Board of Education recognized 51 Fairfax County public schools for high student achievement or continuous improvement under the board’s exemplar performance school recognition program. The awards are based on performance and practice during 2018-19 and prior years.

Forestville Elementary, Kings Park Elementary, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, and Wolftrap Elementary were recognized for earning the 2020 Board of Education Highest Achievement Award.  They were among 71 schools statewide to earn the award.

Schools recognized for highest achievement were Accredited during 2019-20 (based on performance data from 2018-19) and demonstrated high levels of success across all of school quality indicators, including success in narrowing achievement gaps. Schools also had to meet the Level One accreditation benchmark for reading, mathematics, and science based on the student pass rate, not including growth or progress on assessments taken by English language learners. Schools must also have had no more than a 5 percent achievement gap—for schools with two student groups, or a 10 percent gap—for schools with three or more student groups—between the lowest-performing group and all other students in the school. In addition, schools must have achieved at Level One on all other applicable school quality indicators.

Continuous Improvement Awards were presented to 375 schools statewide, based on the following criteria: Schools recognized for continuous improvement were rated Accredited or Accredited with Conditions for 2019-20 and met at least one of the following four criteria based on performance during 2018-19:

• A 10-point increase in the combined rate in reading and math, and in the pass rate in science;
• A 10-point increase in the combined rate in reading and math for two or more student groups across three years;
• A decrease in the chronic absenteeism rate for three years; or
• For schools with a graduating class, an increase in the Graduation and Completion Index and a decrease in the dropout rate for three years.

VDOE Continuous Improvement Awards were presented to 47 Fairfax County schools, including Annandale Terrace Elementary, Bonnie Brae Elementary, Bryant High, Camelot Elementary, Cameron Elementary, Canterbury Woods Elementary, Chantilly High, Cub Run Elementary, Eagle View Elementary, Edison High, Fairview Elementary, Falls Church High, Forest Edge Elementary. Fort Belvoir Elementary, Fox Mill Elementary, Frost Middle, Greenbriar East Elementary, Greenbriar West Elementary, Hayfield Secondary, Hollin Meadows Elementary, Hunters Woods Elementary School for the Arts and Sciences, Irving Middle, Justice High, Lake Anne Elementary, Lane Elementary, Laurel Ridge Elementary, Lemon Road Elementary, Little Run Elementary, Longfellow Middle, McLean High, Mount Eagle Elementary, Navy Elementary, Oakton Elementary, Oakton High, Ravensworth Elementary, Riverside Elementary, Rocky Run Middle, Rolling Valley Elementary, Springfield Estates Elementary, Terra Centre Elementary, Union Mill Elementary, Vienna Elementary, Wakefield Forest Elementary, Washington Mill Elementary, Waynewood Elementary, West Springfield High, and Westfield High.

The Board of Education approved the criteria for the exemplar performance awards in April 2018. The recognition program is aligned with the board’s accreditation standards and replaced the Virginia Index of Performance recognition program.