six eleventh grade students did not pass the state reading assessments, and one out of four eleventh graders did not pass the end of course mathematics assessments. These results are ones we have seen over the course of many years, and can be found on the ACPS Web site. It is important to note that the test scores used were for "all students" and not for specific groups. We strive for higher achievement for each and every student.
Recent efforts have begun to show results. For example, last year's drop out rate fell, 84% of last year's graduates went on to college, this year's AP enrollment is at an all time high, and this year's eighth grade Algebra I enrollment is also at an all time high.
We have wonderful students, talented teachers, and an engaged and supportive community; and we have the heart and the determination to become a truly great high school. We also know that we can only accomplish the goals that we all share for our students by working together.