Science is integrated into language arts for some units, same with social studies. I would ask this other mom what specific skills and content she feels is lacking. I find that lots of parents make broads complaints without much to back it up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

The curriculum is so bloated that it’s virtually impossible to teach all the standards well in a year.

But we skip science?! So we can make room for… what?

Science is not skipped. But if you are a third or fourth grade teacher who is judged on math and reading SOL scores, you’re going to put all of your energy behind that. Having science SOL tests only in 5th and 8th causes those grades to have to bear the brunt of science instruction.

This. And for 4th grade social studies teachers, the same reality applies.

Here’s a fun factoid: VA school districts have the option of spreading out Virginia studies (which is 400+ years of history) over two years in fourth and fifth. APS and some other districts opt to do it in one.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

The curriculum is so bloated that it’s virtually impossible to teach all the standards well in a year.

But we skip science?! So we can make room for… what?

Science is not skipped. But if you are a third or fourth grade teacher who is judged on math and reading SOL scores, you’re going to put all of your energy behind that. Having science SOL tests only in 5th and 8th causes those grades to have to bear the brunt of science instruction.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

The curriculum is so bloated that it’s virtually impossible to teach all the standards well in a year.

But we skip science?! So we can make room for… what?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

The curriculum is so bloated that it’s virtually impossible to teach all the standards well in a year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

Um, perhaps because there are only so many hours in a day?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

If that were the case then almost every kid would be getting a pass advanced. Even in centers, that isn't happening

The SOLs are not minimum standards. They cover the curriculum, and yes they (unfortunately) do drive the curriculum, but they are hard tests and students that score well show that they have a good understanding of what they have learned.

Every few years, parents will complain that the SOLs are too easy and they will be raised higher, then parents complain that they are too hard, and they will be lowered a bit. We are in a "raised up" period right now, and the tests are not easy or minimum. Give your kids credit.

Anonymous wrote:SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

Why are they LIMITING curriculum to teaching to the test? The SOL should be minimum standards, not set boundaries on what they will learn?

She’s not wrong. In 4th grade, my APS student has less than 2 or 3 classes (20ish mins?) in science, but an hour for social studies (SOL year). Next year, that should switch. I believe that’s standard practice in most states tbh.

SOLs in science are weird because they aren't regular. For subjects where the SOLs are yearly they drive curriculum by design. Teaching to the test is another way of saying teaching the class so that students master the material that the state has decided that they should master in a given year

This is in APS, sorry.

I know SOLs are important for benchmarking and showing progress across the student body, but I always assumed they were MINIMUM standards, and that basically by being normal teachers and having a more or less normal curriculum the SOLs were covered.

But an older mom at our elementary was saying she has been really disappointed in science instruction at our school and feels part of the lack of emphasis is because SOL science is only at 5th and 8th grade.

How much does “teaching to SOL” really go into developing curriculum? I assumed it was just a small baseline; maybe it’s just our school is more into arts than science or something?