Fredericksburg City Public Schools is celebrating important academic growth following the release of 2025–2026 Standards of Learning assessment results, including a five-point gain in mathematics that earned FCPS recognition from the Virginia Department of Education.
In its August 25 release, the VDOE named Fredericksburg an Exemplar Division Improving Student Achievement in Math and Reading. City Schools are one among just 10 school divisions in Virginia that “achieved a 5-point gain in math.” Statewide, mathematics proficiency increased by 0.4 percentage points.
Mathematics gains are part of broader academic progress across FCPS. The division saw improvement in all four core content areas: reading, mathematics, science and history/social science.
“This is exciting news for Fredericksburg City Public Schools and, most importantly, for our students,” Superintendent Dr. Marci Catlett said. “A five-point gain in mathematics does not happen by accident. It reflects focused instruction, strong leadership in our schools, and the daily work of our teachers and students. We are proud of this progress, and we are going to keep building on high expectations.”
Several schools and academic areas contributed notable achievements. Hugh Mercer Elementary School demonstrated broad-based growth, while James Monroe High School continued to show strong reading performance. Walker-Grant Middle School also demonstrated particular strength in its advanced mathematics pipeline.
“Our results show significant growth across content areas, schools and student groups,” Chief Academic Officer Dr. Brendon Albon said. “That progress is the result of intentional instructional focus, targeted supports, and tiered interventions. We are particularly encouraged by the growth at Hugh Mercer, the strength of Walker-Grant’s mathematics pipeline and James Monroe’s reading performance. Those successes give us strong practices that we can continue to build upon across the division.”
FCPS leaders recognize that continued work is needed, particularly in closing achievement gaps for Students with Disabilities and English Learners. At the same time, division results showed encouraging progress among Hispanic students, Economically Disadvantaged students and several historically underserved student groups.
“Our students are showing us what is possible when high expectations are paired with the appropriate support,” Catlett said. “We celebrate this growth, and we remain focused on making sure that progress reaches every child and every classroom.”
