Assessment

More Va. Schools Hit Mark on Exams Used for Ratings

By Alan Richard — October 24, 2001 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Nearly three years after Virginia’s school rating system got off to a spectacularly difficult start, the state has released figures showing that the number of schools meeting state standards has risen sharply.

The new data show that the percentage of Virginia’s public schools meeting state-accreditation standards soared from just 2 percent in 1999 to 40 percent this year, with many more schools seemingly headed for full accreditation soon.

State leaders held up the new results as proof that the accountability system built around the state’s Standards of Learning exams is working as it should.

“Virginia is showing the nation the way to raise achievement,” declared Gov. James S. Gilmore III, a Republican who is finishing up his four- year term and is ineligible to succeed himself.

In addition to the 40 percent of schools now meeting or exceeding the state’s requirements for accreditation, another 30 percent of the state’s 1,839 public schools have reached the state’s year-by-year benchmarks for adequate progress, the state reported. That means the state considers the schools on track to meet the standards by 2007. Schools aren’t required to meet the accreditation standards until that year.

For a school to post the performance demanded on the SOLs, as the tests are commonly called, 70 percent of the school’s students must pass the tests, which are given in grades 3, 5, and 8, and as end-of-course exams in high school.

State Superintendent of Education Jo Lynne DeMary, who was appointed by the governor, said schools that previously had struggled now were making progress with the help of state-required improvement plans and technical assistance.

“In more and more schools, teachers and administrators are analyzing curricula and making the changes needed to improve instruction and increase student achievement,” she said in a statement.

Secretary of Education Wilbert Bryant, who oversees both K-12 and collegiate education, said Virginia’s work showed the success of the current Republican leadership.

His remarks came only three weeks before Virginia elects a new governor; the race pits Republican Mark L. Earley, who is allied with Gov. Gilmore and his education policies, against Democrat Mark R. Warner, who has suggested making some changes to the SOLs.

“These results are proof that Gov. Gilmore’s commitment to higher academic standards is paying big dividends for the next generation,” Mr. Bryant said in a statement.

Critics’ Tone Softens

One of the driving forces behind the SOLs has been Virginia’s state board of education. The panel, which is appointed by the governor, could see changes to its makeup regardless of who wins the governor’s race.

Kirk T. Schroder, who has helped chart the state’s education course as the president of the board for the past four years, said in an interview that standards-based improvement efforts must continue, but evolve to reflect the needs of students.

“Where would we be today if we had heeded the advice of those who said the governor and board were asking too much of our schools?” he said.

Many of those who were skeptical of Virginia’s policy direction have softened their tone as more schools have met the standards. But issues remain.

For one thing, assessment experts have long held that scores on newly introduced tests generally rise after a few years, once students and teachers become more familiar with the exams and the material that is tested. (“Testing’s Ups and Downs Predictable,” Jan. 26, 2000.) Some experts say a pattern of improving scores may not necessarily reflect true gains in students’ overall skills and knowledge.

“This is the normal progression,” said Jean Bankos, the president of the Virginia Education Association and the chairwoman of the Virginia Education Coalition, a group of education organizations. “There will be a leveling off.”

Ms. Bankos said that the rise in the number of schools meeting accreditation standards was encouraging, but added that she fears the state is emphasizing test results too heavily.

She wants more attention to state funding for schools, and urges broader ways of judging student work. Many high- poverty schools still lag behind, and large numbers of students could fail graduation exams when those take hold, she said.

“I am worried about that fraction of kids who are not getting it,” Ms. Bankos said.

Related Tags:

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Equity & Diversity Webinar
Classroom Strategies for Building Equity and Student Confidence
Shape equity, confidence, and success for your middle school students. Join the discussion and Q&A for proven strategies.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Professional Development Webinar
Disrupting PD Day in Schools with Continuous Professional Learning Experiences
Hear how this NC School District achieved district-wide change by shifting from traditional PD days to year-long professional learning cycles
Content provided by BetterLesson
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and other jobs in K-12 education at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Assessment A Huge Publisher and a Big Testing Company Are Teaming Up. What This Means for Educators
Four key questions to consider about how the pairing of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NWEA might affect educators.
3 min read
Students testing.
Getty
Assessment Spotlight Spotlight on Assessment
This Spotlight will help you examine updated testing guidance from the U.S. Dept. of Ed, analyze college-placement test scores, and more.

Assessment Opinion We Are More Than Our Grades: A Student's Perspective
Students have come to believe that their GPA and test scores are the ultimate reflection of their self-worth, writes a college senior.
Bailey Striepling
3 min read
Conceptual illustration of Students emerging from a field of giant discarded letter grades.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty Images
Assessment Letter to the Editor Grading for Growth Through Competency-Based Education
Competency-based education can better prepare today's children for tomorrow's challenges, writes this letter to the editor.
1 min read
Illustration of an open laptop receiving an email.
iStock/Getty