FCPS Receives Funding For Elementary Foreign Language Program (Monday, October 7)
Fairfax County Public Schools Safety Message
(Thursday, October 10, 1 p.m.)
FCPS Students Make Big Gains In SOL Scores
Students in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) improved their
pass rates on the Spring 2002 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests, posting
an overall division pass rate up to 21 percent higher than their pass rates
on the 2001 tests, based on unofficial adjusted results released today by the
school system.
FCPS students have increased their passing percentage by more than 10 percentage
points in 17 different subjects since 1998, the first year the SOLs were administered.
The percentage has increased by more than 20 percentage points in seven subjects
and more than 30 percentage points in three subjects. SOLs are given to students
in third, fifth, and eighth grades and to high school students.
The school system's average pass rate for all tests tops 70 percent and is above
80 percent for 24 of the 27 total SOL tests and above 90 percent for five of
the tests. In 1998, the average pass rate was below 70 percent on 11 tests and
below
60 percent on five tests, and no test had a pass rate of 90 percent or greater.
"The results speak for themselves," said FCPS Superintendent Daniel
A. Domenech. "Our students are learning and are demonstrating their knowledge
via their SOL scores. And our focus on narrowing the gap for Black and Hispanic
students is paying off as the disparities in these scores become less pronounced."
The gaps in SOL scores between Hispanic and White students and between Black
and White students have been reduced in 21 of the 27 subject areas between 2000
and 2002. Hispanic students have closed the gap by almost 12 percentage points
in two subjects (grade 8 History and Social Studies and high school U.S. History),
and Black students have closed the gap by more than 12 percentage points in
grade 8 History and Social Studies.
Among FCPS Project Excel schools, Mount Eagle Elementary posted the highest
gains in third grade English (a 52 percent gain), History (a 42 percent gain),
and Science (a 39 percent gain) and in fifth grade Math (a 41 percent gain)
and Science (a 24 percent gain). Dogwood Elementary made the biggest gains in
fifth grade Math (a 41 percent gain) and Computer Technology (a 24 percent gain).
Other Project Excel schools posting large gains were Woodlawn Elementary, with
a 27 percent gain in grade 3 Math; Mount Vernon Woods Elementary, with a 20
percent gain in grade 5 Writing; and Cameron Elementary, with a
32 percent gain in grade 5 History.
FCPS third and fifth grade students posted pass rates above 80 percent on all
their SOL tests, with fifth graders topping 90 percent in Writing and Computer
Technology. The biggest gain by third graders was in English, a 3.72 percent
increase. Fifth graders posted their biggest gain in History, a jump of 9.25
percent. Eighth graders posted their biggest gain in History, a pass rate increase
of 14.39 percent. Among high school students, the biggest gain was made in U.S.
History, an increase of 20.65 percent, and in World History From 1000, a gain
of 11.53 percent.
Attachment 1: FCPS Percent Passing Rates (Adjusted)
by Subject 
Attachment 2: FCPS Black and White Comparison
Attachment 3: FCPS Hispanic and White Comparison
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Note: For more information, contact Michael Glascoe, assistant superintendent
for educational accountability, at 703-204-3817.
FCPS Receives Funding For Elementary Foreign Language Program
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has received a
$126,121 grant from the foreign language incentive program of the
U.S. Department of Education to support its elementary foreign language
immersion program. The grant, which is effective immediately, is designed
to provide incentives to public schools offering students a foreign
language program designed to lead to communicative competency in the
language. Approximately $6 million in grant money was allocated to
public school divisions based on the numbers of students participating
in elementary foreign language programs; about 800 public school systems
applied for the grants.
FCPS currently has approximately 3,000 elementary school students
in 13 schools participating in its partial-immersion program, one
of the largest elementary foreign language immersion programs in the
United States. The students study French, German, Japanese, or Spanish
in addition to core subjects; students in the partial-immersion program
learn math, science, and health in the immersion language.
The grant will be used to provide staff development for teachers and
to purchase enrichment materials such as books, videos, and computer
software to enhance the existing program.
###
Note: For more information, contact Gudrun Martyny, FCPS foreign language specialist, at 703-208-7723.
Terraset Elementary, Outback Steakhouse Launch New Partnership
Terraset Elementary School, a Fairfax County public
school, and the Outback Steakhouse at 150 Elden Street in Herndon
will launch a new partnership on Thursday, October 10, at 2 p.m.
at the school.
Outback Steakhouse will support Terraset by donating kids meals
to encourage academic achievement and special luncheons for students
reaching high goals in math. Outback plans to sponsor the sixth
grade end-of-year celebration and will hold fund-raising activities
to support the school's needs. Outback will also provide opportunities
for Terraset faculty and staff members to participate in team-building
activities at the restaurant.
###
Note: For more information, contact Bill Vardeman,
assistant principal at Terraset Elementary, at 703-390-5600.
Fairfax County Public Schools Safety Message
These restrictions will be in place until Tuesday afternoon, October 15, at which time we will once again review the situation.
For more information, contact Kitty Porterfield at 571-423-1200.
# # #
George Weiner Named Winner Of $25,000 Milken Educator Award
George Weiner, fourth grade teacher in the gifted and
talented center at White Oaks Elementary School in Fairfax County,
has been selected as one of three winners of the Milken National Educator
Awards in Virginia. Weiner was surprised with the $25,000 award, funded
by the Milken Family Foundation, at an assembly at the school on October
10. One of the goals of the Milken National Educator Awards is to
provide public recognition of outstanding educators, to call attention
to the importance of teaching, and to encourage young people to consider
a career in education.
Weiner has been an educator with Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS)
for 15 years, having left a successful law practice to return to teaching.
He is frequently referred to as a "Renaissance man" for
incorporating innovative, creative practices in the arts, sciences,
and humanities into the classroom. From stargazing after school hours
to constructing Conestoga wagons to taking a field trip to a local
landfill, Weiner strives to constantly challenge his students both
inside and outside the classroom.
Weiner blends his public-speaking gifts and educational enthusiasm
in the Dr. Quizmo character he created and plays on FCPS' Red Apple
21 cable television station. His other television appearances have
included a 30-minute science comedy on the respiratory system and
a series of science videos supporting the Virginia Standards of Learning
(SOL) science objectives.
Two of Weiner's trademarks are the techno art program and phalange
ball. The techno art program encourages students to take apart old
appliances, study
their parts, and create their own art; it has been featured on the
WRC-TV nightly news show. Phalange ball, named after one of the 450
spelling words Weiner teaches his students each year, is a combination
ball game and metaphor for life with four rules.
Outside the classroom, Weiner continues his dedication to his students
and to his profession. He sponsors an after-school science club whose
members have created a phonograph and built a solar collector. As
coach of the White Oaks Think Quest junior competition, Weiner encourages
students to compete in the international web site creation contest;
a recent team finished among the 63 finalists out of 800 entries.
"Mr. Weiner infuses his students with a thirst for and a lifelong
love of learning," says FCPS Superintendent Daniel A. Domenech.
"Fairfax County is privileged to have an educator as talented
and dedicated as George Weiner in the classroom."
As a member of the White Oaks staff, Weiner serves as staff representative
to the Superintendent's Advisory Council and as math lead teacher,
and has conducted numerous staff workshops for his colleagues. He
was a finalist for the 2001 FCPS Teacher of the Year Award and is
a past winner of the Governor's School Outstanding Educator award
and the Northern Virginia Council for Gifted and Talented Education
Outstanding Teacher of the Gifted Award.
###
Note: For more information, contact George Weiner at 703-923-1400.
FCPS Students To Participate In National Disability Mentoring Day
More than 125 high school students from Fairfax County
Public Schools (FCPS) will participate in National Disability Mentoring
Day on Wednesday, October 16, joining volunteer mentors individually
or in small groups in area businesses.
FCPS is the first school system in the country to plan such an event,
which is one of the largest in the United States. This is the second
year the school system has sponsored National Disability Mentoring
Day, which is intended to demonstrate job opportunities to students
with disabilities. Many of the mentors have disabilities as well.
National Disability Mentoring Day is coordinated by the FCPS Department
of Special Services, Career and Transition Services, in partnership
with the American Association of People With Disabilities, the Fairfax
Area Disability Services Board, the Fairfax County government, and
national sponsors: America Online and Booz Allen Hamilton.
###
Note: For more information, contact Ginny Brennan, coordinator of
Career and Transition Services, FCPS Department of Special Services
at 703-246-8231.
FCPS Changes Location Of Andrew Chapel Town Meeting
To accommodate the large number of citizens interested
in the boundary determination process for the new Andrew Chapel site
elementary school, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has changed
the location of two upcoming meetings.
The meeting scheduled for Monday, November 18, will be held at Langley High School, 6520 Georgetown Pike in McLean. The meeting scheduled for Wednesday, December 4, will be held at McLean High School, 1633 Davidson Road in McLean. Both meetings will begin at 7:30 p.m.
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Note: For more information, contact Gary Chevalier at 703-246-3608
