Cardinal News: Then & Now takes a look back at the stories we brought you over the last 12 months. Through the end of the year, we’re sharing updates on some of the people and issues that made news in 2025. This installment: short takes on several education-related stories.
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Initial students at Goodwill high school for adults nearing graduation
Then: In August, Goodwill Industries of the Valleys welcomed the first students to the Excel Center, a high school for adults. The school, the first of its kind in Virginia, allows adults who didn’t finish high school to complete their credits through in-person, daytime classes. The school is housed in the Melrose Plaza complex in Northwest Roanoke, which houses a grocery store, cafe, bank, wellness center, and library, along with the Harrison Museum of African American Culture.
Now: The Excel Center enrolled 55 students for its second eight-week term this fall. “We continue to see strong interest and maintain an active waiting list,” said Bruce Major, the director of the Excel Center.
So far, about 80% of students are female with an average age of 35. “Their academic needs vary widely with some individuals never having attended high school, while others need only one or two courses or remaining [Standards of Learning] assessment to complete their diploma,” Major said.
Only about 15% of current students require child care, but 3 in 5 students receive transportation support from the Excel Center.
The school recently received a donation from the T.G. Howard Community Center of Pulaski and the Bank of Botetourt’s Melrose Plaza branch that allowed each student to receive a Chromebook laptop.
Major said the students have already built up a sense of community. “They have self-organized holiday food and clothing drives, and regularly plan birthday celebrations and contribute to school-improvement initiatives,” he said.
Several students are nearing completion of their graduation credits and preparing to enter career certification programs.
— Lisa Rowan
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SOL test cut score increases to phase in over 4 years
Then: The Virginia Board of Education voted in September to raise the minimum passing scores for math and reading Standards of Learning tests. The goal was to raise student expectations and align the tests to revised math and English standards. Some educators expressed concerns that revising the cut scores mid-year would be confusing for teachers and students, and could impact high school seniors expecting to graduate.
Now: In November, the board approved a four-year phase-in period for the new scoring system. The cut score, or minimum score for a “proficient” rating, will stay at 400 this school year. Next year, that score will begin to increase until it reaches 446 in 2028-2029. Students who already took high school end-of-course assessments will not need to retake them.
— Lisa Rowan
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Mini-documentary about Duke’s first Black basketball player, C.B. Claiborne of Danville, continues screening; plans for full-length project still underway
Then: A 16-minute documentary about Danville native C.B. Claiborne, the first Black basketball player at Duke University, premiered in February on the school’s campus. It documented Claiborne’s upbringing in Danville, his attendance at Duke during the civil rights movement and his legacy on the school and on basketball.
Now: “C.B.: Power to the Player” screened in August at the Martha’s Vineyard African American Film Festival, a well-known film festival especially among Black creators. Co-director Javier Wallace said he is working to organize a screening in Danville in early 2026. He’s also planning a screening on Duke’s campus in February, during Black History Month.
Viewers have been curious to learn more about Claiborne’s life, Wallace said, so he and his team are raising money to turn the mini-documentary into a full-length film. They hope to obtain nonprofit status for the project so that it can accept donations. Wallace would like to see fundraising for the project complete within the next year, he said. The full-length project will include additional information about Claiborne’s upbringing in segregated Danville.
— Grace Mamon