ACPS - Will someone hold Hutchings accountable for the terrible SOL score

[Anonymous]

The published SOL scores today confirm Hutchings’s failure to provide an effective learning environment last year.

For example, the city wide pass rate on math for fourth grade last year was 26 percent. Will someone finally hold him accountable?

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/accreditation_federal_reports/sol_test_results_pass_rates/2020-2021-division-test-by-test.xlsx

[Anonymous]

Sorry, what Northern VA school provided a decent learning experience last year?

This just in. Virtual learning does not work for a crap ton of kids.

Hold him accountable for what happens this year.

And those of you who have pushed IN ANY WAY for school to be virtual this year, take a good long look a the spreadsheet from the link in the OP.

[Anonymous]

It is not only ACPS...SOL scores are down across the state and test scores across the nation are down.

[Anonymous]

What? And ruin a 10yr+ streak of never holding the superintendent accountable for poor scores?

[Anonymous]

Wow, it was obvious that DL was an entirely failed platform, but I didn't know that the failure was this epic and complete.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, what Northern VA school provided a decent learning experience last year?

This just in. Virtual learning does not work for a crap ton of kids.

Hold him accountable for what happens this year.

And those of you who have pushed IN ANY WAY for school to be virtual this year, take a good long look a the spreadsheet from the link in the OP.

While I agree that bad virtual experiences were common and scores did drop across Virginia, there are number of exacerbating factors for which Hutchings is responsible and will likely lead to continued poor performance unless the Board pushes him to change his ways:

(1) ACPS’s scores were significantly worse than neighboring jurisdictions. ACPS’ pass rate in math was below 40 percent for grades 3 through 7. Arlington and Loudoun only had one year under 40 percent in those grades;

(2) Hutchings attacked parents for forming pods when parents were just trying to remediate sub-par virtual education; and

(3) Hutchings’ administration showed no creativity in trying to make virtual instruction more effective and were barriers to parents who highlighted their concerns and tried to get more information to support their children on their own.

Hutchings poor attitude towards parents’ requests to help their children will be a barrier to improvements this year unless he changes his ways.

[Anonymous]

Also only 60% of students took the SOL, compared to 98% in previous years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Also only 60% of students took the SOL, compared to 98% in previous years.

How do you think that would impact the numbers? Do you think it could actually be worse...or would it balance out?

[Anonymous]

My son didn't do as well as usual (he is in 7th), but his teachers were pretty clear that not all of the material on the SOLs would be covered this year, due to decreased instructional time. Given that he didn't do two of the units on the math SOL, the reduction in his score from typical years was proportional.

[Anonymous]

He saw the writing on the wall and got his kid into Ireton. If that wasn't enough to demonstrate his lack of faith in the system he leads, I don't know what is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Also only 60% of students took the SOL, compared to 98% in previous years.

How do you think that would impact the numbers? Do you think it could actually be worse...or would it balance out?

It would balance out most likely. Many of the student that were prioritized for SOL were the ones that returned to hybrid, so ELs, students receiving sped services, and low income families (statistically disadvantage groups) were the primary takers of the tests.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sorry, what Northern VA school provided a decent learning experience last year?

This just in. Virtual learning does not work for a crap ton of kids.

Hold him accountable for what happens this year.

And those of you who have pushed IN ANY WAY for school to be virtual this year, take a good long look a the spreadsheet from the link in the OP.

While I agree that bad virtual experiences were common and scores did drop across Virginia, there are number of exacerbating factors for which Hutchings is responsible and will likely lead to continued poor performance unless the Board pushes him to change his ways:

(1) ACPS’s scores were significantly worse than neighboring jurisdictions. ACPS’ pass rate in math was below 40 percent for grades 3 through 7. Arlington and Loudoun only had one year under 40 percent in those grades;

(2) Hutchings attacked parents for forming pods when parents were just trying to remediate sub-par virtual education; and

(3) Hutchings’ administration showed no creativity in trying to make virtual instruction more effective and were barriers to parents who highlighted their concerns and tried to get more information to support their children on their own.

Hutchings poor attitude towards parents’ requests to help their children will be a barrier to improvements this year unless he changes his ways.

All of this, and MOST significantly was his 100% defense of virtual learning ALL last year. The number of times he said EVERYONE was doing well, that EVERYTHING was doing fine, that ANY parent that said it wasn't working for them was either privileged or racist - or both. The number of times he called this the future, and something we would likely keep doing forever. The number of times he bragged about how well ACPS was doing compared to our neighbors.

I'm not sure if any other superintendent in the area behaved as he did. He should absolutely be held accountable for all of his many lies, and self-serving behavior.

[Anonymous]

Also only 60% of students took the SOL, compared to 98% in previous years.


How do you think that would impact the numbers? Do you think it could actually be worse...or would it balance out?


It would balance out most likely. Many of the student that were prioritized for SOL were the ones that returned to hybrid, so ELs, students receiving sped services, and low income families (statistically disadvantage groups) were the primary takers of the tests.

What? What do you mean by "prioritized for SOL?"

General education students had the option to return to school in hybrid. My son has a learning disability and an IEP, but is in all general education classes and even some honors classes at GW. He did not get to return early with the students with more significant disabilities, and the majority of the kids that returns were not ELL or disabled.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The published SOL scores today confirm Hutchings’s failure to provide an effective learning environment last year.

For example, the city wide pass rate on math for fourth grade last year was 26 percent. Will someone finally hold him accountable?

https://www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/accreditation_federal_reports/sol_test_results_pass_rates/2020-2021-division-test-by-test.xlsx

It’s the families’ faults.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Also only 60% of students took the SOL, compared to 98% in previous years.


How do you think that would impact the numbers? Do you think it could actually be worse...or would it balance out?


It would balance out most likely. Many of the student that were prioritized for SOL were the ones that returned to hybrid, so ELs, students receiving sped services, and low income families (statistically disadvantage groups) were the primary takers of the tests.

What? What do you mean by "prioritized for SOL?"

General education students had the option to return to school in hybrid. My son has a learning disability and an IEP, but is in all general education classes and even some honors classes at GW. He did not get to return early with the students with more significant disabilities, and the majority of the kids that returns were not ELL or disabled.

Students who were hybrid tested first because they were in school. And yes, the prioritization matrix that acps used prioritized English language learners and students with IEPs that had said that they wanted to return. Students who needed more intervention were pushed as higher priority.

I work at GW and I can promise you that this is how it worked. Low income students with disabilities that struggled were pushed higher than those that weren't. Students who were newer to the country or had arrived during the school year were also prioritized.