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FCPS Postsecondary Profile
Last updated 2023-24
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) aims to inspire and empower students to achieve high academic standards, lead healthy and ethical lives, and be responsible and innovative global citizens.
Curriculum
The Program of Studies defines instruction for FCPS. It includes standards established in the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). In 2014 FCPS adopted the Portrait of a Graduate to focus on the skills students need to succeed in a rapidly changing, diverse, and interconnected world. Portrait of a Graduate helps FCPS students develop important skills — not just test scores — to be successful in future jobs.
Six high school academies offer technical and specialized courses that aren't available at every high school. Students from every high school take Career and Technical Education (CTE), fine arts, and world languages courses. CTE courses can help students earn credentials and industry certifications.
Advanced academic courses are available at all high schools and are open to any students who want to be challenged. Students can take honors courses as underclassmen and then move on to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual enrollment courses.
IB Diploma Program (DP) candidates can be identified in their secondary school reports or letters of recommendation. FCPS is also home to Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, a public magnet school and Governor’s School offering a well-rounded curriculum, that focuses on science, mathematics, and technology.
Graduates
Of the approximately 14,161 FCPS 2023 high school graduates, 86.6% indicated their intention to attend postsecondary educational institutions.
Of this group:
- 65.2% pursue enrollment at four-year colleges
- 17.6% pursue enrollment at two-year colleges
- 6.3% pursue military/employment
- 4% pursue other educational plans
Grade Point Average and Class Rank
Grade point average (GPA) is calculated based on all high school courses for which credit has been earned, attempted, and previously awarded.
FCPS high schools do not rank students. High school courses taken in middle school may be expunged from the high school transcript. The parent must submit a request within nine weeks of his and/or her child entering an FCPS high school.
Grading System
Letter Grade | Percent Grade | Grade Points |
---|---|---|
A | 93-100 | 4.0 |
A- | 90-92 | 3.7 |
B+ | 87-89 | 3.3 |
B | 83-86 | 3.0 |
B- | 80-82 | 2.7 |
C+ | 77-79 | 2.3 |
C | 73-76 | 2.0 |
C- | 70-72 | 1.7 |
D+ | 67-69 | 1.3 |
D | 63-66 | 1.0 |
D- | 60-62 | 0.7 |
F | 50-59 | 0.0 |
P = Pass
WP = Withdrawal Pass
WF = Withdrawal Fail
NM = No Mark (No Credit)
T = Audit (No Credit)
The FCPS grading scale was updated for the 2024-25 school year to introduce a D- mark. Prior to this, the grading scale used
- D: percent grade of 64-66
- F: percent grade of 50-63.
Additional Weighting for Advanced Academic Courses
The following courses have additional weighting:
- Honors (HN) courses are weighted with an additional 0.5 quality points.
- Advanced Placement (AP) are weighted with an additional 1.0 quality points.
- Advanced (AV) are weighted with an additional 1.0 quality points.
- Dual Enrollment (DE) are weighted with an additional 1.0 quality points.
- International Baccalaureate (IB) are weighted with an additional 1.0 quality points.
Academic Achievements
- In the class of 2024, FCPS has 264 National Merit Semifinalists.
- 72 percent of Advanced Placement exams taken by FCPS students in 2022 received a score of 3 or above (on a grading scale of 1-5).
- In 2022-23, 65.7% of graduates earned advanced studies diplomas.
SAT Scores
The mean SAT scores for FCPS seniors in the class of 2022, as compared to state and global public school mean scores:
SAT statistics are calculated upon the last test for which a student was assessed.
Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | Mathematics | Overall | |
---|---|---|---|
FCPS | 593 | 592 | 1185 |
Virginia | 572 | 552 | 1124 |
Global | 529 | 521 | 1050 |
ACT Scores
The mean ACT scores for FCPS seniors in the class of 2022 as compared to state and national public school mean scores.
ACT statistics are calculated based on the last test a student completed.
English | Mathematics | Reading | Science | Composite | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
FCPS | 26.8 | 25.9 | 27.4 | 26.2 | 26.7 |
Virginia | 24.6 | 23.5 | 25.7 | 24.3 | 24.6 |
Nation | 19.0 | 19.3 | 20.4 | 19.9 | 19.8 |
Community and Demographics
FCPS is one of the largest school divisions in the nation with more than 179,900 students attending 199 schools and centers. FCPS students and their families come from nearly every country around the world and speak more than 180 languages. During the 2022-23 school year, approximately 37% of FCPS students identified themselves as white; 28% Hispanic; 19% Asian; 10% Black, and 6% identified as multi-racial or other.
Approximately 20% of FCPS students are projected to receive services for English learners (EL). Approximately 16.6% are projected to receive special education services. Nearly 32% of all FCPS students are eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced-Price Meals Program (FRM).
FCPS is located in Fairfax County, Virginia, the most populous jurisdiction in Virginia and the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area, with more than one million residents. Over 63% of Fairfax County’s population has a bachelor’s degree.
FCPS has 29 high schools with a total high school enrollment of 60,040. The average number of credits earned by each graduate is 29.4.
The average division-wide high school ratio is 25.3 students for each teacher. The 2023-24 average per-pupil cost is $19,795.
Disclosure of Student Disciplinary Infractions
It is the student’s responsibility to disclose discipline infractions to post-secondary institutions
Changes During COVID Pandemic
Detailed information is provided below on high school attendance, grading, and reporting during the COVID-19 closure in Spring 2020; Fall 2020 instruction; and grading policy changes for Spring 2021.
To provide increased flexibility to students and ensure they were not penalized by the challenges of distance learning, FCPS made the following changes to the middle and high school grading policies for the 2020-21 school year only. These changes were announced in March of 2021.
Key options for high school students:
- Use of No Mark (NM) instead of F grades for all courses. No credit was awarded, and the course was not factored into the student’s grade point average (GPA).
- Students/families could choose a mark of “P” (pass) instead of passing letter grades as their final mark in up to two current high school courses. Students had the opportunity to choose this through fourth quarter. This flexibility is in addition to the allowances for designating courses as pass/fail at the beginning of the school year. Therefore, a student’s transcript may include more marks of “P” than typically seen on an FCPS transcript.
Key options for middle school students:
- Use of No Mark (NM) instead of F grades for all courses.
- Students receiving a final mark of D / D+ in any course were assigned a mark of “P” (pass) on the report card.
- Students/families could choose a mark of “P” (pass) instead of passing letter grades (C’s, for example) for any course.
Additional information can be found on the Secondary Grading and Reporting page.
Schools were opened virtually with a schedule as close to “normal” as possible. Schools throughout the division followed a consistent instructional schedule and provided more live, face-to-face online (synchronous) student learning.
Students received virtual instruction 5 days per week. The week included 4 days of live, face-to-face online instruction with teachers Tuesday through Friday. Mondays were used for independent learning (asynchronous). Some students received additional teacher assistance or intervention as needed on Mondays.
Middle and high school students followed an A/B block schedule. Each class was 80 minutes long with 15-minute screen time breaks between classes.
Student attendance was required and all students received assignments that would be graded.
Students and parents could notice a more rigorous and engaging virtual learning program with greater connections for all students at all grade levels. Parents and caregivers were supported with additional resources to assist their children’s online learning.
The staff at each school continued to work together to ensure that each student had consistent, reliable technology to access instruction each and every day. Laptops, MiFis, and other resources were available to support every student.
The two-week delay in the start of the school year allowed teachers and other school-based staff members to engage in professional development to prepare them for teaching and learning in a virtual environment. Additionally, school teams used the days leading up to the first day of school on September 8 to connect with families and ensure that students had access to the necessary links and could practice using the links for class. A large portion of time was spent training teachers on how to support their students’ social and emotional well-being to address anxiety students may be feeling at this difficult time.
Information about High School Attendance, Grading, and Reporting During COVID-19 Closure Spring 2020
The following information provides key points about attendance, grading, and reporting for students. If you have any questions or require additional information, please reach out to the student’s school counselor.
The division’s goals for Distance Learning during Spring 2020 included:
- Continuity of learning to the greatest degree possible.
- Ongoing connections between teachers and students.
- Sense of normalcy and routine during a stressful time.
High School Attendance
For students in high school courses, participation in Distance Learning in the fourth quarter was essential for students to complete required new course content per the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) guidelines for earning high school credit.
When students were absent from synchronous sessions, teachers noted student’s non-participation in synchronous sessions in SIS, which was visible to parents.
The data was not included in student attendance history and was not reported to the VDOE.
Students who were not engaged in any form of synchronous or asynchronous work were contacted by the teacher and/or other staff members, such as the school counselor, to encourage participation and remove barriers if possible.
High School Grading and Reporting
Considerations
- Based on recommendations from the VDOE, grades were not assigned during Distance Learning.
- Student grades and advancement to the next grade level were not negatively impacted by the state-wide closure of schools.
- Student engagement in Distance Learning ensured access to essential standards for each course and also provided a sense of routine and connection to peers and trusted adults.
- FCPS recognizes that students’ and families’ abilities to connect to Distance Learning were wide-ranging and diverse.
Completing Third Quarter
Third Quarter Timeline: The third quarter was extended until May 1, 2020. However, the third quarter grade book was closed to new assignments as of March 13, 2020. Students worked with their teachers to make up 3rd quarter missing/incomplete assignments and complete reassessments as feasible by May 1, 2020.
For students who did not have access to technology or connectivity, teachers and school counselors worked together to determine appropriate opportunities and resources.
Distance Learning Feedback During Quarter 4
Fourth Quarter Timeline: For high school students, the fourth quarter ended on Friday, June 12, 2020.
Students received feedback such as comments on quality of work and guidance for improvement. Assignment “marks” were entered in SIS and were: Proficient, Attempted, or Not Attempted. Students and families were able to see “marks” in SIS ParentVUE and StudentVUE, though weekly emails were not sent since there was not a fourth quarter grade.
All fourth quarter grades were No Mark (NM).
Final Grades and Awarding Credit for HS Courses
VDOE guidance was that school divisions must award standard credit for high school credit-bearing courses by ensuring that students have completed a majority of required standards, competencies, and objectives, including those that are essential for success in subsequent coursework.
Final Exams
There was no required final exam and/or culminating activity included as part of the final course grade calculation during the 2019-20 school year.
Calculating Final Grade For Year-Long Courses
Schools/teachers had the discretion of raising a student's final grade by one grade distribution (B to B+), based on demonstrated proficiency of fourth quarter learning. A student with an F average may increase to any D grade for final mark based on fourth quarter proficiency of learning.
- A student’s final grade was the highest of the following:
- Average of Quarters 1, 2, & 3
- Average of Quarters 1, 2, & 3 w/1 grade distribution increase (if applicable)
- 1st Semester Grade
- 1st Semester Grade w/ 1 grade distribution increase (if applicable)
- Quality Points as per FCPS Grading and Reporting
- For Rolling Gradebooks a student’s final grade was the highest of the following:
- Quarter 3 grade
- Quarter 3 Grade w/1 grade distribution increase (if applicable)
- 1st Semester Grade
- 1st Semester Grade w/1 grade distribution increase (if applicable)
Calculating Final Grade For Semester Courses
Schools/teachers had the discretion of raising a student's final grade by two grade distributions (B to A-), based on demonstrated proficiency of fourth quarter learning. A student with an F at third quarter may increase to any D grade.
A student’s final grade was the highest of the following:
- Quarter 3 Average
- Quarter 3 Average w/up to a two grade distribution increase (if applicable)
Special Consideration for Seniors
VDOE flexibility ensured that 12th graders who were expected to graduate on time as of the March 13, 2020 school closure would still graduate on time. Schools worked with all seniors to provide opportunities to meet their graduation requirements. The last day of school for seniors was May 29, 2020.
Special Considerations for Dual Enrollment
While the majority of our dual enrollment courses are offered through Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA), we also have dual enrollment courses with George Mason University, James Madison University, and Shenandoah University. Each partner had a different methodology regarding how to finish the course, and we worked closely with each college to find the best solution for students to receive credit. Guidance was shared directly with students through their dual enrollment teachers.