Loudoun County Public Schools
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section is missing citations or needs footnotes. Using inline citations helps guard against copyright violations and factual inaccuracies. (December 31, 2006) |
| Loudoun County Public Schools | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| 21000 Education Court Ashburn, VA 20148 USA |
|
| Information | |
| Staff | 3,200 |
| Enrollment |
50,039 |
| Faculty | 4,300 |
| Type | Public |
| Grades | K-12 |
| Motto | "A Climate for Success" |
| Established | 1870 |
| Information | 571-252-1000 |
| Superintendent | Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick |
| School Board Chairman | Robert F. DuPree Jr. |
| Homepage | www.loudoun.k12.va.us |
Loudoun County Public Schools (abbreviated LCPS) is a branch of the Loudoun County, Virginia government, and administers public schools in the county. LCPS's headquarters is located in Ashburn, an unincorporated section of the county.
Due to the rapid growth in the region, LCPS is the fastest growing school district in Virginia and one of the fastest growing public school districts in the United States, serving over 50,000 students in the 2006-2007 school year.[1] LCPS is the fifth largest school district in Virginia, surpassing the enrollment of Henrico County Public Schools in the 2006-2007 school year.[2] The superintendent of schools is Dr. Edgar B. Hatrick.
Contents |
[edit] History
The public school system in Loudoun County was established in 1870 to fulfill the needs for free education after the Civil War and in an era of Reconstruction. For most of its history, LCPS has served a rural county, known for its dairy farms. Since the 1960s, Loudoun County's population skyrocketed, accompanied by that of the school system. More than thirty schools have been built between 1996 and 2006.[3]
[edit] Administration
The LCPS system, while operated on a day-to-day basis by the Superintendent, is managed under the direction and authority of the Loudoun County School Board, a nine member panel elected by citizens in the county. Eight of the nine board positions are divided among voting districts that represent communities throughout the county, while the ninth seat is elected at-large by the entire county. The voting districts correspond to those used for Loudoun County Board of Supervisor elections. Unlike the Board of Supervisors, the chairmanship of the School Board operates on a rotating basis between members, while the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors is always the at-large seat. While the School Board makes decisions relating to school policy and curriculum, it receives funding through the Board of Supervisors.
[edit] Demographics
In the 2006-2007 school year, LCPS was 67.3% White; 8.2% Black; 12.4% Hispanic; 11.8% Asian; and 0.3% Native American.[4]
[edit] Schools
[edit] High schools
All high schools serve grades 9–12 unless otherwise noted.
- Loudoun Academy of Science, Sterling
- Briar Woods High School, Ashburn
- Broad Run High School, Ashburn
- Dominion High School, Sterling
- Freedom High School, South Riding
- Heritage High School, Leesburg
- Loudoun County High School, Leesburg
- Loudoun Valley High School, Town of Purcellville (due to overcrowding, Loudoun Valley only serves grades 10-12)
- Park View High School, Sterling
- Potomac Falls High School, Potomac Falls
- Stone Bridge High School, Ashburn
[edit] Middle schools
Loudoun County currently has 11 middle schools, all of which typically feed into one high school currently, or in the near future. Older middle schools such as Simpson, Blue Ridge, Sterling, and Seneca Ridge originally were able to carry about 1,000 students, but have all went or are going through expansion projects that will allow them to carry 1,200 students once the projects are complete. Newer middle schools built since 1995 when Farmwell Station opened typically have capacities of 1,200 to 1,350 students depending on the age of the building and how fast growth was around the particular school when the school opened.
Serves grades 6-8 unless noted
- Belmont Ridge Middle School, Leesburg
- Blue Ridge Middle School, Purcellville (carries only grades 6 and 7)
- Eagle Ridge Middle School, Ashburn
- Farmwell Station Middle School, Ashburn
- Harper Park Middle School, Leesburg
- Mercer Middle School, Aldie
- River Bend Middle School, Sterling
- Seneca Ridge Middle School, Sterling
- J. Lupton Simpson Middle School, Leesburg
- Smart's Mill Middle School, Leesburg
- Sterling Middle School, Sterling
- Stone Hill Middle School, Ashburn
[edit] Intermediate schools
LCPS has one intermediate school in the western part of the county which serves 8th and 9th graders. This is only a temporary concept, which will end after a new high school opens in 2010.[5]
- Harmony Intermediate School, Hamilton
[edit] Elementary schools
LCPS currently has 47 elementary schools, which are nearly all community based, with over half of them opening in the last 10 years. Newer elementary schools throughout the county can carry approximately 800 to 875 students. Older elementary schools in the eastern part of the county can carry anywhere from 400-600 students. There are some rural elementary schools in Loudoun County as well, nearly all of them in the western part of the county. They are much smaller in size and are much older facilities, typically holding enrollments of about 100-150 students.
Serves grades K-5
|
|
[edit] Instructional centers
- C.S. Monroe Technology Center, Leesburg (technical school for high school students and graduates)
- Douglass School, Leesburg (alternative education center)
- Loudoun Academy of Science, Sterling (specialized science and mathematics center similar to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County, Virginia)
[edit] Future Schools
- Creightons Corner ES scheduled to open in Ashburn in 2008-2009.
- Kenneth Culbert ES scheduled to open near Purcellville in 2009-2010.
- Liberty ES scheduled to open in South Riding in 2008-2009.
- Steuart W. Weller ES scheduled to open in One Loudoun in 2008-2009.
- Woodgrove HS, tentatively scheduled to open in Purcellville in January 2010.
- ES-14 scheduled to open in Brambelton in 2013-2014.
- ES-15 scheduled to open in the Leesburg area in 2010-2011.
- ES-16 scheduled to open in Moorefield Station in 2010-2011.
- ES-20 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2010-2011.
- ES-21 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2011-2012.
- ES-22 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles in 2012-2013.
- ES-23 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
- ES-24 scheduled to open in Leesburg area in 2013-2014.
- ES-25 scheduled to open in the Western Loudoun area in 2012-2013.
- ES-26 scheduled to open in the Western Loudoun area in 2014-2015.
- ES-27 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2011-2012.
- MS-5 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles in 2010-2011.
- MS-6 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
- MS-7 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2013-2014.
- MS-10 scheduled to open in Western Loudoun in 2015-2016.
- HS-5 scheduled to open in the Leesburg area in January 2010.
- HS-6 scheduled to open in the Dulles area in 2012-2013.
- HS-7 scheduled to open in the Dulles area in 2011-2012.
- HS-8 scheduled to open in the Ashburn/Dulles area in 2015-2016.
- Advanced Technology Academy to open on County Property in 2012-2013.
[edit] Curriculum
[edit] High Schools
Students primarily attend classes on their home campus, but have opportunities to take additional, specialized courses at LCPS's magnet and alternative schools, such as science and math at Loudoun Academy of Science and vocational education classes at C.S. Monroe Technology Center.
Each school's instructional curriculum is set primarily by the LCPS district office based on Virginia Department of Education requirements. There are generally eleven academic departments, each supervised by a department head (usually a teacher):[6]
|
|
|
The "core" courses of English, mathematics, science and social science typically have tracks or sequences that are determined by grade level (e.g. English 9, English 10, English 11, etc.; and earth science, biology, chemistry, etc.). This is true for some of the other course groups as well, such as world languages, physical education and fine arts. Additionally, many of the core courses are further arranged into basic/general, academic, honors and Advanced Placement (AP) classifications. Each classification generally denotes a progressively more challenging level of instruction, although the distinction between honors and AP is often blurred.
- English: Includes basic/general, academic, honors levels for all grades (with honors replaced by AP in 12th grade. Electives, including composition, journalism, etymology, public speaking, and world literature are also offered.
- Mathematics: Includes algebra 1 & 2, geometry, as well as trigonometry, pre-calculus and calculus*, computer science*, probability and statistics*, and discrete math (* AP level offered).
- Science: Includes earth science, biology, chemistry, physics. AP level courses are offered in biology, physics and chemistry.
- Social Science: Includes world history, Virginia and US history, and government. Electives are offered in comparative religions, economics, contributions of ethnic groups in America, philosophy, psychology and sociology. AP classes are provided for government, US history and world history.
- Fine Arts: Includes four progressive levels of art studies.
- World Languages: Includes American Sign Language, French, German, Latin, Spanish and Mandarin Chinese.
- Career and Technical: Includes desktop/multimedia presentations, computer information systems, accounting, business management and business law.
Students attending Loudoun Academy of Science at Dominion High School in Sterling and C.S. Monroe Technology Center in Leesburg do so every other class day, taking their non-magnet classes (typically core courses, such as English, social sciences and electives) at their home campuses on the alternate days.
[edit] Specialized Programs
[edit] ESL
Nearly all LCPS schools offer a full English as a Second Language program, now called "Limited English Proficiency", for students whose native language is not English and who do not speak and/or read English well.
[edit] Special Education
LCPS offers a wide range of Special Education programs for students who have minor learning disabilities to those with mild to moderate mental retardation in most schools. If a student is severely mentally impaired, he or she attends a special county wide program at Loudoun County High School.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Loudoun County Public Schools Homepage
- [1]Loudon County Public Schools Web page at Great Schools Web site
[edit] References
[edit] Citations
- ^ Jackson, Charlie. "LCPS Anticipated More Students", Leesburg Today, September 15, 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-31.
- ^ Virginia Department of Education (2008-03-05). Virginia Department of Education September 30, 2007 Student Membership (xls). Retrieved on 2008-05-08.
- ^ Somashekhar, Sandra. "Building a School from the Inside Out", The Washington Post, The Washington Post Company, September 7, 2006. Retrieved on 2007-11-21. (English)
- ^ VA Dept of Education Fall Membership Data Collection (1995-2006). Virginia Dept of Education. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
- ^ Loudoun County Public Schools | News Archive
- ^ Broad Run Academics Overview. Loudoun County Public Schools (2006/7). Retrieved on 2006-12-27.
[edit] Sources
- Loudoun County Public Schools – About. Loudoun County Public Schools (2006/2007). Retrieved on 2006-12-31.
- VA Dept of Education Fall Membership Data Collection (1995-2006). Virginia Dept of Education. Retrieved on 2007-01-03.
|
|||||||||||||||||
