Join the conversation

Story posted August, 2008

Results:
• Pass rates on Virginia Standards of Learning tests often meet or exceed state averages
• Steady gains on SAT and other standardized test scores over the past several years

J.E.B. Stuart is the most diverse high school in Fairfax County, Virginia - and it may be one of the most diverse in the nation. Thirty-nine percent of students are Hispanic; 19 percent are Asian; 12 percent are African-American; and 27 percent are White (and, of that total, 19 percent are of Middle Eastern origin). More than two-thirds of Stuart's students do not speak English as their primary language; and 41 percent were born in other countries (82 other countries, to be exact).

Add to these statistics the fact that more than half of Stuart's students qualify for free or reduced meals due to poverty, and it's clear that this suburban high school's faculty and staff have their work cut out for them. Their response to the school's remarkable diversity? A determined effort to respond to every child's individual learning needs.

"We are dedicated to individualization here, and that means making sure every student can progress at his or her own pace," said Principal Pamela A. Jones.

This school-wide dedication to students' individual needs is perhaps most apparent in the flexibility of the school's course schedule. Many students at Stuart cannot follow the traditional high school course sequence. Some come to the school with high school credits from their home countries but need extra time to learn English. Others arrive at school with very little formal education and require special course sequences that better address their academic needs. Students who have not had algebra might, for example, take special chemistry or physics courses that require less mathematics. English language learners may pause in their social studies sequence until they have strengthened their command of English, or they may spend more than four years at the school to learn English before meeting the regular course requirements.

Flexible course schedules allow some Stuart students to spend time at Fairfax County Public Schools' career academies, where they can acquire work skills while further improving their English.

Stuart also has introduced "concept" courses in science and social studies for struggling students, as well as "double block" English for students who speak other languages. In math, for example, Stuart has created a "double block" program that places struggling ninth and tenth graders in an Algebra class every day; normally, they would take it every other day. "That lets them start to catch up as they get the material at a slower pace," Jones said.

Plus, teachers regularly work one-on-one with students who need special help preparing for Virginia's Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Jones said the teacher sign-in sheet is usually full on Saturdays because teachers are giving up their own time to tutor students. "It's a real family atmosphere here," she said. "There's a real sense that we're all in this together and we need to help every child succeed."

Another place where the school's philosophy of customized learning plays out is in the PLATO Lab, a room where almost all ninth graders go twice a week for individualized reading instruction. The technology-enabled program allows students to practice and test their skills at their own pace with earphones. "We see up to two years growth for students in that program in just one year," said Jones.

Given the school's focus on helping students who might otherwise fall through the cracks, one might think that high-achieving students at Stuart would get short shrift. But in 1994, Stuart became one of two original high schools in Fairfax County to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP). The IBDP is a rigorous college preparatory course of study, with examinations, that challenges the most highly motivated high school students. Each student chooses to pursue the full IB Diploma or can take individual IB courses in language, math, social studies, science and the arts. In 2007, Stuart students took a record 499 IB exams.

Stuart's attention to the learning needs of every child has resulted in steady gains in student scores on SATs and other standardized tests. Despite their challenges, Stuart students pass the Virginia Standards of Learning tests at rates that often meet or even rival average student passing rates in the state as a whole. The school's success is a reflection of the school's motto: "Time for Everyone, Excellence for All."

For additional information, please contact:
Pamela Jones
Principal, JEB Stuart High School
703-824-3909
Pamela.jones@fcps.edu