Norfolk Public School Announces New School Performance & Support Framework to Drive Excellence and Equity

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Norfolk Public School Announces New School Performance & Support Framework to Drive Excellence and Equity

Norfolk, VA – Norfolk Public Schools unveiled its comprehensive School Performance & Support Framework (SPSF) data Tuesday, December 9, 2025, as provided by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and based on performance with Federal Identification Impacts. The newly released SPSF report unified accountability and support systems designed to accelerate student achievement, strengthen school quality, and ensure equitable access to high-performing schools across the district.  

NPS students made gains in the areas of English, mathematics, history, and science performance on Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Through a review of the Spring 2025 SOL data, the administration examined how performance during the 2024-2025 school year measured up against prior testing years. 

In the new SPSF accountability system schools from across the Commonwealth of Virginia are rated with an indexing of points earned. They are rated on their total points earned out of 100. The ratings are as follows: Distinguished (100-90 points), On Track (89-80 points), Off Track (79-65 points), and Needs Intensive Support (below 65 points).  NPS had 44% of schools that earned between 80-89 points and 56% who earned between 65-79 points. Click this VDOE link to see the descriptions of each rating. 

Key Foundational Components of the School Performance & Support Framework

• Annual pass rates in all reading, mathematics, & science increased when compared to 2023-2024.

• Twenty-nine percent (29%) of schools demonstrated an increase of at least ten (10) percentage points in one or more content areas.

• English Learners (EL) and students with disabilities have shown encouraging growth, maintaining or improving their pass rates in both reading and math for two consecutive years.

• In mathematics, 81% of schools improved EL performance, and 65% improved outcomes for students with disabilities.
• In reading, 61% of schools saw gains for English Learners, while 53% showed improvement for students with disabilities.

 “Our students deserve schools that support their growth, challenge their thinking, and open doors to opportunity,” said Dr. James Pohl, Interim Superintendent of NPS. “Although we face challenges seen through the new measurements within the School Performance & Support Framework, the data will help to ensure we are not only measuring progress but also providing the right resources, coaching, and interventions so every school and every student can thrive.”

The following schools showing achievement gains are: 

• 10 schools (24.3%) lost less than 10% of their points in chronic absenteeism.  
• 3 schools surpassed the maximum number of points in the Reading indicator
  • Maury HS, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, & Larchmont ES
• 2 schools surpassed the maximum number of points in the Science indicator
  • Ghent K-8 & Larchmont ES
• 2 schools lost less than 5% of their number of points in the Reading, Math, & Science indicators
  • Academy for Discovery at Lakewood (surpassed in Reading) & Larchmont ES (surpassed in Reading & Science)
• 8 Schools lost less than 5% of their number of points in Math
  • Granby HS, Maury HS, Norview HS, Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, Camp Allen ES, Larchmont ES, Larrymore ES, WH Taylor ES
• 3 Schools lost less than 5% of their number of points in Reading
  • Granby HS, Norview HS & Ghent K-8
• 5 Schools lost less than 5% of their number of points in Science
  • Academy for Discovery at Lakewood, Camp Allen ES, Mary Calcott ES, Suburban Park ES, & W.H. Taylor ES
• 2 Schools lost 0 points in the area of Middle Schol Advanced Math Coursework (100% pass rate on EOC math)
  • Crossroads Schools & Southside STEM Academy at Campostella

Focus Areas for Further Improvement

 “Although we saw increases in mathematics, English, history, and science SOL pass rates, continued growth is needed.  As NPS remains slightly behind pre-pandemic pass rates, this continued growth is encouraging,” said Dr. Pohl. 

Despite this progress, these student groups continue to require targeted support and focused instructional strategies to close achievement gaps.  In addition, expanding opportunities for acceleration and improving achievement for students at all performance levels will remain a key focus moving forward. 

 Strategies to Improve Student and School Performance Next School Year

 A key strategy that helped facilitate improved academic achievement this past school year was a solid focus across the division on literacy, attendance, and accountability. With conversations at continued data meetings between central administration and the leadership of all 41 testing schools, data was examined down to the student level on a regular basis. These meetings helped identify performance gaps so additional resources could be provided in areas of need.  

 Other strategies that will be undertaken include: 

• The addition of reading tutors at the 6th and 9th grade levels
• Continued use of reading and math tutors for middle school support blocks and early literacy
• Professional development around the science of reading
• A revised elementary schedule to increase the block of time for science instruction
• Increased accountability on student performance in science throughout the year
• Continued use of approximately 150 trained tutors equitably distributed across schools based on students' needs