Virginia students see increase in SOL test scores

But, in part because of a concerted effort to help disadvantaged students do better on such tests, scores have risen across all subjects among students across Virginia, which stepped up the difficulty of the exams several years ago, according to the Washington Post.

In reading, 79 percent of students passed the test for their grade level, an increase of five points over 2013-2014, and 77 percent passed in writing, an increase of two points.

In Lynchburg, the numbers are even better.

Students posted gains on all nine individual grade-level and end-of-course mathematics tests, and achieved pass rates of 80 percent or higher on five of the assessments.

Staples also says Hispanic and African-American students have closed the achievement gap. No, it represents the effects of letting failing students re-take the test, which they could not do a year ago.

“The legislation that we proposed and that I signed into law not only gives students a second chance, but more importantly, gives them the opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the material”, said Mcauliffe. Passage rates for other subjects remained largely the same, but still far surpassed state averages. “The most recent success provided another year of data, and the dramatic improvement continued”.

Loudoun County also boasted improvement in its scores for students with limited English proficiency, a group that has trailed behind state averages.

Statewide, 79 percent of students passed the mathematics test for their grade level or course, compared with 74 percent during 2013-2014, and 68 percent in 2011-2012, when Virginia introduced new mathematics tests that require students to apply critical-thinking skills and their knowledge of grade-level or course content to solve multistep problems.

Fairfax County saw gains in general, with more than 80 passing various tests. Overall performance of African-American students in mathematics improved by seven points in 2014-2015, while Hispanic students achieved six-point gains in reading and mathematics.

At the same time, some districts saw their immigrant students struggle with the exam. English writing scores dropped from 59 percent in 2014 to 53 percent this year.

Students in grades 3, 6, 7 and 8 led the way with seven-point improvements, followed by a six-point gain by fifth graders. More challenging English reading and writing SOL tests were introduced in 2012-2013.

“The children we’re getting now who are English language learners are not only learning English but they’re engaging in literacy for the first time”, Staples said.

In the Valley, all the school districts, except for Rockingham and Augusta scored below the state average of 79. But the district highlighted its progress with black students, who beat state averages across all subjects.

Editor’s Note: WTOP will have a breakdown of Northern Virginia school systems’ scores Wednesday. In math and reading, passage rates climbed five points from last year, to 69 percent and 71 percent respectively.