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DPS continues to show growth in SOL scores

DPS continues to show growth in SOL scores

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has released the annual Standards of Learning (SOL) pass rates for the 2025-26 school year, and the results show that Danville Public Schools (DPS) continues its growth with gains in several areas.

Districtwide Results

In June, DPS celebrated the end of its Memorandum of Understanding with the VDOE, a testament to the years of commitment to the division’s progress by division and school leadership, staff, families, and the Danville community. Since the launch of the Danville Essential Knowledge and Skills Curriculum (DEKS) in 2021, the division has seen major increases in student achievement. In addition to curriculum, the division has also implemented the use of high-quality instructional materials, invested in high-leverage training for staff, and provided targeted tutoring support. These initiatives have resulted in improved outcomes for students, most notably in reading and math.

  • Reading: District pass rates improved to 61% from 43% in 2020-21.
  • Math: District pass rates increased to 59% from 30% in 2020-21.

In a press release, the Virginia Department of Education highlighted DPS as one of 10 exemplar divisions achieving at least a five-point gain in math and one of 9 divisions achieving at least a three-point gain in both reading and math.

In addition, the district’s chronic absenteeism has improved to 9.4% from 35.6% in 2020-2021.

School and Subject Highlights

Schools across the division are leading the way with impressive gains.

  • Above State Average: Activ8 STEM Academy, Forest Hills Elementary, and Galileo Magnet High surpassed the state average in reading. Activ8, Forest Hills, and Galileo surpassed the state average in math. Galileo and Activ8 scored above the state average in science results. Westwood and Activ8 surpassed the state average in history results.
  • Elementary Success: Woodberry Hills’ reading pass rates improved to 62% from 37% and their math pass rates to 68% over 34% in 2020-21. Park Avenue’s science pass rates improved to 63% from 14% in 2020-21. Gibson’s reading pass rates improved to 51% from 41% over the previous year.
  • 3rd Grade: All elementary schools showed pass rate improvements over the prior year in 3rd Grade reading and math tests, with the district’s rate in reading increasing by 10 percentage points and in math by 16 percentage points.
  • Secondary Success: Civics test pass rates increased to 77% from 39% in 2022-23. Algebra II results increased to 95% from 50% in 2022-23. Both Westwood and Bonner Middle Schools earned a 100% pass rate in Algebra II. Geometry pass rates increased to 77% from 18% in 2022-23.
  • All-Subject Improvements: E.A. Gibson Elementary, O.T. Bonner Middle, and Park Avenue Elementary showed improved pass rates in every tested subject compared to the previous year.
  • Attendance: Gibson Elementary, Forest Hills Elementary, Arnett Hills/Johnson Elementary, Schoolfield Elementary, and George Washington High showed decreases in chronic absenteeism each year since 2023-2024.

“We are excited to see that our schools are continuously improving their outcomes year after year,” DPS Superintendent Dr. Angela Hairston said. “This speaks to the work we have been building upon for the past five years and the importance of good attendance. We are appreciative of our families and teachers who are working together to meet higher expectations.”

Next Steps

In July, DPS launched its new 2026-2031 Strategic Plan to continue supporting student success and growth.

The plan focuses on five goal areas:

  • Student Proficiency, Achievement, and Acceleration
  • Wellness, Culture, and Climate
  • Fiscal and Operational Management
  • Family and Community Partnerships and Engagement
  • Communication

Key initiatives include maintaining standards-aligned curriculum and instruction, conducting district-led academic audits, strengthening academic planning and graduation monitoring, increasing family engagement, and improving operational efficiency through continuous improvement processes.

“As a school board, we are proud to see the progress our students are making,” School Board Chair Ty’Quan Graves said. “When our leadership, teachers, staff, students, and families work together with a shared focus on student success, we create the foundation for better outcomes for our students.”

“Our students are continuing to outperform their previous milestones,” Hairston said. “We are proud of the progress we have made. However, we will maintain the expectations we have set for our students, because we still have work to do. We continue to remind families to read outside of the classroom, as literacy matters in all areas of academics.”

The Virginia Department of Education is expected to release the 2025-26 School Performance and Support Framework Results, including framework scores, graduation rates, and additional accountability measures, in October.