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Bellevue Elementary recognized with 2012 Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award

PHOTO: Bellevue 1912

Governor Bob McDonnell and the Board of Education announced today that 447 schools and two school divisions earned 2012 Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) awards for advanced learning and achievement. The incentive program recognizes schools and divisions that far exceed minimum state and federal accountability standards and achieve excellence goals established by the governor and the board.

“I congratulate the educators in these schools and divisions for their unwavering commitment to academic excellence and to the success of their students,” McDonnell said. “They put students first and maintain high expectations for instruction, learning and student achievement.”

“The criteria for these awards are becoming more challenging with the Board of Education’s increasing focus on college and career readiness,” Board of Education President Eleanor B. Saslaw said. “That so many schools earned VIP awards speaks to the capacity of most of Virginia’s public schools to accept new challenges.”

The top tier of awards are the 2012 Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence. No Richmond schools were recognized with this award. 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 all applicable excellence goals for elementary reading, enrollment in Algebra I by the eighth grade, enrollment in college-level courses, high school graduation, attainment of advanced diplomas, increased attainment of career and industry certifications, and participation in the Virginia Preschool Initiative. Schools and school divisions earn bonus points for other performance measures, including the Governor’s Nutrition and Physical Activity Scorecard.

The 2012 Board of Education Excellence Awards are the 2nd tier of awards. These schools and divisions also have met all state and federal accountability benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and have made significant progress toward goals for increased student achievement and expanded educational opportunities set by the board. Mary Munford Elementary and Richmond Community High were recognized with this award.

The 3rd tier of awards are the 2012 Board of Education Competence to Excellence Awards, given locally to Albert Hill Middle, Bellevue Elementary, Broad Rock Elementary, John B. Cary Elementary, Open High and Swansboro Elementary. The Board of Education Competence to Excellence Award was earned by 171 schools that met all state and federal benchmarks for at least two consecutive years and made progress toward the goals of the governor and the board.