APS: SOL Failure Notification

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

We have an entire team working on this question from doctors to educational specialists to former teachers. But all of them resoundingly tell me: the delay is harmful.

So this thread is about, not my child, but is this something APS actually does everywhere or did my school just drop the ball on my child? I cannot believe it is true across the schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

We have an entire team working on this question from doctors to educational specialists to former teachers. But all of them resoundingly tell me: the delay is harmful.

So this thread is about, not my child, but is this something APS actually does everywhere or did my school just drop the ball on my child? I cannot believe it is true across the schools.

If you literally have a team working on this that means you know there’s an issue and are addressing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

We have an entire team working on this question from doctors to educational specialists to former teachers. But all of them resoundingly tell me: the delay is harmful.

So this thread is about, not my child, but is this something APS actually does everywhere or did my school just drop the ball on my child? I cannot believe it is true across the schools.

If you literally have a team working on this that means you know there’s an issue and are addressing it.

I have zero idea what your post means.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

I would agree with pp— if the sol failure was an anomaly, it’s not worth worrying about. Every kid sometimes bombs a test. There’s also not much they would have done depending on the age. To qualify for summer school, you have to be multiple grades below, so if it’s only your child failed but is otherwise doing well, there’s nothing aps would have done anyways.
In elementary, there’s a lot of time to catch up even if there is an issue.


If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

[Anonymous]

My kid failed an assessment (not SOL) in 3rd grade and nobody took it very seriously. They told us to read to him at home (as if we hadn’t been doing that). I know it feels outrageous that they didn’t inform you sooner (and yes, it’s outrageous!), but this is probably a great introduction to how seriously APS will take the problem if you don’t advocate aggressively for your kid. It seems like they should care more, and some teachers will, but the reality is APS’s resources are spread very thin and if you leave it to them, they may tell you to just wait and see if your kid does better. And in the meantime, another critical year of early intervention has passed you by. It’s all about early intervention and educators know that. You as a parent know that. APS knows that, but will take you on a long drawn out journey of meaningless semi-interventions if you let them drag their feet. If you suspect a learning disability and can afford it, get your own private testing and insist on starting the IEP process without delay.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The SOL is just one of many assessments that kids take. How well did the kid do on everything else during the school year? Was the failing score in line with other results? Was your kid already receiving interventions?

Completely unaware that this was a potential scenario. Not receiving interventions. Would have acted (and am acting) immediately to figure out what is going on.

If it’s inconsistent with the rest of the testing then maybe your kid just had a bad day and doesn’t need interventions. See how well they test in BOY assessments.

Which subject was it?

We have an entire team working on this question from doctors to educational specialists to former teachers. But all of them resoundingly tell me: the delay is harmful.

So this thread is about, not my child, but is this something APS actually does everywhere or did my school just drop the ball on my child? I cannot believe it is true across the schools.

Which “team” of doctors and former teachers is telling you this?

[Anonymous]

Was this mathematics or reading?

Or Virginia Studies or science?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the policy in elementary is that they only notify parents right away if the child almost passes, so they can do a retake. I agree that it’s a poor policy, though.

Ok, so do most elementary schools actually do that or do they nevertheless notify families upon failure? Did anyone’s classroom teacher/principal reach out to them? Or is everyone like us and just uncovered it on Parentvue?

I am pretty surrounded most elementary schools inform parents of your kid is just under the pass rate because the school wants to give them an opportunity to retake the test so the overall pass rate for the school winds up higher.

They don't inform if they don't think you can retake and pass. That is because ES sees the SOL (rightly or wrongly) as largely a reflection of teaching vs the students abilities.

Despite the fact that it is used as math placement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the policy in elementary is that they only notify parents right away if the child almost passes, so they can do a retake. I agree that it’s a poor policy, though.

Ok, so do most elementary schools actually do that or do they nevertheless notify families upon failure? Did anyone’s classroom teacher/principal reach out to them? Or is everyone like us and just uncovered it on Parentvue?

I am pretty surrounded most elementary schools inform parents of your kid is just under the pass rate because the school wants to give them an opportunity to retake the test so the overall pass rate for the school winds up higher.

They don't inform if they don't think you can retake and pass. That is because ES sees the SOL (rightly or wrongly) as largely a reflection of teaching vs the students abilities.

Despite the fact that it is used as math placement.

It’s one data point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the policy in elementary is that they only notify parents right away if the child almost passes, so they can do a retake. I agree that it’s a poor policy, though.

Ok, so do most elementary schools actually do that or do they nevertheless notify families upon failure? Did anyone’s classroom teacher/principal reach out to them? Or is everyone like us and just uncovered it on Parentvue?

I am pretty surrounded most elementary schools inform parents of your kid is just under the pass rate because the school wants to give them an opportunity to retake the test so the overall pass rate for the school winds up higher.

They don't inform if they don't think you can retake and pass. That is because ES sees the SOL (rightly or wrongly) as largely a reflection of teaching vs the students abilities.

Despite the fact that it is used as math placement.

With adaptive SOLs and kids answering different questions, there is a margin of error around the SOL score. I believe they let kids retake who are in the margin of error of the test.

[Anonymous]

My middle schooler passed but not well, and I was furious at the delay too. There’s no reason not to tell me. For my child to move on in math where said child was placed, I would want to know where that child stood on the SOL. It’s not even clear which SOL was administered.

For elementary, they also withdrew access to online apps on august 1. So even if you wanted to use Lexia or the tools provided for summer support, you were cut off one day after learning the SOL scores. It’s appalling.

I would write with you. Everyone should.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the policy in elementary is that they only notify parents right away if the child almost passes, so they can do a retake. I agree that it’s a poor policy, though.

Ok, so do most elementary schools actually do that or do they nevertheless notify families upon failure? Did anyone’s classroom teacher/principal reach out to them? Or is everyone like us and just uncovered it on Parentvue?

I am pretty surrounded most elementary schools inform parents of your kid is just under the pass rate because the school wants to give them an opportunity to retake the test so the overall pass rate for the school winds up higher.

They don't inform if they don't think you can retake and pass. That is because ES sees the SOL (rightly or wrongly) as largely a reflection of teaching vs the students abilities.

Despite the fact that it is used as math placement.

It’s one data point.

A kid isn’t going to go from not passing to a score of 550+

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the policy in elementary is that they only notify parents right away if the child almost passes, so they can do a retake. I agree that it’s a poor policy, though.

Ok, so do most elementary schools actually do that or do they nevertheless notify families upon failure? Did anyone’s classroom teacher/principal reach out to them? Or is everyone like us and just uncovered it on Parentvue?

I am pretty surrounded most elementary schools inform parents of your kid is just under the pass rate because the school wants to give them an opportunity to retake the test so the overall pass rate for the school winds up higher.

They don't inform if they don't think you can retake and pass. That is because ES sees the SOL (rightly or wrongly) as largely a reflection of teaching vs the students abilities.

Despite the fact that it is used as math placement.

It’s one data point.

A kid isn’t going to go from not passing to a score of 550+

My point was it’s only one data point they use for math placement.

It’s not super important - mostly just for teachers and HS credit.

[Anonymous]

I appreciate all of the focus on whether my child had a bad day or the specific score or the specific test. But, as their parent, I’m getting the advice of professionals over anonymous posting on DCUM—which don’t get me wrong can be helpful as a starting point, particularly in terms of questions to ask.

Rather, I want the focus to be on APS’ actions here. There is a huge emphasis on the SOLs over other tests, as everyone knows. Kids are prepped for them in a different way; the school emphasizes them in a different way. And yet when kids can’t achieve at a basic level on them—no one notifies the families? That is insane to me. Does this really happen across the board? I was assuming, perhaps incorrectly, that more competent schools within APS would notify the families. Is that a mistake?