Falls Church High

Summary:

Falls Church High is a public high school in Falls Church, Virginia, serving 2,118 students in grades 9-12. The school is part of the Fairfax County Public Schools district, which is ranked 41 out of 130 school districts in Virginia and has a 3-star rating from SchoolDigger.

Despite being part of a highly-ranked district, Falls Church High faces significant challenges. The school has consistently ranked in the bottom half of Virginia high schools, receiving a 0-1 star rating from SchoolDigger, indicating it is performing below average compared to other high schools in the state. This is in stark contrast to nearby high-performing schools like Thomas Jefferson High for Science and Technology, Woodson High, and McLean High, which consistently rank in the top 5-30 high schools in Virginia and have significantly higher academic performance.

The academic struggles at Falls Church High are particularly pronounced for certain student groups. White and multi-racial students perform significantly better than other racial/ethnic groups, ranking in the top 100 schools in Virginia, while Hispanic and English Language Learner students, as well as low socioeconomic status students, perform in the bottom 25% of Virginia high schools. The school's proficiency rates on SOL (Standards of Learning) exams are generally lower than the Fairfax County Public Schools and Virginia state averages, with particularly poor performance in Chemistry, Biology, and English Reading.


Detail:

Public 9-12

 7521 Jaguar Trail
       Falls Church, VA  22042


(703) 207-4000

District: Fairfax County Public Schools

SchoolDigger Rank:
293rd of 329 Virginia High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures:  $11,958 Help


Feeder schools for Falls Church High:

Elementary:    Camelot Elementary
    Fairhill Elementary
    Graham Road Elementary
    Mason Crest Elementary
    More...
Middle:    Jackson Middle

Student/teacher ratio:  16.4 Help
Number of students:  2,118

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:
61.4%
White:
15.1%
Asian:
14.5%
more

Free/discounted lunch recipients:  61.4% Help


 See top rated Virginia high schools

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Performance Trends
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Compare Details Falls Church High ranks worse than 89.1% of high schools in Virginia. It also ranks 26th among 28 ranked high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District. (See more...)
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Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 28.94. (See more...)
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The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Falls Church High who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.
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The high school dropout rate measures the percentage of students who do not complete their high school education.
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Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.
Student Body
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Compare Details Falls Church High has the largest high school student body size in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.  (See more...)
Finance
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Compare Details The average total spent per student at Falls Church High is $11,958, which is the 4th highest among 28 high schools in the Fairfax County Public Schools District.
Schooldigger 2024 Rankings:

Falls Church High:

SchoolDigger ranks Falls Church High 293rd of 329 Virginia public high schools. (See Falls Church High in the ranking list.)

High School Test Score Ratings by Student Subgroup:


Multi-racial students:
English Language Learner students:
Low Socio Economic Status students:
Female students:
Disabled students:
Male students:
Asian students:
African American students:
Hispanic students:
White students:


Fairfax County Public Schools:

SchoolDigger ranks Fairfax County Public Schools 41st of 130 Virginia school districts. (See district ranking list.)

Average Parent Rating:

Read all reviews and ratings detail for Falls Church High.

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Rank History for Falls Church High

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Compare

Rank History for all students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2005 36.22 244th 308 20.8%
2006 49.95 148th 314 52.9%
2007 40.84 213th 313 31.9%
2008 25.99 281st 316 11.1%
2009 43.68 194th 313 38.0%
2010 51.57 153rd 317 51.7%
2011 51.57 151st 320 52.8%
2012 49.58 166th 321 48.3%
2013 47.27 168th 321 47.7%
2014 41.66 200th 322 37.9%
2015 36.23 232nd 322 28.0%
2016 41.79 207th 321 35.5%
2017 41.05 208th 324 35.8%
2018 43.21 204th 326 37.4%
2019 29.11 279th 327 14.7%
2021 20.10 283rd 327 13.5%
2022 21.09 298th 325 8.3%
2023 33.63 263rd 326 19.3%
2024 28.94 293rd 329 10.9%
See the entire list of Virginia High School Rankings!

Rank History for Multi-racial students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 78.41 21st 193 89.1%
2024 65.21 62nd 198 68.7%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Multi-racial Students!

Rank History for English Language Learner students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 46.96 51st 97 47.4%
2024 31.02 103rd 122 15.6%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for English Language Learner Students!

Rank History for Low Socio Economic Status students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2024 29.53 272nd 320 15.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Low Socio Economic Status Students!

Rank History for Female students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 35.99 253rd 320 20.9%
2024 27.26 289th 322 10.2%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Female Students!

Rank History for Disabled students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 45.40 141st 249 43.4%
2024 45.54 147th 253 41.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Disabled Students!

Rank History for Male students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 33.57 252nd 321 21.5%
2024 28.43 274th 322 14.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Male Students!

Rank History for Asian students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 52.73 66th 120 45.0%
2024 60.21 53rd 118 55.1%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Asian Students!

Rank History for African American students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 44.87 144th 240 40.0%
2024 52.67 122nd 249 51.0%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for African American Students!

Rank History for Hispanic students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 31.97 189th 232 18.5%
2024 20.27 218th 233 6.4%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for Hispanic Students!

Rank History for White students at Falls Church High

Year Avg Standard Score Statewide Rank Total # Ranked High Schools VA State Percentile SchoolDigger Rating
2023 64.09 95th 315 69.8%
2024 70.13 60th 314 80.9%
See the entire list of Best Virginia High Schools for White Students!

Data source: test scores: Virginia Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

As you review the school rankings data, please be aware that some of the information from certain demographics is missing. The reason for this omission is that the data has been redacted from the source data itself due to low population samples in these specific demographic groups.

Redacting data from low population samples is a necessary step to ensure the reliability and accuracy of the results, as small sample sizes may not be representative of the broader population. Additionally, this measure helps protect the privacy of individuals belonging to these demographic groups.

Falls Church High Test Scores
Tests: 
  
Grades: 
  
Years: 
  
Group by: 
District Scores:
State Scores:    
  
Subgroup: 






Data source: Virginia Department of Education

Review counts

All ratings (Avg rating: 4.2)
40%

40%

20%

0%

0%

  

Reviews:
by a parent
Friday, September 18, 2015

Open Quote Our freshman son who came from a "better" school district, has been really impressed with (all of his!) the teachers at Falls Church High. Our experience has been so far, so good. Close Quote


by a student
Friday, June 5, 2015

Open Quote Good school with some great teachers. More funding will help this school provide students with better technologies and resources to become leaders of the future. Courses that are offered at Falls Church HS has expanded over the years and provide students with experience of different subjects and careers fields. Close Quote


by a student
Friday, June 5, 2015

Open Quote Teachers are terrible. They don't understand students or don't know how to teach.

Sports program is great.

School needs renovation. A LOT of renovation. Close Quote


by a parent
Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Open Quote Falls Church HS has a broad range of Honors and AP curricula, including various excellent computer science (CS) offerings. The diverse student body ranges from all economic strata, cultures and races. The school encourages focus on academic success, and college preparatory education. The school offers college placement exam prep classes, hosts various tutoring programs by Honor Society members (National, Math, Language, etc), and Saturday study. FCHS' technology, CS and STEM education & extracurricular offerings are getting national attention, and has witnessed widespread participation by girls through its Girls in Tech (GiTech)club, a model for other schools. FCHS has an active CyberPatriot team competing in cybersecurity competitions, 3D Game Design (working on the Unity game engine), and a very strong Robotics Club providing project-based learning opportunities, getting students to work in cross-disciplinary teams, hosting an NXT/Sumobot Competition, fielding a FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team, and several VEX Robotics Competition teams (one advanced to the Virginia State Tourney in 2015). Students participate in DC area Hackathons such as PilotDC at Microsoft. Close Quote



Enrollment information for Falls Church High

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Compare
Year White African American Asian Hispanic American Indian Pacific Islander Two or More Races Not Specified Total
1989 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1309 1309
1990 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1267 1267
1991 0 0 0 0 0 n/a n/a 1197 1197
1992 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 1203 1203
1993 580 121 339 244 3 n/a n/a 0 1287
1994 569 128 319 267 3 n/a n/a 0 1286
1995 562 131 337 267 6 n/a n/a 0 1303
1996 562 131 337 267 6 n/a n/a 0 1303
1997 576 135 354 302 3 n/a n/a 0 1370
1998 581 136 364 321 6 n/a n/a 0 1408
1999 575 135 374 323 5 n/a n/a 0 1412
2000 575 143 356 350 8 n/a n/a -4 1428
2001 574 124 355 402 5 n/a n/a 0 1460
2002 529 120 367 444 5 n/a n/a 28 1493
2003 529 120 367 444 5 n/a n/a 28 1493
2004 535 121 360 420 1 n/a n/a 36 1473
2005 500 130 351 429 1 n/a n/a 32 1443
2006 482 135 316 467 1 n/a n/a 44 1445
2007 458 119 295 451 1 n/a n/a 51 1375
2008 419 115 290 487 2 n/a n/a 44 1357
2009 404 110 322 531 2 n/a n/a 52 1421
2010 362 106 328 572 3 n/a n/a 58 1429
2011 378 133 353 683 4 3 24 0 1578
2012 380 131 367 688 2 2 31 0 1601
2013 382 139 378 740 3 2 42 0 1686
2014 367 118 387 779 6 0 46 0 1703
2015 379 134 377 887 4 0 57 0 1838
2016 388 136 398 920 3 0 71 0 1916
2017 369 141 408 1003 5 1 69 0 1996
2018 389 151 435 1114 3 2 72 0 2166
2019 394 135 417 1078 7 3 77 0 2111
2020 369 117 369 1138 5 3 67 0 2068
2021 346 100 359 1109 5 1 64 0 1984
2022 327 98 323 1165 5 2 65 0 1985
2023 319 119 307 1300 4 1 68 0 2118

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Falls Church High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1309 87.3 14.9 n/a
1990 1267 97.6 12.9 n/a
1991 1197 98.3 12.1 n/a
1992 1203 100.1 12.0 n/a
1993 1287 99.6 12.9 n/a
1994 1286 108.0 n/a 29.1
1995 1303 n/a 0.0 25.9
1996 1303 n/a 0.0 25.9
1997 1370 n/a 0.0 22.9
1998 1408 n/a 0.0 25.6
1999 1412 100.0 14.1 39.2
2000 1428 n/a 0.0 31.5
2001 1460 130.3 11.2 31.3
2002 1493 150.4 9.9 31.3
2003 1493 150.4 9.9 31.3
2004 1473 128.5 11.5 30.1
2005 1443 127.5 11.3 35.9
2006 1445 128.0 11.3 35.1
2007 1375 128.5 10.7 33.8
2008 1357 76.8 17.7 32.7
2009 1421 79.7 17.8 39.8
2010 1429 77.3 18.4 41.9
2011 1578 100.9 15.6 48.4
2012 1601 138.1 11.5 49.3
2013 1686 138.3 12.1 50.8
2014 1703 140.2 12.1 53.6
2015 1838 135.0 13.6 52.6
2016 1916 154.0 12.4 48.5
2017 1996 156.1 12.7 48.6
2018 2166 162.6 13.3 51
2019 2111 165.6 12.7 48.1
2020 2068 163.8 12.6 54.4
2021 1984 151.4 13.0 n/a
2022 1985 152.1 13.0 56.7
2023 2118 129.0 16.4 61.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Falls Church High

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Compare
Year # Students Full-time Teachers Student/Teacher ratio % Free/Discounted Lunch
1989 1309 87.3 14.9 n/a
1990 1267 97.6 12.9 n/a
1991 1197 98.3 12.1 n/a
1992 1203 100.1 12.0 n/a
1993 1287 99.6 12.9 n/a
1994 1286 108.0 n/a 29.1
1995 1303 n/a 0.0 25.9
1996 1303 n/a 0.0 25.9
1997 1370 n/a 0.0 22.9
1998 1408 n/a 0.0 25.6
1999 1412 100.0 14.1 39.2
2000 1428 n/a 0.0 31.5
2001 1460 130.3 11.2 31.3
2002 1493 150.4 9.9 31.3
2003 1493 150.4 9.9 31.3
2004 1473 128.5 11.5 30.1
2005 1443 127.5 11.3 35.9
2006 1445 128.0 11.3 35.1
2007 1375 128.5 10.7 33.8
2008 1357 76.8 17.7 32.7
2009 1421 79.7 17.8 39.8
2010 1429 77.3 18.4 41.9
2011 1578 100.9 15.6 48.4
2012 1601 138.1 11.5 49.3
2013 1686 138.3 12.1 50.8
2014 1703 140.2 12.1 53.6
2015 1838 135.0 13.6 52.6
2016 1916 154.0 12.4 48.5
2017 1996 156.1 12.7 48.6
2018 2166 162.6 13.3 51
2019 2111 165.6 12.7 48.1
2020 2068 163.8 12.6 54.4
2021 1984 151.4 13.0 n/a
2022 1985 152.1 13.0 56.7
2023 2118 129.0 16.4 61.4

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.
Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Falls Church High

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YearExpenditures from Federal FundsExpenditures from State and Local FundsTotal Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2019 $278 (2.5%) $10,861 (97.5%) $11,139
2020 $242 (2.1%) $11,020 (97.8%) $11,263
2021 $265 (2.2%) $11,693 (97.8%) $11,958

Data source: Virginia Department of Education
Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Falls Church High

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Rank
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Ranks 279th of 327 High schoolsRanks 263rd of 326 High schools
 4.6%

Test Scores

% proficient
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
% proficient
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
End of Course Writing (Falls Church High)8025
 55%
   End of Course Writing (Fairfax County Public Schools)8378
 5%
   End of Course Writing (Virginia)8174
 7%
End of Course Geometry (Falls Church High)8083
 3%
   End of Course Geometry (Fairfax County Public Schools)8690
 4%
   End of Course Geometry (Virginia)8380
 3%
End of Course Algebra I (Falls Church High)7368
 5%
   End of Course Algebra I (Fairfax County Public Schools)8986
 3%
   End of Course Algebra I (Virginia)8680
 6%
End of Course Algebra II (Falls Church High)8163
 18%
   End of Course Algebra II (Fairfax County Public Schools)9091
 1%
   End of Course Algebra II (Virginia)9186
 5%
End of Course Chemistry (Falls Church High)8348
 35%
   End of Course Chemistry (Fairfax County Public Schools)8959
 30%
   End of Course Chemistry (Virginia)8864
 24%
End of Course Biology (Falls Church High)7261
 11%
   End of Course Biology (Fairfax County Public Schools)8678
 8%
   End of Course Biology (Virginia)8370
 13%
End of Course Earth Science (Falls Church High)5140
 11%
   End of Course Earth Science (Fairfax County Public Schools)5735
 22%
   End of Course Earth Science (Virginia)8172
 9%
End of Course English Reading (Falls Church High)7275
 3%
   End of Course English Reading (Fairfax County Public Schools)8687
 1%
   End of Course English Reading (Virginia)8685
 1%

Student Body

Number of students
Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)
Number of students
Post pandemic (2022-2023)
Change (%)
Total Students21112118
 0.3%
African American135119
 11.9%
American Indian74
 42.9%
Asian417307
 26.4%
Hispanic10781300
 20.6%
Pacific Islander31
 66.7%
White394319
 19%
Two or More Races7768
 11.7%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients48.1%61.4%
 13.3%


Schools Near Falls Church High









Frequently Asked Questions about Falls Church High

Students at Falls Church High are 61% Hispanic, 15% White, 14% Asian, 6% African American, 3% Two or more races.

In the 2022-23 school year, 2,118 students attended Falls Church High.

Falls Church High is fed by the following schools:

Elementary : Camelot Elementary
Elementary : Fairhill Elementary
Elementary : Graham Road Elementary
Elementary : Mason Crest Elementary
Elementary : Pine Spring Elementary
Elementary : Westlawn Elementary
Elementary : Woodburn Elementary
Middle : Jackson Middle

Falls Church High ranks in the bottom 10.9% of Virginia high schools.


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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Virginia Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.





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