Eighty percent of Virginia students passed state reading tests this year, equal to the previous year’s results, as data released Tuesday showed minimal changes in performance on several academic subjects.
When it comes to English learners, “I think school systems are really starting to understand better what the students’ needs are and how to meet the needs, and I think that’s at all levels,” said Samuel Klein, who supervises programs for English learner education in Arlington County schools. In Arlington, 64 percent of English learners passed the writing exam, up nine points from last year.
The Virginia Department of Education released results of the Standards of Learning exams, given to students from third grade through high school. The scores are used to determine school accreditation, and students must pass certain exams to graduate. Some students, including recent arrivals to the United States, are exempted from the exams, but all students must take them in their fourth year of school, regardless of English proficiency.
After the state introduced more difficult exams in 2012 and 2013, test scores tumbled and then began to climb as students and educators adjusted. Before this year, students had made gains for three straight years. But this year, they passed at the same or nearly the same rates as last year in Northern Virginia and across the state.
“Students continue to perform at substantially higher levels on the commonwealth’s rigorous assessments in mathematics, English and science than when these tests were first introduced in 2012 and 2013,” Steven R. Staples, superintendent of public instruction, said in a statement. “This long-term upward trend is far more important than a snapshot for a single year and reflects the hard work of thousands of teachers, principals and other educators and their dedication to helping students meet high expectations.”
In the 2016-2017 school year, 86 percent statewide passed history and social science exams — the same as the previous school year. Passage rates for math and science both fell one point, to 79 percent and 82 percent, respectively. For writing exams, 86 percent of students passed, two points higher than last year.
Northern Virginia’s major school systems had no dramatic movement in scores. Alexandria’s test scores edged downward one or two points in every subject, with passage rates ranging from 66 percent in math to 76 percent in history and social sciences, but officials there said they were unconcerned because the school system had made large gains in previous years.
“While these results are consistent with recent years, we will assess what is required to accelerate our growth,” interim superintendent Lois F. Berlin said in a statement.
Loudoun County — which ranks among the nation’s wealthiest counties — had some of the region’s highest scores in nearly every subject, with passage rates ranging from 85 to 92 percent. In the state’s largest school division, Fairfax County, passage rates for reading and science each dropped by a percentage point, to 84 percent and 85 percent, respectively. Passage rates for all other subjects remained the same.
In Prince William County, passage rates were little changed. But officials said their lowest-performing schools posted huge gains, which they attributed to extra staff and attention. Belmont Elementary School, whose poor performance led the state to downgrade its accreditation, had double-digit gains in all subject tests. In science, 81 percent of students passed, a whopping 38-point annual gain.
“We’re proud of solid results achieved by students in every group, in every subject, and across all our schools,” Keith Imon, Prince William’s deputy superintendent, said in a statement. “The most exciting thing is to see our efforts paying off with more and more students succeeding where they hadn’t succeeded before.”
Echoing state trends, English learners in nearly all Northern Virginia districts fared better than in previous years. Of nearly 1.3 million students in Virginia, about 12 percent are English learners. Their ranks are growing in Northern Virginia.
In Loudoun, the number of English learners has grown about 15 percent annually. That has led the school system to focus on helping recent immigrants.
Teresa Vignaroli, who supervises English language learner education in Loudoun schools, thinks the efforts paid off: Fifty-six percent of English learners passed the writing exam, compared with 44 percent last year.
The county three years ago opened a welcome center for families of English learners so they can be screened and see a counselor to ensure their academic needs are being met. It also began hiring more teachers for English learners, particularly for students with the lowest levels of English proficiency. And it worked harder to push students out of “sheltered” English language courses and into general education classrooms.
“We’ve moved to a more inclusive model,” Vignaroli said.
