Student achievement on Standards of Learning (SOL) tests during 2017-2018 dropped slightly across Virginia and also in Botetourt compared with performance during the previous school year, according to statistics released by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) last week.
Statewide, 79 percent of students achieved proficient or advanced scores in reading, 78 percent in writing, 77 percent passed tests in mathematics, 81 percent in science and 84 percent in history/social sciences. All were one or two percentage points below the passing rates in the 2016-17 school year. In Botetourt, 86 percent of students passed the reading SOLs and 83 percent passed the writing SOLs. Reading pass rates were down from 88 percent in the previous two years and writing pass rates were down one percent points from last year and up two percentage points from two years ago. In mathematics, 86 percent of Botetourt students passed the SOLs.
The mathematics pass rate was three percent point lower than last year, and four points lower than two years ago. In Botetourt, 87 percent of students passed the science performance SOLs, two percentage points lower than last year and the year before. In history/social science, 90 percent of Botetourt students passed the SOLs, two percentage points below last year and the year before.
“Virginia has challenging standards and assessments, and students are performing at a much higher level today than when the state raised expectations six years ago,” Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane said in the announcement about the SOL scores. “Pass rates are not the only measure of school quality. If we focus solely on annual pass rates, we miss the achievement of students who are making steady progress toward the benchmarks and the efforts of schools to address issues that directly affect learning and achievement. “These factors are captured in the new accreditation system, and the ratings we will report next month will provide a more complete picture of where schools are today and where they can be enhanced in the future,” Lane said.
Statewide, pass rates on the 2017-2018 SOLs were little changed from the previous year, with students performing as follows: • 79 percent of the students who took reading tests passed, compared with 80 percent during 2016-2017; • 78 percent passed in writing, compared with 79 percent previously; • 77 percent passed in mathematics, compared with 79 percent in 2016- 2017; • 81 percent passed SOL tests in science, compared with 82 percent previously; and • 84 percent of students tested in history and social studies passed, compared with 86 percent in 2016-2017.
Under the revised Standards of Accreditation approved by the Board of Education in November 2017, school quality indicators for English and mathematics will include the academic growth of students making significant progress toward meeting state benchmarks. Schools will also be evaluated on progress in closing achievement gaps in English and mathematics, raising overall achievement in science and reducing chronic absenteeism. High schools will also be evaluated on their success in raising graduation rates and reducing dropout rates. “An emphasis on overall pass rates can obscure the needs of groups of students who require additional support, both inside the classroom and in the community,” Lane said. “Under the new accreditation standards, schools and school divisions are required to develop and implement plans to address achievement gaps and ensure that all students have the resources they need to succeed.”
Additional information on the performance of students on SOL tests during 2017-2018 — including pass rates for schools and school divisions — is available on the VDOE website and on the online School Quality Profiles. “As we begin the school year with the flexibility afforded by the revised Standards of Accreditation, I encourage teachers and instructional leaders to focus on creating opportunities for engagement and to give students the opportunity to experience deeper levels of learning, Lane said. “Ultimately, with increased student engagement, test results will reflect this renewed focus on deeper learning.” In Botetourt’s individual schools and at the grade levels that take the SOLs, passing rates rose in a few instances and stayed steady, while others fell— in a few instances by 5 to 8 percentage points, and in two elementary schools the pass rate fell by 10 percentage points below last year in mathematics.
