Virginia Scores Jump in Math, Reading

By Michael Alison Chandler (Contact)

Originally published at 1:06 p.m., August 27, 2008
Updated at 4:32 p.m., August 27, 2008

Virginia students made gains in state exams in reading and mathematics, narrowing some achievement gaps, according to results released today. The results echo, in part, increases reported in recent months by Maryland and D.C. public schools.

Eighty-four percent of Virginia students passed the state's Standards of Learning mathematics test last spring, a four-point increase from 2007. The pass rates for black and Hispanic students rose slightly faster than for white students.

In reading, 87 percent of students passed the test, a two-point rise. However, some of the reading gains were fueled by a switch in testing procedure for students with limited English proficiency. Many of them were subjected to an alternative assessment. Instead of requiring such students to take the regular state reading tests, schools assembled portfolios of their work, which were reviewed to ensure that the students had met academic objectives.

Several Northern Virginia school systems, including those in Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties, posted a boost in performance over last year and met academic goals under the No Child Left Behind Act.

In 2007, by contrast, students in early levels of English instruction were given the same reading tests as their English-fluent classmates, against the wishes of many school officials in Northern Virginia who deemed the test inappropriate for English learners. The alternative assessment used last spring was approved by the federal government.

Seventy-two percent of the state's 1,837 public schools met or exceeded objectives in reading, mathematics and other subjects. For a school to meet the goal of "adequate yearly progress" under the federal No Child Left Behind law, at least 77 percent of students in math and 75 percent in reading had to pass the statewide tests. Those thresholds were higher than in previous years.

Schools that receive federal funding for disadvantaged students and repeatedly fall short of the goals can face sanctions.

In Arlington County, two elementary schools fell into that category, with Randolph Elementary failing to meet targets for four years in a row and Hoffman-Boston Elementary for five years. Hoffman-Boston will have to restructure in a major way, possibly by reopening as a charter school, replacing some school staff or turning over management, according to the state.

Tagged: education, Northern Virginia, schools, State news

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