WE in fairfax county and I also read that the SOLs were challenging this year.

What county are you in? The SOLs are harder. There were new standards in reading and the math standards were new last year. Also, FCPS does all online testing now, so at least 10 of the questions on each test are technology-enhanced items. That means they are not multiple choice. So, the tests are much harder now than for a third grader who took them three years ago. Half the kids scored advanced back then, but things have changed.

Anonymous wrote:I mean proficent is between 300 -499, advanced is 500-600. So all the scores were between 420-470.

No, 400 is passing and 500 is pass advanced as you said. Scores in the 420-470 range are passing, no problem with that and quite possible did have 4's on the mastery level on the progress report. Where I would be questioning big time if the scores were fails, below 400 and the progress report consistently showed 4's. something isn't right there. What kills me is when I see a student with a fail at 397 or even 399. Just one more question right....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain a child who has mosty 4s on the report card but was proficient on the SOLs for al
l subjects in 3rd grade?

The teachers gave out 4s too loosely. When my DD was in 3rd grade, she only received 1 or 2 4s for core subjects, but SOLs were all advanced pass. The class teacher was very strict about 4s.
Now my son got quite some 4s but his tested achievements were much lower than my DD's.
So the teacher is the key.

Is giving 4's by the teacher really that subjective?

Grades measure a child's performance during the year. SOLs measure a child's performance on a test that may have only one question on each strand on a specific day.

SO does the SOL measure the child's ability or the teacher's ability to teach?

Anonymous wrote:How do you explain a child who has mosty 4s on the report card but was proficient on the SOLs for al
l subjects in 3rd grade?

The teachers gave out 4s too loosely. When my DD was in 3rd grade, she only received 1 or 2 4s for core subjects, but SOLs were all advanced pass. The class teacher was very strict about 4s.
Now my son got quite some 4s but his tested achievements were much lower than my DD's.
So the teacher is the key.

I mean proficent is between 300 -499, advanced is 500-600. So all the scores were between 420-470.

What's wrong with proficient?

How do you explain a child who has mosty 4s on the report card but was proficient on the SOLs for al
l subjects in 3rd grade?