New SOL Cut Offs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carson sent out an email that said about 25% more kids will fail the SOLs at the new level. If that is the case at a school that everyone thinks is hihg performing, what the heck is going to happen at other schools? Every school in the state is going to be failing. The only “solution” is going to be even more teaching to a test and not really learning and encouraging growth in students.

It feels like schools are pushing acceleration in math right now, and a god number of kids are struggling with that, and now we are moving the SOL standards. Why are we setting kids up to fail? We have lost sight of the fact that kids learn at different rates and that should be ok. We don’t track kids, we expect teachers to teach to kids at six different levels in one class, and we expect kids to stay motivated when they are in the wrong class for them, both the kids struggling and the kids who need more.

I hope the new DOE walks back the SOL changes. I am not sold on the fact that the SOL is all that worthwhile as it is and I don’t like that it is the test that the schools teach to already, making that worse is the wrong direction to go.

Virginia has very low testing cutoffs, well below national averages. It's entirely reasonable to raise those to match other states. That's setting kids up to succeed in the long run, and failing our kids not to expect enough of them.

Youngkin has no interest in seeing kids succeed. If that were the actual goal, there would be a comprehensive plan with additional supports.

He *only* raised the cutoffs, out of cycle.

It’s yet another political game that Republicans want to play with our schools and our kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am horrified. My kid is not good with tests to begin with. He passed Math SOL with 420 and Science with 410. I can already see him struggling with Reading and Writing SOLs because he is not a good writer. They are setting kids like mine to fail.

I get it but I am guessing your kid is struggling and, hopefully, getting the support that he needs. But yes, SOLs will be harder for your kid.

You guessed right, he is an IEP kid. His GPA is good and sorry, people, but no college cares about the SOLs. I hate seeing these students prep for a test that doesn't have any impact on their college future. It's a checkmark for the state "ooh, look at us, we have good education".

Agree, I hate the SOLs and wish they would get rid of them. The state based standardized exams do little to improve education and simply divert resources to passing a generic exam as a data point. I would be more than happy if they all went away and we let teachers teach to the state established curriculum. The resources wasted on teaching to the SOL could be spent on working with kids to improve in the classroom and grow instead of teaching tricks to do better on the SOL and get a pass.

Colleges will care about your child's ability to write but if you have an IEP and are working with the school, that will hopefully improve without the artificial pressure of passing the SOL.

[Anonymous]

Really hate this for HS kids. They are under enough stress without some random SOL test tanking their grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really hate this for HS kids. They are under enough stress without some random SOL test tanking their grade.

+1 and now juniors will have to worry about SOLs on top of SATs and AP exams.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carson sent out an email that said about 25% more kids will fail the SOLs at the new level. If that is the case at a school that everyone thinks is hihg performing, what the heck is going to happen at other schools? Every school in the state is going to be failing. The only “solution” is going to be even more teaching to a test and not really learning and encouraging growth in students.

It feels like schools are pushing acceleration in math right now, and a god number of kids are struggling with that, and now we are moving the SOL standards. Why are we setting kids up to fail? We have lost sight of the fact that kids learn at different rates and that should be ok. We don’t track kids, we expect teachers to teach to kids at six different levels in one class, and we expect kids to stay motivated when they are in the wrong class for them, both the kids struggling and the kids who need more.

I hope the new DOE walks back the SOL changes. I am not sold on the fact that the SOL is all that worthwhile as it is and I don’t like that it is the test that the schools teach to already, making that worse is the wrong direction to go.

Virginia has very low testing cutoffs, well below national averages. It's entirely reasonable to raise those to match other states. That's setting kids up to succeed in the long run, and failing our kids not to expect enough of them.

Setting up our kids to succeed would mean providing enough reading and math specialists to work with kids in ES so that they develop strong foundational skills. It would mean decreasing class sizes or adding aides into ES classrooms to work with kids who are struggling and work with kids who are on grade level or advanced.

Teaching to a standardized test does not set kids up to succeed. It is theatre that diverts resources from helping kids succeed.

[Anonymous]

When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:10% of the final grade is insane.

Is that only at the secondary level?

The only classes where the grade matters are HS classes. MS kids would only be impacted if they are taking HS math in MS.

Ten percent means nothing for ES graded on a 1-4 scale and is less of an issue for a MS student where the GPA is not important. The only MS kids worried about their GPAs are the kids applying to TJ and they should be passing their SOLs advanced if they are applying to TJ.

Thanks. That’s what I’m wondering, since ES grades aren’t based on percentages I don’t know how one would even figure it into 10% of a grade.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Carson sent out an email that said about 25% more kids will fail the SOLs at the new level. If that is the case at a school that everyone thinks is hihg performing, what the heck is going to happen at other schools? Every school in the state is going to be failing. The only “solution” is going to be even more teaching to a test and not really learning and encouraging growth in students.

It feels like schools are pushing acceleration in math right now, and a god number of kids are struggling with that, and now we are moving the SOL standards. Why are we setting kids up to fail? We have lost sight of the fact that kids learn at different rates and that should be ok. We don’t track kids, we expect teachers to teach to kids at six different levels in one class, and we expect kids to stay motivated when they are in the wrong class for them, both the kids struggling and the kids who need more.

I hope the new DOE walks back the SOL changes. I am not sold on the fact that the SOL is all that worthwhile as it is and I don’t like that it is the test that the schools teach to already, making that worse is the wrong direction to go.

Virginia has very low testing cutoffs, well below national averages. It's entirely reasonable to raise those to match other states. That's setting kids up to succeed in the long run, and failing our kids not to expect enough of them.

Setting up our kids to succeed would mean providing enough reading and math specialists to work with kids in ES so that they develop strong foundational skills. It would mean decreasing class sizes or adding aides into ES classrooms to work with kids who are struggling and work with kids who are on grade level or advanced.

Teaching to a standardized test does not set kids up to succeed. It is theatre that diverts resources from helping kids succeed.

Exactly.

What did Youngkin try to do last user? He tried to CUT k-12 budgets, even though VA already underfunds public schools.

[Anonymous]

^last year

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Right, that's ridiculous! Risking making your grade go down to take an SOL you don't even need to graduate. Completely pointless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Right, that's ridiculous! Risking making your grade go down to take an SOL you don't even need to graduate. Completely pointless.

The State wants kids who will pass and pass advanced taking SOLs so that their scores look higher because everyone is taking them, not just the kids who have failed past ones and need to pass one at some point in time to graduate. If they made SOLs mandatory, parents of kids who have already passed them might just let their kid stay home and not take them or tell their kid not to care about them, deflating scores. This might very well be a desperate attempt to show the HS are doing better because scores will increase with kids taking SOLs that don't need them for graduation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Right, that's ridiculous! Risking making your grade go down to take an SOL you don't even need to graduate. Completely pointless.

The State wants kids who will pass and pass advanced taking SOLs so that their scores look higher because everyone is taking them, not just the kids who have failed past ones and need to pass one at some point in time to graduate. If they made SOLs mandatory, parents of kids who have already passed them might just let their kid stay home and not take them or tell their kid not to care about them, deflating scores. This might very well be a desperate attempt to show the HS are doing better because scores will increase with kids taking SOLs that don't need them for graduation.

Is it anticipated SOLs will be added for AP classes?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Linked to above site- what does the first bullet in below (“Total number of related assessments cannot exceed one per academic quarter”) mean? That will only be 1 summative each quarter? Or if means something else, what?

Other Impacts of These New Changes

Limited opportunity for students to demonstrate learning: (Each SOL subject)

-Total number of related assessments cannot exceed one per academic quarter

-Only four per year, to include classroom final exams

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:When would this start? Also what happens if you have already passed the needed SOL and are not required to take more?

Next year. And even if the kids already have a verified credit they will still have to take them apparently. Totally ridiculous. All the changes are summarized on the FCPS website.

https://www.fcps.edu/changes-standards-learning-assessments-virginia?utm_campaign+&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery

Right, that's ridiculous! Risking making your grade go down to take an SOL you don't even need to graduate. Completely pointless.

this is absurd for next years seniors. many of them didn't take any SOLs their junior year.