Anonymous
Post 05/28/2015 15:41     Subject: Re:Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
OP, my dd sounds like your child. She hasn't had her SOLs this year (7th grade) yet but she came home yesterday saying anything other than a 600 on an SOL is bad. She has always gotten 600s. We have always not cared. I tried to explain to her again that her statement is not true (and not something to set as a goal), but she will not listen to me. I hate this standard she has set for herself. It applies to grades, too. She gets not only As all the time but mostly 100s. She thinks a 95 is a bad score. I really fear the reality check she will receive.
Anonymous
Post 05/28/2015 14:43     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:Whatever, you do, do not give your son a hard time over his score. Just a PSA for those kids who take these tests waaaay too seriously. This can lead to serious issues down the road.


OP here. Agreed. He asked if I was mad. I told him "why on earth would I be mad if you did your best?". He emailed his teacher for reassurance, and she told him 1) you have proven yourself more than ready for Geometry 8 Honors with your A's all year, and your class performance and 2) this will not affect your GPA. As long as you pass, you will receive credit for the course. He seemed to cool down. He is hard on himself. We are not. Honestly, I feel his elementary school created a monster when they gave him an award last year for all A's/4's from 4th-6th. We had not really paid attention to that, but he was really proud, and decided he would try for that through all of school. He learned a lesson when he got his first B+ for turning work in late in Science. We are VERY laid back about grades in our house. It's his personality.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 22:41     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Whatever, you do, do not give your son a hard time over his score. Just a PSA for those kids who take these tests waaaay too seriously. This can lead to serious issues down the road.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 22:37     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Only one student got a 600 in DD's seventh grade honors math class (algebra). Many scored in the 400s. The reason, she guessed: all those snow days.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 22:21     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:I have a 7th grade son who has since taking SOL's starting in 3rd has always scored well into the Pass Advanced range on all of his SOL's. At least a few times, he has scored 600's on Math and Reading. This year, he scored a 539 on English, and a 498 on Algebra. He was floored with his algebra score. He left the exam sure he aced it. He scored excellent scores on all the practice exams. In both English 7 AAP, and Algebra I Honors, he has straight A's all year. I am not overly concerned, but do wonder if I should have some worries at all. He does have a 504 plan for ADHD, but gets no special testing accommodations. He came home really upset, and I reassured him, "all is fine, you passed". This is a child who was seriously considering applying to TJ (with our great parental reservations), but now he fears his algebra score will prevent him from being a candidate.

OP. same here except DC is in 8th grade Algebra 1 Honor. Her current grade is A in class, and was very confident after the SOL, yet she only got 512, barely pass-advance.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 19:51     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Schools have them almost immediately. Especially now with the retake option. Just depends if the school is willing to share or not.


Our school never sent out retake forms. Aren't they required to? Not that I would have had my child retake those ridiculous tests, but I'm curious why they didn't give the option.


Not sure if they are required to. The wording on our school's form says "allowing":

The Virginia Board of Education is allowing elementary and middle school students who
fail SOL tests by a narrow margin (scoring between a 375 and 399) to be retested before
the end of the year provided parental permission is obtained.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 19:46     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Retake if fail.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 19:35     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:Schools have them almost immediately. Especially now with the retake option. Just depends if the school is willing to share or not.


Our school never sent out retake forms. Aren't they required to? Not that I would have had my child retake those ridiculous tests, but I'm curious why they didn't give the option.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:41     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:I don't think sol scores are part of the tj app.

The scoring is different on all the tests. In algebra to get a 400, you have to get around 26/50. To get a 500, it's around 45/50. So yes, theoretically he could have felt very confident, gotten only 5 qs wrong, and gotten a 498.

The scoring is different for other math grades.


OP here. This is very helpful to understand. Thanks!
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:35     Subject: Re:Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
OP here. In both classes, the teachers told him. I am assuming to allow for retakes if needed. I teach in an elementary school, and I believe the only children who have been told in my school are those who failed by a small enough margin to do a retake.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:35     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Anonymous wrote:Schools have them almost immediately. Especially now with the retake option. Just depends if the school is willing to share or not.


We received a Keep in Touch email from our middle school principal today, stating the preliminary SOL reports would be sent to parents in the mail the last week of school.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:30     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
Schools have them almost immediately. Especially now with the retake option. Just depends if the school is willing to share or not.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:28     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
How do you already have your kid's SOL grades?
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:21     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
I don't think sol scores are part of the tj app.

The scoring is different on all the tests. In algebra to get a 400, you have to get around 26/50. To get a 500, it's around 45/50. So yes, theoretically he could have felt very confident, gotten only 5 qs wrong, and gotten a 498.

The scoring is different for other math grades.
Anonymous
Post 05/27/2015 18:18     Subject: Middle School student in AAP, surprising drop in SOL scores this year
I have a 7th grade son who has since taking SOL's starting in 3rd has always scored well into the Pass Advanced range on all of his SOL's. At least a few times, he has scored 600's on Math and Reading. This year, he scored a 539 on English, and a 498 on Algebra. He was floored with his algebra score. He left the exam sure he aced it. He scored excellent scores on all the practice exams. In both English 7 AAP, and Algebra I Honors, he has straight A's all year. I am not overly concerned, but do wonder if I should have some worries at all. He does have a 504 plan for ADHD, but gets no special testing accommodations. He came home really upset, and I reassured him, "all is fine, you passed". This is a child who was seriously considering applying to TJ (with our great parental reservations), but now he fears his algebra score will prevent him from being a candidate.