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Pleasant Valley Elementary School Earns Top Award

Governor Tim Kaine announced that 153 Virginia public schools earned the 2010 Governor's Award for Educational Excellence. The award is the highest honor under the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) incentive program created by the Board of Education in 2007 to advance Governor Kaine's "competence to excellence" agenda to encourage advanced learning and achievement in the Commonwealth's public schools. PLEASANT VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL has earned the 2010 Governor's Award of Educational Excellence. The school will receive a display banner and a signed resolution of commendation from Governor Kaine.

In order to qualify for the Governor's Award for Educational Excellence, schools and school divisions must meet all state and federal achievement benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and achieve Governor Kaine's goals for elementary reading: advanced diplomas; increased attainment of career and industry certifications; and participation, if eligible, in the Virginia Preschool Initiative. Extra points can be earned for other performance measures including the Governor's Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard.

Additional awards were announced as well. The second tier honor in the VIP program is called the Board of Education's Excellence Award. Fifteen school divisions and 288 schools earned this second tier award. The criteria to qualify for this award are that all state and federal accountability benchmarks for at least two consecutive years have been met and significant progress has been made toward goals for increased student achievement and expanded educational opportunities set by Governor Kaine and the Board.

Three RCPS schools were given this second tier Award: :

• OTTOBINE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• PEAK VIEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• PLAINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The third tier award, called the Board of Education Competence of Excellence Award was given to seventeen school divisions, including ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, and 281 schools. To earn this award, all state and federal benchmarks for at least two consecutive years have been met and progress is being made toward the goals of the Governor and Board of Education.

The school division and the following seven RCPS schools were given this third tier Award:

• ELKTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• BROADWAY HIGH SCHOOL
• J. FRANK HILLYARD MIDDLE SCHOOL
• JOHN C. MYERS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• JOHN W. WAYLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• MCGAHEYSVILE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
• SPOTSWOOD HIGH SCHOOL

More information about this award and schools who were named on it can be found on the Virginia Department of Education's website.