Virginia’s Annual Participation Trophy Parade
Virginia's Board of Education has just announced its 2024-2025 Exemplar School Recognition Awards, and surprise, surprise: every school that ticked a few boxes and threw together some flowery mission statements is now an "Exemplar." Before you rush to dig up your cap and gown to join the celebration, let’s dive into what these awards actually mean—and whether any of it should even matter to the average Virginian. Spoiler alert: probably not.
The "Exemplar" Schools of 2024-2025: Virginia’s Best and Brightest… Right?
In the spirit of recognizing excellence (or what passes for it), Virginia’s Board of Education selects schools based on metrics that somehow manage to be both vague and rigid, awarding institutions that hit arbitrary targets like "high student engagement" and "community involvement." Because, apparently, "not totally failing" now counts as excellence.
Categories of Excellence: Check a Box, Win a Trophy
The Board of Education splits these awards into various, often eyebrow-raising categories:
- Highest Achievement Awards: This is for the schools that show the best performance on Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. If your school can make students jump through test-taking hoops, congrats! You’re a winner.
- Continuous Improvement Awards: For schools that are maybe a bit embarrassed about previous scores and have shown any improvement. That's right—baby steps count.
- Innovation in Education Awards: Any school with an after-hours Minecraft club or a teacher who occasionally uses TikTok might just find itself in this category.
How Did Your Local School Make the Cut?
Curious if your school received an award? Well, it likely wasn’t for winning an actual competition or doing something objectively measurable. Schools essentially qualify by meeting an evolving list of "criteria," like showing they’re working hard on their "school climate" (basically, whether students are vaguely happy) and "engagement levels." There's no need for rigorous measurements here; as long as the numbers look fine and the district isn’t drowning in scandal, a shiny badge could be on the way.
SOL Test Scores: If You Can Game It, You Can Win It
Yes, the venerable Standards of Learning tests. They’re the backbone of Virginia’s academic assessment, despite the fact that some argue they’re about as reflective of real learning as a Magic 8-Ball is of the future. The schools that score well on these tests receive the "Highest Achievement" awards, presumably because test scores are as close as we get to scientific validation in education nowadays. It’s like saying, "Hey, your kids are fantastic at memorizing trivia! Here’s a medal!"
But what about schools that don’t quite make it? That’s where the Continuous Improvement Award swoops in. As long as your school has managed to inch forward from "barely passing" to "marginally less embarrassing," you can snag a piece of the glory too.
Let’s Talk About “Innovation” – Or Lack Thereof
One category that deserves a special shoutout is the Innovation in Education Award. Ostensibly, this is meant to highlight schools that push the boundaries of traditional teaching methods. However, in practice, “innovation” here could mean pretty much anything that’s remotely out of the ordinary. Does your school use an iPad here and there? Award-worthy. Maybe you’ve got a “learning garden” with a few wilted radishes? Hello, accolade!
And that’s not to disparage technology in the classroom or fresh approaches to curriculum—both are great, when done meaningfully. But the standard for what constitutes "innovation" seems so low, you could practically trip over it. One has to wonder if the only requirement is a pulse and a PowerPoint presentation.
Participation Trophies Galore: The Continuous Improvement Club
For those schools that might not be “highest achieving” but are on an “upward trend” (read: not doing terribly anymore), there’s the Continuous Improvement Award. It’s like getting a sticker for “trying really hard” even though you’re not quite hitting the mark. In other words, schools that are slightly better than they were before (whatever that means) are celebrated because the bar has to go somewhere, right?
The point here is less about exceptional achievement and more about being noticeably less mediocre than last year. The Board of Education recognizes this achievement with a gleaming certificate, because nothing says "progress" like a generic pat on the back.
The Ultimate Winners: Schools that Know How to Work the System
Virginia’s Exemplar School Recognition Awards also seem to cater to schools that know how to work the system. These schools understand that if they can prove their staff hosted a few family engagement nights, got students to fill out surveys on “school climate,” and reported “innovative practices” like smart boards in the classroom, they're basically shoo-ins for an award.
Some might say it’s a system that encourages schools to excel. Others might say it’s like getting a gold star for filling out the paperwork correctly.
“School Climate” and “Engagement” – Vague Goals, Big Rewards
A key criterion for being crowned an "Exemplar" school in Virginia is maintaining a “positive school climate,” which sounds nice until you realize that it's about as measurable as "good vibes." School climate can include anything from the general happiness of the students to how much they like the cafeteria food. How do they even evaluate this? Surveys, of course! Because nothing captures the essence of an entire institution's atmosphere like a few bubble sheets filled out on a sleepy Tuesday morning.
The Engagement Factor is no less fuzzy. Schools can demonstrate “engagement” by implementing anything that “actively involves” students—whether it’s an after-school chess club or mandatory pep rallies. It’s a catch-all term that sounds lofty but could mean almost anything.
The Real Winners and Losers: How Parents and Students Fit In
Despite the pomp and circumstance surrounding these awards, one has to ask—what does any of this actually mean for parents and students? Sure, it’s nice to know your school got an award, but will it impact what really matters—like the quality of education your child is receiving?
In the end, parents are left trying to decipher what a Continuous Improvement Award means for their child. Is it a badge of honor or just another way to make schools look better on paper?
The Fine Print: Is an Awarded School Really Doing Better?
The truth is, an award is more a reflection of how well a school can meet bureaucratic expectations than it is of students’ actual educational experience. A school with an Exemplar award may not actually be the best choice for every student, especially if the only thing it's truly exceptional at is navigating the state’s checklist. At best, these awards provide a snapshot of who’s currently in the Board of Education’s good graces, not necessarily which schools provide a robust education.
Why These Awards Don’t Tell You the Whole Story
Perhaps the biggest issue with the Exemplar Awards is how they risk glossing over deep, systemic issues in education. By rewarding surface-level improvements or vague criteria like “engagement,” the awards can create the illusion of progress without any fundamental change. It’s like putting a fresh coat of paint on a dilapidated building—everything looks shiny from afar, but up close, you start to see the cracks.
No Award for Transparency
Parents hoping for transparency from the award process will likely be disappointed. The criteria for each category are broad enough to allow almost any school a fair shot, which might be a good thing in some contexts but muddies the waters when trying to genuinely assess a school’s quality. And with public education under constant scrutiny, it’s worth questioning if this annual display of “excellence” is more of a feel-good PR move than a legitimate assessment of educational quality.
What Real Change Would Look Like – If We’re Actually Interested
Imagine a world where the Board of Education’s awards actually translated to better student outcomes. Instead of recognizing the best “school climate” or vague engagement, we’d see awards for things like:
- Student Preparedness for Higher Education: Imagine if schools were rewarded based on how well-prepared their students actually were for college or the workforce.
- Teacher Retention and Satisfaction: What if schools with high teacher morale and low turnover received recognition? Teacher satisfaction directly impacts student outcomes, yet it doesn’t get nearly enough attention.
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving: Schools that encourage real-world skills over test memorization would be worthy of true acclaim.
If awards focused on real, tangible results rather than feel-good metrics, they might serve a genuine purpose in guiding parents and educators alike.
The Exemplar Awards – Meaningful or Just Another PR Stunt?
The 2024-2025 Exemplar School Recognition Awards are now out, and if you’re feeling underwhelmed, you’re not alone. Virginia’s Board of Education has managed to hand out trophies while sidestepping the bigger question: Are these schools truly exceptional, or just experts at jumping through hoops?
It’s an annual dance, one that’s more about optics than genuine achievement, and while some may find comfort in seeing their school labeled an “Exemplar,” others might wonder if the education system would be better served by a little less applause and a little more introspection.
So, the next time you see an Exemplar award, ask yourself what it really stands for—and maybe give a little side-eye to all the pomp and circumstance around it. Because, in the end, who doesn’t love a little bit of recognition… even if it’s for doing the bare minimum?