F.C. Bulletin: Oct. 7, 2026
1) FCCPS Celebrates Student Performance Successes, Embraces Teacher-centric Assessments, Data-Driven Interventions
2) Local High School Students Create Free Research Program for Middle Schoolers, Exhibits at Virginia Tech
3) Flock Cameras: Providence Supervisor Palchik 'Extremely Concerned'
4) Falls Church Arts: “Flow” Brings Color, Movement, Energy
5) Food Scene: German Doner Kebab (GDK) Opens in Falls Church
6) Notices & Announcements
FCCPS Celebrates Student Performance Successes, Embraces Teacher-centric Assessments, Data-Driven Interventions
FCCPS has much to celebrate. The district's students are thriving. And its student performance testing appears highly effective for supporting students.
In their most recent Sept. 22 work session, the FCCPS Board was briefed by Chief Academic Officer Dr. William Bates, and the district's new Director of Assessment and Accountability, Steven Knight.
Students Doing 'Extremely Well Academically'
"We want to thank all of our staff, our teachers, our counselors, our principals, and admin. assistants, because what you're going to see in the data is there's a lot to celebrate," Dr. Bates told the assembled School Board members in City Hall prior to the slide deck presentation. "Our students are doing extraordinarily well academically, and it can't be done without a team effort. But especially, our wonderful teachers who are in the classrooms day in and day out providing that top-notch instruction."
"We are ensuring that students have the opportunity to engage in learning that enhances and enables achievement at the highest level in order to attain post-secondary goals and lifelong success," Bates assured, emphasizing the Assessment and Accountability office's alignment with the district's educational vision.
Bates and Knight then presented multiple slides showcasing many district successes based on exhaustive testing data over the past three years, drawing from a raft of different testing strategies. "The Virginia Assessment Program provides an annual pass rate from Standards of Learning [SOL] and the Virginia Alternative Assessment Program, which is the VAAP," Knight said. "Our VALLSS is our literacy screener, and it helps us to identify students who may be at risk for reading difficulties. Renaissance STAR gives us efficient computer adaptive reading and mathematics benchmarks across the year. And then WIDA ACCESS measures our students' English language proficiency as our multilingual learners progress through the curriculum."
"Our SOL and VAAP results describe performance against state academic standards, whereas STAR and VALS help our teachers adjust their instruction during the year," Knight said. "And WIDA ACCESS focuses specifically on students as they're developing their English academic skills. But together, they support a balanced view of outcomes and growth, so we can support the needs of our students."
Dr. Bates interjected: "And one thing I'd also like to point out is... we did not include qualitative measures, but that does not take away from all of the great work and accomplishments our students are doing outside of the classroom – from our fine and performing arts and theater to our band, musical performers, and our athletes. They do phenomenal work and they have a number of accomplishments outside of the classroom. [Here,] we just focused on the quantitative [side], but we definitely want to give them a shout-out for that. And, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention all of the great work our students as IB learners do in the community."
Improving Auditing Processes and Student Performance Assessments
"....Our Office of Assessment and Accountability does more than just offer tests or manage assessments district-wide," Bates said. "Over the last few years we've worked really hard and diligently to [develop] rigorous, thorough auditing processes, following each of the [Virginia Dept. of Education] VDOE testing windows. We've updated prior submissions to the VDOE and cleaned up our data so we can accurately represent our student population and their achievements. We've obtained assessment results from third-party vendors [such as Renaissance STAR] to fill in gaps over the past four-to-five years, and we've created assessments by grade level, and placed that on a page on our website for parents to see, so they're able now to view all the assessments provided in FCCPS. And we've successfully implemented performance-based assessments [PBAs] in U.S. and Virginia history in 2024, 2025, and then most recently last year, we expanded that to World History II in 2025 and 2026."
Highest Pass Rates in Virginia
And statewide, the statistics for students' pass rates on the SOL or the VAAP are stunning. "On pass rates, we outperform again, our colleagues in Virginia," Knight said. In math and English, FCCPS scored a 91 percent student pass rate. And, "our advanced pass rates" [higher than "proficient pass rates"] are also, definitely something to be proud of."
Significant Gains for Black, Hispanic, and Disabled Students
Longitudinal analysis of student performance over the past three years also demonstrate, "a growth in mathematics for our Black students, our Hispanic students, and our students with disabilities," Knight said. While drops in student performances "are very minimal" in certain categories, "all the school teams are looking at the data to try to find out where the drops were.... for the most part, [however] we're exceeding the state average. Nevertheless, "in some of our subgroups represented in English and reading and math, we're still close to that average. But as we started talking and planning for the school year, those are the populations we're really digging into [for analysis]."
Dr. Bates added that not only were the "English and math pass rates [on the state exams] the highest pass rates ... across the state," but that "what jumps off the pages.... is that [for] Black students in mathematics, we jumped from 69 percent [passing] to 81 percent.... [while] the state average is 59 percent, so that's a pretty significant [gain]." Hispanic students also leaped over the past three years from 69 percent to 73 percent passing. Disabled student pass rates jumped by 4 percent to 73 percent as well. And these scores are far above the 44 percent pass rate for the Commonwealth as a whole.
In science and history, "you'll see that Falls Church beats all the high schools in Virginia," Knight said. With some dips in performance from "economically disadvantaged students," however, the Assessment and Accountability office will have to "dig down" deeply into the data trends going forward.
Looking to Improve on the SOLs with Performance-Based Assessments
FCCPS is also giving teachers more flexibility to measure student "reading and writing" performance by crafting their own projects with their own grading rubrics. The district is looking to "replace the traditional SOL" as a measure of student reading and writing capacities, and to use the [Integrated Reading and Writing Assessment] IRW which Virginia now allows to be administered in the 5th and 8th grades, in the required state exams. Now, the state allows "performance-based assessment," in "composition, written expression, usage and mechanics."
So far, this approach has proven highly successful. By the time students are in 8th grade, "we're definitely seeing almost... the max score [of 8 out of 8].... So our kids are performing very well in 8th grade," Knight said.
Using Brief 'Adaptive Testing' Modes in the Classroom
"One of the reasons we like [Renaissance] STAR is that it adapts to the student taking the test, getting more challenging if it needs to be, or getting easier if it needs to be," Knight said. The 30-minute test has only 27-to-34 questions, so teachers can quickly gauge student progress and then return to their classroom curriculum.
Using these tests, teachers can immediately place students in "on watch" or "urgent intervention" groups if their knowledge and skills require strengthening.
With the same set of students being tested, "you can see great growth in the spring data," Knight said. "We moved almost 5 percent" from the "on watch" group to the "at or above" group. "So we celebrate this data, we definitely know our interventions are in place, and they're working for the kids." Similar improvements were found in math and English as well.
Dr. Dade supports Renaissance STAR testing and lauds long-term student successes
Dr. Dade added, "So they're looking at all of those different pieces [of student performance] by skill set, by concept, and, 'Where are gaps?' But, it's so nuanced. That's why Mr. Knight keeps saying the teachers use it to 'inform instruction.' And one of the things I love to ask when I do my walks is, 'Can I walk into a classroom and see a teacher pull a group of students based on either a particular skill we're working on or one we're spiraling back to [in order to] kind of fill in the gap?' Those are the things we would be seeing in classrooms, and then kind of monitoring progress over time."
It was "our pride and joy, if we could keep a student for three-plus years," Dr. Dade said during the Q&A session. "I could show impactful growth over time.... The longer we keep them, the more we can build on interventions and plans and things of that nature."
Building a 'Data Warehouse' for Teachers and Parents
In his job interview to become Director of Assessment and Accountability, Knight was asked about "finding ways to present data in a different way." And he's currently working on developing a "data warehouse" with "dashboards for community members," so parents, teachers, and administrators can access student performance test results and measures easily.
"We're making a lot of strides," Knight said. Now, he's working to make such data easily accessible on the PowerSchool portal. "I think teachers are getting really proficient in pulling their own data from STAR. But parents will need to have access to some of the new forms of testing going forward,"
During the Q&A, Board members emphasized the importance of letting parents know the purposes and significance of each student performance test given and to not overwhelm parents with complicated testing information.
WorkKeys Replaces SOL Writing Section
In Virginia, the ACT WorkKeys Business Writing Assessment can be used as an approved substitute for the End-of-Course (EOC) English: Writing SOL Test to earn a verified graduation credit. Instead of a two-to-three hour writing assessment in the SOL exam, students can take a 30-60 minute writing assessment in WorkKeys. And the writing prompt presents the student with a specific task within a challenging real-world scenario.
FCCPS's Assessment and Accountability office has been monitoring student performance in WorkKeys over the last two years. So far, Knight said, "the pass rate is extreme. And I think the English team is definitely very thankful for this [form] of assessment. [While] the SOL score was important, it really wasn't informing instruction the way WorkKeys does."
In their Sept. 25 Morning Announcements, FCCPS reeled off some of the district's latest successes: "In 2025-26, FCCPS had the highest overall pass rates in the state in both Math and Reading. Highlights [of the data] included math gains for Black students, Hispanic students, and students with disabilities. Students also posted strong results on locally-developed history assessments, and 56 IB diplomas were earned."
To view the full School Board meeting, go here.
Local High School Students Create Free Research Program for Middle Schoolers, Exhibits at Virginia Tech
Over 250 Attend
We received an interesting request from two Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology (TJHSST) students to write a story about their Next in Research program.
"You covered TJ student Rushil Kukreja's UN talk on light pollution. [See below]. Here's another TJ-led story: a free research program whose middle schoolers presented to 250+ people at Virginia Tech's Alexandria campus."
Christopher Jones
"This summer, 99 middle schoolers from 21 schools did real research, mentored for free by 29 TJHSST students through Next In Research, the program the two of us started," wrote seniors Dev Srivastava and Deborah Torrico-Pardo, co-founders and program directors, Next In Research.
"After nine free workshops at the Ashburn and Brambleton public libraries, 60 of them presented their projects to more than 250 people at Virginia Tech's Institute for Advanced Computing in Alexandria on August 22. Virginia Tech News covered the symposium: https://news.vt.edu/articles/2026/09/STEM-symposium-IAC-2026.html."
"It's a local story from start to finish: the workshops met in Loudoun County's public libraries, the students came from schools across Loudoun and Fairfax, and it cost families nothing. Would you consider covering it for your readers?"
Following is a Sept. 11, 2026 Virginia Tech article on Next in Research's program:
Institute for Advanced Computing hosts symposium to showcase STEM learning for local middle school students
On August 22, the Virginia Tech Institute for Advanced Computing hosted more than 250 attendees at the NextInResearch symposium, where 60 middle school students presented their research projects in the Boeing Auditorium at Academic Building One in Alexandria. The event represented the long hours, hard work, and more importantly, the passion these young engineers bring to STEM fields.
NextInResearch is a free summer mentorship program founded and run entirely by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology students Deborah Torrico-Pardo and Dev Srivastava. Together, they matched 99 middle school students with a team of 29 high school mentors, who guided students’ individual projects throughout the summer. During their second summer as research assistants with Jim Egenrieder, director of the Virginia Tech Thinkabit Lab, they partnered with Virginia Tech to host the end-of-program symposium to showcase the middle school students’ work.
Most participants entered with no research experience, let alone an understanding of the scientific method. “By pairing middle schoolers with a high school mentor, we observed more personalization for students to own their project and gain a better understanding of their work,” said Srivastava. “Our motivation to start this program was to give middle schoolers the advice we wish we had when we were younger.”
Beginning with the program’s introductory session in April, students worked individually or in groups to complete research projects ranging from habit-tracking apps to engineering a bionic arm using affordable resources.
Participating middle school students came from 21 distinct schools across Fairfax, Loudoun, and Montgomery counties. They met every Thursday of the summer to learn from workshops hosted by Torrico-Pardo and Srivastava. “Seeing the kids having fun during these lessons and always bringing questions for the next week was one of our biggest motivators to keep going,” said Torrico-Pardo.
Through these workshops, students collaborated and participated in group activities designed to teach complex scientific skills, including scientific writing and data analysis.
In addition to student projects, Virginia Tech hosted participants from various programs, including Invention Virginia, the Virginia Junior Academy of Science, and Bridge2Success Virginia.
During the summer, 11 student papers were reviewed by V. Andreea Sistrunk, scientific advisor for computer science and education in Virginia Tech's Technical Education and Workforce Development programs. Two of the middle school student projects were submitted to the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers MIT Undergraduate Research Technology Conference. Most students are planning to publish in other venues suitable for younger researchers and were encouraged to submit their work to various competitions. High school students received verified volunteer hours for their participation throughout the summer.
Torrico-Pardo and Srivastava plan to work with Egenrieder throughout the year to write a paper explaining how this summer mentorship model can be implemented in other communities. They also plan to expand the program to multiple cohorts and incorporate it into a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
“Support from Dr. Egenrieder and Virginia Tech faculty was what made the event the quality it was,” said Srivastava.
Flock Cameras: Providence Supervisor Palchik 'Extremely Concerned'
Fairfax County has paused the installation of any new Flock cameras while officials evaluate approach to automated license plate readers (ALPRs).
"I am extremely concerned about how we in local government use technology at the expense of citizens' rights to privacy and am categorically opposed to that data being shared with outside entities," said Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik in her Oct. 1 constituent newsletter.
"In other localities, it has been conveyed that ALPRs have been disproportionately installed in lower-income, historically disadvantaged communities," Palchik wrote. "I’d like to gain more insight into how the use of ALPRs aligns with our ONE Fairfax policy."
The Board’s Safety and Security Committee is scheduled to discuss this issue on Oct. 20. "I look forward to reviewing the information presented and hearing from the community," Palchik wrote.
Falls Church Arts: “Flow” Brings Color, Movement, Energy
Bold color, fluid movement, and creative energy take center stage in “Flow,” the newest exhibition at Falls Church Arts.
Featuring 48 works by 41 artists, “Flow” celebrates the versatility and expressive power of water-based media. The exhibition opens with a Meet the Artists Reception from 7–9:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, giving visitors a chance to meet the artists, explore the work, and hear juror Vian Borchert announce the Juror’s Choice Award. The reception is free and open to the public.
The show brings together a range of media from acrylic, watercolor, gouache, fabric dye, and sumi ink, to egg tempera to demonstrate the versatility of water-based media.
Borchert, a renowned contemporary artist, described the works selected for the show. “The exhibition brings together works by artists with varying approaches, each expressing flow through different elements and media. This can be seen in the captivating qualities of water-based media and in the movement and interplay of forms within a three-dimensional work.”
She added, “Ultimately, my vision as juror was to bring together artworks that celebrate each artist’s unique characteristics while demonstrating the beauty of diversity and the strength of unity within an exhibition. Through this thoughtful juxtaposition of varied works, the exhibition becomes a cohesive whole, with each piece contributing to a richer and more meaningful collective experience.”
Visitors can vote for the People’s Choice Award in the gallery through Nov. 13. The winning artist will be announced Nov. 14 on Instagram.
“Flow” will be on view Oct. 10 through Nov. 29 at the Falls Church Arts gallery, 700-B West Broad Street.
Gallery hours are: Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
All exhibited artwork will be available for purchase at the gallery and online at FallsChurchArts.org.
Participants include:
Lily Andrews
Noreen Brunini
Jingjing Chen
Deborah Conn
Gretchen Damore
Deanna Delgado
Erin Endean
Syd Evidente
Gary Fitch
Maureen Goss
Maria Aurora Gutierrez Monreal
Sara Harland
Alexandra Ingebritson
Yi Kang
Julie Krachman
Sara Lahpong
Sarah Lawler
Xianling Liu
Susan Mekkawi
Alexis Millan
Cynthia K. Miller
Nan Morrison
Christine Nixon
Nolan Noble
Nami Oshiro
Nancy M Patrick
Tinu Prakash
Nidhi Reva
Elisabeth Rhyne
Zack Rimbaud
Elise Ritter
Cynthia Schoeppel
Michele Sheedy
Joan Slottow
Wendy Smith
Vivian Song
Carla Stout
Saba Tseggai
John Valenti
Bob Wentworth
Hana Yang
Food Scene: German Doner Kebab (GDK) Opens in Falls Church
Following is drawn from a Sept. 30 GDK press release:
Falls Church, it's time to experience a new kind of flavor! German Doner Kebab (GDK), the internationally loved premium QSR brand, famous for its delicious, high-quality kebabs, is bringing its bold flavors to Falls Church, Virginia, with a new location at 7121 Leesburg Pike, Unit B, Falls Church.
Get ready to enjoy a fresh, modern take on the classic doner kebab that's taken the world by storm!
“German Doner Kebab has always grown through strong local partners who understand their communities, and our new partner in Falls Church is exactly that," said Wayne Shurvinton, CEO of German Doner Kebab. "This opening is another step in GDK's U.S. momentum and we can't wait to become part of the Falls Church community.”
The Falls Church location is the latest expansion in GDK's mission to "redefine premium QSR dining with a focus on high-quality, fresh ingredients and a modern, engaging restaurant atmosphere."
The Falls Church location is owned by local investor Shah Rahman, with day-to-day operations led by his son, Khaleel Rahman. "This is a family investment in the Falls Church community," said Shah Rahman. "We've seen what GDK has done in markets around the world, and we know this neighborhood deserves that same quality and energy." Khaleel Rahman, who will oversee the restaurant's daily operations, added, "I'm excited to bring this experience to our neighbors here in Falls Church. We're committed to great food and great service, every single day."
For the latest updates and full event details, visit www.gdkusa.com and follow us on social media: Instagram @gdkvirginia and Facebook @gdkfallschurch, and TikTok @gdkusa.
German Doner Kebab (GDK) is one of the fastest-growing premium QSR brands thanks to its premium, quality-focused and innovative approach to traditional kebabs. GDK has become a lifestyle brand, deeply entrenched in local music, fashion, and sports.
From its inception, GDK has spent years developing its products and recipes, creating its own unique blend of spices, innovative signature sauces, and distinctive 'Doner Kebab' waffle bread. Our gourmet kebabs are made using only the best, premium quality ingredients, sourced from the best suppliers — from our handmade waffle bread to our lean, succulent meats from the U.S., and freshest locally produced vegetables delivered and prepared daily.
Based in Glasgow, Scotland, the global brand has grown rapidly to over 180 restaurants across the UK, continental Europe, and the Middle East, and is now rapidly expanding in the USA, Canada, Sweden, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, and India.
German Doner Kebab is owned by the Hero Brands group. For more information, visit: www.gdk.com.
Notices & Announcements
Farm Day at Cherry Hill Park, Oct. 10
Volunteers Needed for Farm Day!
Saturday, Oct 10
Farm Day is coming up, and we need volunteers to help make this favorite fall tradition a success!
Join us for a day of classic fall fun at Cherry Hill Farmhouse, with pumpkin and birdhouse painting, historic demonstrations, pony rides, and more. Volunteers can help with activities, welcome visitors, keep things running smoothly, and bring some extra community spirit to the day.
Saturday, Oct. 10
Cherry Hill Farmhouse
Various shifts available
Whether you can volunteer for an hour or stay for the day, we’d love to have you!
Halloween Bike Parade by Falls Church Forward, Oct. 25
Sunday Oct., 25, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. RSVP here.
Join us for our 4th annual Halloween Bike Parade!
Come dressed up and ready to roll! This is a family friendly event — adults, kids, and kids at heart, welcome!
Details: RSVP for details!
October Events in Northern Virginia
Falls Church Halloween Carnival, Oct. 24
Cherry Hill Park, Saturday, Oct. 24, Free. No registration req'd.
The annual Halloween Carnival festivities include games, bounce houses, inflatables, an obstacle course, a costume contest, sweets, treats, and live entertainment!
Children up to 11 years old and their accompanying adults are invited to enjoy the spooktacular Halloween Carnival at Cherry Hill Park! This outdoor event features some seriously sweet fun including carnival games, inflatable bounce houses and an obstacle course, candy, and fall snacks.
- Ages: Goblins and ghouls ages 11 and under (with an adult)
- Time Slots: 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Or, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
- Choose one time slot so other families can participate.
Admission and carnival games are free. Bring a bag to hold treats and toys.
Fairfax City Celebrates 50 Years of Fall Festival Fun, Oct. 10
As fall settles in, anticipation builds across Fairfax for a golden community milestone: the 50th annual City of Fairfax Fall Festival.
The event will fill the streets of Old Town Fairfax with artisanal crafts, live music, international food, family games, and fun from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10.
Admission is free, although some activities, such as children’s rides, require a fee. Read the full news story.
Providence Fallfest, Oct. 10
We’ve partnered with Neighborhood and Community Services to host the 2026 Providence Fall Fest. This year's event will be taking place on Saturday, Oct. 10, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Jim Scott Community Center, 3001 Vaden Drive, Fairfax.
There will be performances, games, and activities for all ages. Staff from various County departments will also be on-site to answer questions and provide resources.
For tickets go here.
Chamber Networking Breakfast with Sen. Salim
Cafe Kindred, 450 N. Washington St., Thursday, Oct. 8, 8:00 - 9:00 a.m.
Join members for great conversation over breakfast. We'll discuss the latest news, new developments, and chamber events and opportunities. Prospective members are welcome. No need to RSVP.
This month, the chamber meets for breakfast at Cafe Kindred at 450 N. Washington Street.
Sen. Saddam Salim will join us for a roundtable discussion to hear your views before going into the next General Assembly. Order your breakfast and join us in the back for a great discussion and networking. Special thanks to Cafe Kindred for hosting!
Networking Breakfast with Sen Salim
Alfred Yun Quartet Opens the Old Town Hall Performance Series!
Stacy C. Sherwood Center, 3740 Blenheim Blvd., Friday, Oct. 16, 8:00 p.m. Free. No tickets or reservations req'd.
Alfred Yun is a Korean-American jazz pianist and composer whose music is influenced by his upbringing in both Korea and the United States. Listen for influences ranging from jazz, hip hop, and K-Pop to traditional Korean music in Mr. Yun's compositions. At our opening night concert, enjoy a jazz performance inspired by Korean culture.
The Old Town Hall Performance Series, now in its 37th season, presents 12 free concerts, from October through April, highlighting a wide variety of musical genres and is supported by the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts.
For more info go here.
America's 250th: City Releases 'Reflections at 250: Hispanic and Latino Voices'
As part of Hispanic Heritage Month, the latest Reflections at 250 highlights the stories, experiences, and contributions of Falls Church’s Hispanic and Latino community.
Watch the latest episode from link above.
By Christopher Jones
Member discussion