Photo by Matt de Simone
By Matt de Simone
Contributing writer
James River High School was recognized for receiving the 2018-19 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award last Thursday at the Botetourt County School Board meeting. Jamie Talbott, principal of James River, accepted the award and accolades that were presented by John S. Busher, superintendent.
“This award is a tribute to the work ethic and dedication of our students and teachers. The positive collaboration that exists between our students and teachers allows for student success in the classroom,” Talbott said.
According to the Department of Education, Virginia high schools have to meet or exceed 10 different objectives:
- Students enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or duel enrollment courses
- Students earning career and technical industry certifications, state licenses, or successful national occupational assessment credentials (number or percent increases annually) or Students who participate in advanced coursework in the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) areas, including Advanced Placement courses, International Baccalaureate courses, and dual enrollment courses
- Students who graduate high school in four, five, or six years with a standard or advanced studies diploma
- High school graduates earning an advanced studies diploma out of the total number of Board of Education-approved diplomas awarded
- Students in each subgroup who graduate from high school with a standard or advanced studies diploma
- Students who graduate from high school having taken Calculus, Chemistry, and Physics
- Students who graduate from high school having earned advanced proficient scores on each of the state end-of-course assessments in English reading, English writing, and Algebra II
- Students who drop out of high school (10 percent or less, based on the four-year dropout rate)
- Increase the number of high school students who earn the one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies or an associate degree from a community college in the commonwealth concurrent with a high school diploma
The VIP program highlights schools (K-12) within the Commonwealth of Virginia that meet or exceed the requirements set by the governor and Board of Education. This is the third consecutive school year James River has received this recognition. In order for a Virginia high school to receive this honor, the school must have 85 percent of its students graduate with a standard or an advanced studies diploma over a six-year period.
