Our Superintendent - Dr. Ashby C. Kilgore

WELCOME TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

As we start another school year, my thoughts turn to the many successes we’ve experienced thus far - successes and accomplishments that would not have been possible without the collective efforts of our employee team.

From implementing Career Pathways and the Dropout Prevention and Recovery programs to trimming the budget and saving energy, we have worked together to bring many opportunities and initiatives to fruition.

Thank you for your contributions to smart, safe schools and worksites; your efforts are noteworthy.

Student Preparedness

• Implemented Career Pathways in all schools and garnered 82 business partners who have committed to lend their support and talents to Career Pathways by providing worksite opportunities, job shadowing, club/activity sponsorships, internships and speaking engagements.
• Over 200 Career and Technical Education students passed industry certifications
• Nearly 750 students earned college credit through dual-enrollment programs
• Organized a Freshmen Experience team for all middle and high schools
• Expanded online credit recovery opportunities in all high schools, allowing over 500 students to recover credits towards graduation

Literacy and Math

• Thirty-nine of 40 schools met or exceeded benchmarks earning full accreditation by the state
• Twenty-one schools were recognized by the Governor and the State Board of Education for exceeding minimum state standards.
• The number of students scoring pass proficient on English and mathematics SOL tests increased at all levels

Employee Retention and Relations

• Many employees communicated ideas and solutions through blogs for budget development and stimulus spending
• Expanded employee recognition programs
• Increased first-year retention rate for teachers
• Increased staff development opportunities for teachers and support staff

Dropout Prevention and Recovery

• Administrators and teachers identified students at risk of dropping out and developed intervention plans to help them stay on track.
• More than 500 students have re-entered NNPS and are on track to earn a credential
• Opened two learning centers in the fall as recovery sites for GED, adult basic education and English as a Second Language learners, resulting in a 15 percent increase in GED credential earned.

Youth Development

• More than 150 employees attended the Safe Schools Summer Institute to learn how to be better youth developers
• More than half of all NNPS students engaged in clubs, activities and athletics connecting them to their school
• Launched a middle school sports program with over 500 student participants

This is just a brief list of all of our accomplishments. By working cooperatively, I know we will continue to advance the smart, safe agenda for Newport News Public Schools. There is much work still to be done, but we are making significant progress.

I am looking forward to working with you as we begin another year of success together.

Sincerely,

Ashby C. Kilgore, Ed.D., Superintendent