County education leaders are still evaluating new accountability ratings that showed a mix of success and shortcomings among Arlington schools.

Eight Arlington schools were categorized as “Needs Intensive Support” under new rating system and first results released earlier this month by the Virginia Department of Education, Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members at their Dec. 18 meeting.

In each case, overall student performance would have resulted in those schools being placed in a higher tier. But the performance of students in certain subgroups — including Hispanic students, English-language learners and students with disabilities — led to a lower ranking.

Arlington Public Schools leaders say the specifics of the new system make it challenging to gather quick takeaways.

“There’s a lot more for us to learn,” Superintendent Francisco Durán told School Board members at their Dec. 18 meeting.

The following Arlington elementary schools were classified in the “Needs Intensive Support” category: Abingdon, Barcroft, Barrett, Carlin Springs, Dr. Charles R. Drew, Long Branch and Randolph.

Also placed in the “Needs Intensive Support” category was Arlington Community High School, a program that targets adult learners, most of them immigrants, who can complete coursework on individual schedules.

Because many students there juggle school with work and family responsibilities, the school has at times experienced a high absentee rate that can impact results.

The new School Performance and Support Framework rankings, rolled out Dec. 10 by the Youngkin administration, categorize schools in four tiers: “Distinguished,” “On Track” and “Off Track,” in addition to “Needs Intensive Support.” Rankings are based on test results and other factors from the 2024-25 school year.

Despite the shortcomings, “all schools in APS remain fully accredited,” Durán said.

Schools designated in the intervention category are slated to receive additional resources and staff training from the state, designed to raise overall achievement. But as of now, the superintendent said, leaders in school divisions across Virginia are continuing to wait for the details on those support services.

“They said they’re still working on that,” Durán said. “We’re waiting to see what kind of resources we get.”

In the meantime, he said, his staff has been meeting with principals from schools in the lower rating tiers. “We’re thinking about our own ways to support those schools,” Durán said.

At the meeting, School Board member Mary Kadera said it was important that APS leadership let the public know that schools in the lowest category were there largely owing to very specific reasons, not overall performance issues.

“A headline that says we have eight schools that need intensive support is not going to be great,” said Kadera, who is leaving office at the end of the month.

Kadera noted that even one longtime activist she recently spoke with had a hard time deciphering the data.

“How are we going to message this?” she asked the superintendent.

Durán said local school leaders would work to make the raw data “more user-friendly and understandable” to the community.

Here is how other Arlington schools were graded:

• Distinguished: Arlington Science Focus, Arlington Traditional, Cardinal, Discovery, Glebe, Jamestown, Nottingham, Taylor and Tuckahoe elementary schools; Williamsburg Middle School; Washington-Liberty and Yorktown high schools
• On Track: Ashlawn, Campbell, Claremont Immersion, Key and Oakridge elementary schools; Montessori Public School of Arlington; Dorothy Hamm, Gunston, Thomas Jefferson, Kenmore and Swanson middle schools; and Wakefield High School
• Off Track: Alice West Fleet, Hoffman-Boston and Innovation elementary schools

Tuckahoe Elementary School had the highest overall rating of any school in Arlington and one of the five best results in Northern Virginia, scoring 99 on the 0-to-100 scale.

Statewide, 66% of schools were meeting the new standards by being in the top two tiers, with 23% designated as distinguished and 43% as on track.

“A school’s performance category recognizes excellence while being clear on opportunities to improve. This informs resource allocation and prioritizes supports to improve student outcomes,” state education officials said in reporting the data.

Northern Virginia has a higher percentage of its schools — 31% — designated as distinguished than any other area of the commonwealth, according to state data.

Next month’s inauguration of Democrat Abigail Spanberger as governor will bring new leadership to the Virginia Department of Education and, ultimately, new members of the Virginia Board of Education. That could lead to revisions to the recently enacted accountability standards, Durán said.

“There may be changes. We’re not sure,” he told School Board members.