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Virginia’s Standards of Learning tests are set for a sweeping overhaul next school year, changing when students take the exams, how scores are calculated and what consequences are tied to their performance.
The changes were signed into law by Gov. Glenn Youngkin as part of a bipartisan effort to improve student achievement statewide. Virginia test scores fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic and have shown little progress since, according to the National Center of Educational Process.
“The changes are pretty dramatic in itself,” said Bettrys Huffman, executive director of student assessment.
Students currently need a proficient score of 400 on an SOL test to earn verified credit. Under the new provisions, Huffman said, they would need a score of 479 to pass the test.
The threshold for a proficient score is also expected to rise from 400 to 446 as Virginia replaces its 600-point scoring scale with a simpler 100-point system.
“This is a drastic cutoff,” Huffman said. “Right now, the number of questions you have to get right to pass is something like 60%, now they are raising it to more like 80%.”
Pass rates could fall sharply
The higher cut scores could significantly reduce student pass rates. Langley recorded a 97% pass rate on the geometry end-of-course SOL last school year. Under the new standards, only 50% would have passed, according to Fairfax County Public Schools.
“This could be the difference between graduating or not graduating,” Huffman said. “Changing [and] having high expectations for our students is something that we all want, but we need to make sure that they’re learning and are able to meet those high expectations at the same time.”
The lower pass rates could also affect school accreditation. Virginia currently uses a point-based accreditation system that places schools into four categories according to their totals.
“Students who fail at different levels receive less than a full point,” Assistant Superintendent Marcy Kneale said. “It’s going to be more challenging for students to attain the advanced level. That’s going to draw down overall points awarded to schools for their school performance and support framework.”
SOLs will carry more weight
For middle and high school students, SOL tests will replace traditional final-exam grades next school year. That added weight may push students to change how they prepare.
The tests will also be administered during the final two weeks of school.
“[These changes] definitely change how long and seriously I prepare for the SOLs because I care a lot more about my grade than just some random score out of 600,” freshman Ann Li said.
Teachers are also preparing for uncertainty about how the revised standards will appear on the exams.
“As a teacher, I don’t even know how the standards are going to appear on the test,” math teacher Ciara Bebee said. “So kids just have to be prepared to think outside of the box and actually understand the math that’s being presented to them.”
Bebee said schools are providing study materials, but students will need to take greater responsibility for mastering the content.
“We are giving students the information and the resources to study,” Bebee said. “If kids are not passing, then they need to reevaluate how much time and effort they’re spending to retain this knowledge.”