October is National School Principals Month. At the 2024 FCPS Honors ceremony, Jamie Gadley, principal of Dranesville Elementary School, was named Outstanding Principal.

Reeling from the pandemic, Dranesville saw its share of chronically absent students — those missing 10% or more of school days — skyrocket, like many schools nationwide. Principal Gadley took action immediately, enlisting an attendance team consisting of school counselors, front office staff, and a family liaison to systematize the school’s approach to encouraging daily attendance. Students deemed chronically absent, missing 18 or more days in the 180-day school year, went from 20.6% of Dranesville students in 2022-2023 to just 6.9% in 2023-24.

Explore Dranesville Elementary School’s efforts to unlock English learners' potential and foster academic growth for all. This video feature was produced by Fairfax County Public Schools and featured on the division website December 2023.