PRESS RELEASE

August 16, 2016

Virginia Department of Education Releases SOL Results Fluvanna County Public Schools Continues to Surpass the State Average in All Subject Areas

The Virginia Department of Education released Standards of Learning (SOL) test results for the state on Tuesday.

Carysbrook Elementary School saw continued gains in student achievement for Grade 4 exceeding the state averages in all content areas.

Fluvanna Middle School exceeded the state averages in Grade 7 Reading and Grade 5 Science.

Fluvanna County High School continues to meet or surpass state averages in 14 of the 17 areas tested. These areas include end-of-course tests and Grade 8, which is housed at the High School.

Statewide, 80 percent of students passed the mathematics assessment for their grade level or course. This compares with 83 percent in Fluvanna. The biggest increases were at Grade 8 where math scores increased by 6 points. Grade 3, 4, Algebra I, and Geometry made gains.

Fluvanna County Public Schools saw a 1 point increase in student achievement in math, earning a combined pass rate of 83 percent and surpassing the State average. Fluvanna County Public Schools surpasses in the state average in mathematics in Grade 4, 6, 8, Algebra I and Geometry. Fluvanna students earned 80 percent or higher on 7 of the 9 mathematics assessments.

The school division has also decreased the achievement gap between white and black students in the area of mathematics. Black students in Fluvanna County made a 10 point gain in writing achievement over the previous school year and surpassed the state average by 5 points earning a 68 percent pass rate. Black students also made a 9 point gain in science achievement over the previous school year and surpassed the state average by 5 points.

Another area of focus for the school division has been providing support to our economically disadvantaged population. This group saw a 9 point gain in writing achievement and surpassed the state by 10 points, 9 point gain in social studies surpassing the state by 6 points and a 3 point gain in science surpassed the state average for this subgroup by 3 points.

There are 132 school divisions in the State of Virginia, Fluvanna:

  • Ranked 3 in performance on the Grade 8 Math SOL test and surpassed the State average by 17 points with a 6 point gain over the previous year.
  • Ranked 30 in performance on the Grade 4 Math SOL test and surpassed the State average by five points with a 3 point gain over the previous year.
  • Geometry ranked 29 with a 2 point gain and surpassed the state average by 4 points.

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The English SOL tests students took during 2014-2015 were the fourth to reflect the increased rigor of the revised standards adopted by the Board of Education in 2010. For 2015-2016, Fluvanna surpassed the state average with an 81 percent pass rate.

After reviewing the 2014-2015 SOL test data, the High School administration made revisions to the Grade 8 schedule. Students who are not prepared for Honors English 8 took Grade 8 English all-year. This added time in English will help to increase student’s foundation in language arts prior to taking high school credit courses. The teachers in Grades K through 8 have participated in professional development to work to revise the writing curriculum. Although writing is not tested until Grade 8, Fluvanna’s teachers feel a strong commitment to build their student’s writing skills.  Grade 8 reading had a 5 point increase over the previous year and exceeded the state average by 2 points.  English scores for Grade 7 reading rank 17 th in the state and surpass the state average by 5 points.  End-of-Course writing scores are ranked 6 in the state and exceed the state average by 9 points.

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For the 2014-2015 school year, the Virginia Department of Education eliminated several of the Social Studies SOL tests. There are no longer tests administered in Grade 3, US History I, and US History II.

The High School offered AP Human Geography for the first time in 2013-14, with 100 percent of the students passing the World Geography SOL test.

  • World Geography ranks first, with all passing the SOL test. The students who take this assessment are enrolled in Advanced Placement Human Geography.
  •  VA Studies had a seven point increase over the previous school year and is ranked 18 in the state.

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The Science SOL test was revised for the 2012-13 school year. The Grade 3 Science test was eliminated in 2014-15.

  • Fluvanna’s science achievement exceeds the state averages in all areas tested.
  •  Grade 8 Science had the largest increase in the area of Fluvanna’s science program with a 4 point increase.
  •  Biology at the High School ranked 15 out of 132.
  • Earth Science ranks 12th in the state.

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The schools have developed Continuous Improvement Plans in an effort to increase student achievement for all students. There is an added focus on Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s), team planning, and using common assessments.

“By working together as a collaborative team, we can better serve our students and improve our instructional practices. We are excited about the gains we have made, but understand there is always room for improvement,” stated Brenda Gilliam, Director of Curriculum and Instruction.

Accreditation ratings and student subgroup performance will be reported by the Virginia Department of Education next month, along with data on progress in raising achievement in the Commonwealth’s lowest-performing schools, as described in Virginia’s approved “No Child Left Behind” flexibility waiver.

For additional information about SOLs and student assessment contact:

  • Ms. Brenda Gilliam, Director of Curriculum and Instruction- bgilliam@apps.fluco.org
  • Dr. Jamie Mathieson, Director of Testing and Accountability- jmathieson@apps.fluco.org

They can be reached at 434-589-8208.