We had an amazing 2023-2024 school year with a tremendous amount to celebrate!  We ended the school year with a membership of 2,635 students.  Below you will find a few highlights from our school year.  Topics include: academic success, new mission/vision statements and core values, student accolades, and noteworthy events.  

Academic Success

Oakton students did a phenomenal job in the classroom and performed very well on standardized tests.  This includes the highlights below: 

Classroom Highlights:  

• 87% of the Class of 2024 completed high school with 1 or more AP/DE or other 1.0 weighted course and/or earned CTE finisher status 
• 98% of students succeeded in Honors courses 
• 99% of students earned sufficient HS course credit to move on to the next grade level.

SOL/WIDA Highlights: 

• English SOL:  96.8% pass rate
• Mathematics SOL: 93.53% pass rate
• Biology SOL: 94% pass rate 
• 75% of Multilingual Learners demonstrated progress in language acquisition as measured by WIDA (an increase of 20%)

AP Exam Highlights: 

Oakton students outperformed the state and global mean score in the following AP exams. 

National Merit

For the 2023-2024 school year, Oakton honored 52 students who have been recognized by College Board as National Merit Commended students and 14 students who have qualified as a Semifinalist. These students participated in a nationwide competition conducted by National Merit Scholarship Corp., by taking the PSAT last October. 50,000 highest scorers nationwide qualified for this designation and of those high scorers, 16,000 were designated Semifinalists.

Oakton High School: Mission/Vision/Core Values

Beginning in June 2023, we began the process of identifying community wide core values and rewriting our school mission and vision statements.  Throughout the summer and during the 2023-2024 school year we solicited feedback from students, staff and families.  We are proud to have worked collaboratively to establish our new school mission, vision and core values.  

Mission Statement

Unlocking potential as we learn and grow together

At Oakton High School we strive to ensure a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, staff, and families.  There is an expectation of high quality instruction for all combined with a wide range of opportunities that allow everyone to pursue excellence.

Vision Statement

Where potential becomes excellence.

Oakton High School graduates will be lifelong learners and ethical and global citizens prepared to meet any opportunity and achieve at high levels.

Core Values

Community | Integrity | Respect

Community: The Oakton community celebrates and accepts our similarities and our differences, united by collaboration and a shared sense of Cougar Pride.

Integrity: Oakton Cougars act with integrity, demonstrating honesty and fairness in everything they do while taking responsibility for their actions.

Respect: Oakton Cougars value and appreciate the unique contributions of each individual, treating everyone with kindness, dignity, and respect. 

Program Highlights

AVID Program 

Oakton High School is proud to run four sections of AVID annually, one per grade level.  This past year our seventeen Class of 2024 AVID students earned over $800,000 in college scholarships.  In addition, they were accepted to more than 40 different universities!  

Best Buddies Program 

Best Buddies had another terrific year filled with fun events and activities.These included various social events throughout the year, as well as pairing with many of our sports teams for “fitness buddies”. The year culminated with the annual Friendship Walk on the National Mall in April. Oakton was once again a top fundraising team for the entire mid-Atlantic region. 

WAT Program

The Work Awareness and Transition class at Oakton pairs with businesses and organizations in the community in order to give our students an authentic work experience. At the end of the year the WAT program hosted an appreciation breakfast for all of our community partners. The students gave presentations explaining how the work experiences have helped them grow. They also created thank you gifts for each job site. The breakfast was a huge success and allowed Oakton to show our  appreciation to our community partners. 

Oakton Internship Program

Each year our senior students are provided the opportunity to find an internship for the final two weeks of school.  This opportunity allows them to explore career paths and learn more about themselves and help formulate what they may want for their future.  This school year, 258 members of the Class of 2024 participated in the internship program.  This is by far the highest level of participation we have seen since the onset of the program during the 2018-2019 school year. Students participated in a wide variety of incredible experiences and shared their learning with students, staff and community members as a part of an Exhibition of Learning on June 5, 2024. 

Student Accolades

Oakton students excelled in a wide variety of areas.  Please see our Oakton Accolades site to see a wide variety of special achievements of our students! Select achievements are highlighted within designated periods of time.  Accolades topics are listed below: 

• Student of the Month Recipients
• National Merit Semi-Finalists
• National Merit Commended Scholars
• 2023 College Board National Recognition Program Awardees
• US News and World Report
• 2023 AP School Honor Roll
• AP Capstone Diploma
• Coca Cola Scholars Foundation Semi-Finalist
• Student Author - Layla Hunter
• All District Chorus
• 22-23 VHSL Competition for the Literary Magazine and Multimedia category
• Project Aviation EXPO Essay Scholarship Contest Winners
• Virginia Music Educators Association (VMEA) Honors Choir
• American Choral Directors Association Regional Honors Choir
• Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors' Association Senior Regional Orchestra
• Oakton DECA Competitive Awards
• Oakton Student Award Winners from the Virginia State Latin Convention
• Washington Area Rocketry Program
• Oakton High School Speech and Debate Club - 100 Club Recognition
• Air Force Chief of Staff Flight Academy
• Oakton High School Outstanding Employee Awards - 2023-24 School Year
• Cougar Commendations - Fall Ceremony
• Marching Cougars Win Metallica “For Whom the Band Tolls” Competition
• District Band
• Oakton Scholastic Bowl Team - Concorde District Champions 
• Oakton’s Debate Team
• Student of the Month - December 
• Oakton Forensics Team
• United States Presidential Scholars Program
• District Orchestra
• Oakton High School Science Fair 
• Honor Roll 
• American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME) 
• Oakton’s We the People Club
• HackTJ 2024
• Oakton Chorus
• Regional Science Fair 
• Oakton Mock Trial
• Student of the Month
• Virginia DECA State Leadership Conference
• Oakton’s Policy & Debate Team
• 2024 Regional Scholastic Art Awards
• Oakton Science Olympiad
• 2024 Governor's World Language Academies
• Model UN Conference Competition
• National Latin Exam Achievements
• 2024 American Rocketry Challenge Finalists
• Virginia State Science and Engineering Fair
• Virginia FBLA State Leadership Conference
• Congressional Award
• Gaithersburg Book Festival
• Oakton Theatre Achievements
• Oakton Swim Club

VHSL Accomplishments

2023-2024 All Oakton Team 

• Junior Allen: Cross Country, Track & Field
• Matthew Bowman: Swim
• Avery Bracher: Soccer 
• Sid Buttani:  Manager of the Year, Wrestling
• Erin Cliff, Soccer
• Ryan Dowling: Football, Lacrosse
• Esther Eum: Field Hockey 
• Kenny Jiang: Tennis
• Owen Martin: Football, Basketball
• Val Martinez: Cheer, Dive, Gymnastics 
• Delaney Nelson: Gymnastics
• Landon Newell: Cross Country, Track & Field 
• Isabelle Nguyen: Tennis 
• Sophia Prudencio: Wrestling
• Jocelyn Shortle: Volleyball
• Noah Toole: Football, Basketball, Baseball
• Sami Tyler: Field Hockey, Softball 
• Kenny Yu: Soccer
• Coach Erin Keenan: Coach of the Year, Field Hockey
• Coach Dale Howell: Assistant Coach of the Year, Boys Basketball 

Noteworthy Events

We had many events at Oakton this school year.  Below are a few events we would like to highlight! 

Wellness Initiatives

• Teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Workshop: During the week of October 16, twenty-five students were selected to participate in a teen Mental Health First Aid (tMHFA) Training. The training taught teens in grades 10-12 the skills they need to recognize and help their friends with mental health and substance use challenges as well as the importance of seeking an adult for additional support. 
• Brain Breaks: The student services department hosted multiple brain break opportunities throughout the year during Cougar Time.  On designated days, interested students have the opportunity to go to the stadium to play a wide variety of games, walk and enjoy being outside with friends.  
• Animal Visitors: In the fall and the spring we had visits from various animals for students to visit with.  This included alpacas, goats, bunnies, snakes, geckos, miniature horses, and ducks.  

Oakton High School Veterans Day Celebration 

• On Thursday, November 9^th and Friday, November 10^th, Juniors taking US History courses participated in the first ever Oakton High School Veterans Day celebration. 21 veterans from across all branches of military service participated, sharing experiences to help students better understand the sacrifices made by veterans, active duty military personnel, and their families. Additionally, students also benefited from learning about the military as a potential career option. The program was very well received and the Oakton High School Social Studies Department looks to expand the program to additional grades next school year. If you or someone you know would like to participate this coming school year, please contact James Oberndorf. 

Cherry Tree Planting Project

• In June of 2023, Oakton High School was submitted to be the recipient of 5 cherry trees on behalf of ANA Inspiration of Japan in coordination with the National Cherry Blossom Festival and Casey Trees.  On November 9, 2023, we hosted a beautiful ceremony to dedicate the trees.  This included representation from the Japanese Embassy, ANA, and the National Cherry Blossom Festival.  Mr. Lawless, Japanese Language teacher, and many of our Japanese language students participated in the ceremony.  This was a truly beautiful ceremony and we are thrilled to have these trees on our campus.  

Oakton Women’s History Museum

• During Women’s History Month, the women’s history class created an interactive women’s history exhibit for students and staff.  This exhibit spoke to a wide variety of achievements of women connected to Oakton High School.  QR codes allowed for anyone interested to scan and learn more about a wide range of people and topics. 

Cougar Culture Fest 2024

• On April 18, 2024, Oakton hosted our second annual Cougar Culture Fest.  This event is organized and planned by our student and staff equity lead ambassadors.  All students are invited to attend and have the opportunity to learn about various cultures including: food, dress, art, games, and other traditional customs.  

Historical Black College or University (HBCU) Fair

• On April 24, 2024, Oakton High School hosted its first annual HBCU fair.  This was a collaborative venture between the Black Student Union, College and Career Center, and administration.  Several HBCU’s came to Oakton and all students were invited to walk around and speak with representatives.  We are looking forward to making this an annual event!  

Lillian Blackwell - Fairfax County Historical Marker 

• On June 3, 2024, the Lillian Blackwell Historical Marker dedication ceremony was held on Oakton High School’s campus.  The marker was a part of the Black/African American Historical Marker contest championed by Supervisor Palchik. This contest encouraged FCPS students to submit historical marker ideas to highlight the achievements of Black/African American community members and/or places of significance. Oakton High School was selected due to Ms. Blackwell’s connection to the community and her efforts to desegregate Fairfax County Public Schools.