Anonymous wrote:I have a PhD in English Lit and find some of the SOL questions ridiculous. My daughter’s 7th grade English teacher sent out an entire practice SOL & answer key for us to look over at home and it feels like some of the questions were written by someone with dementia. I don’t know why people blame FCPS/the kids when scores are low without first looking at the test and holding these test writers accountable.

Thank you. Same on the Math side.
-I just reviewed the 7th grade math SOL practice packet and I had issues with how the questions/ materials were presented. I suspect the Test formulation has probably been contracted out and it this point it, the materials can't be refuted.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The English instruction is poor in MS. What has your student really learned in 7th or 8th grade English. They only read 1 book the whole year. There are no vocabulary or grammar lessons. There is an essay or speech each quarter, but it’s very scaffolded with little leeway. No working on analogies, etc. There is little to no feedback on writing. Very poor instruction on how to improve writing. No comments. No working 1-1. No writing and the re-writing. Just a turn-in. Time management is even poor. That’s all problematic in MS.

When did you last have a child in middle school, PP? It sounds like 10+ years ago because my 7th grader absolutely had vocabulary and grammar lessons.

we are currently experiencing this.

It is a school-specific issue or a teacher-specific issue if your child isnt having a good experience with the curriculum. It isn't a universal problem.

But, similar to your DC’s excellent experience. That is ‘your experience’. Let people explain their experience. That is why this thread exists. Quit trying to bully and silence people. If their DC had poor English, then everyone knows that was from ‘their’ experience. Geez.

I have a PhD in English Lit and find some of the SOL questions ridiculous. My daughter’s 7th grade English teacher sent out an entire practice SOL & answer key for us to look over at home and it feels like some of the questions were written by someone with dementia. I don’t know why people blame FCPS/the kids when scores are low without first looking at the test and holding these test writers accountable.

I work at a FCPS MS and can report they are teaching to the lowest common denominator. English classes (and all classes) have students from 1st grade reading level to adult, and behavior problems like you wouldn't believe. Teachers are directed to give kids "grace" and as many points as possilbe all the time. 5 paragraph essay? Make it 3 paragraphs instead and give kids "sentence stems" to start every paragraph and sentence. Accept misspelling and incorrect grammar if you think the student is showing "growth." Honestly, "AAP" and "Honors" classes are teaching down to the poorest performing students, there is VERY little rigor and low expectations of students by any measure parents with decent educations would believe if they really knew. Bottom line, your kid's A in English in FCPS MS doesn't equate to a high score on the SOL. Sadly.

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Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Hey OP, how does your child do on "standardized" tests in general? Did they sleep well that night? Did they have a bad day? Noisy kid besides them in the testing room?

Dial it down. It's an SOL AND it's 7th grade. Your kid passed, and that's really all that matters. I'm telling you now, PLEASE don't put so much stock in an SOL score. Just don't. Focus (in a few years) on stuff like the SAT and ACT - that matters more.

Good advice here, OP! I’ll add to save this stress for AP exams. And then keep it to yourself. The kids put enough stress on themselves in HS for AP exams, SAT and ACTs. Or IB tests if you are at an IB school.

Really, SOLs don’t matter and they really don’t at all before HS. Even in HS they only need to pass them.

I am the OP,
I don't worry my kid. I just wish those 2 scores are aligned better.

95 -> SOL 550
85 -> SOL 500

Something like that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Hey OP, how does your child do on "standardized" tests in general? Did they sleep well that night? Did they have a bad day? Noisy kid besides them in the testing room?

Dial it down. It's an SOL AND it's 7th grade. Your kid passed, and that's really all that matters. I'm telling you now, PLEASE don't put so much stock in an SOL score. Just don't. Focus (in a few years) on stuff like the SAT and ACT - that matters more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Grade inflation is the disconnection.

Not necessarily. The teacher may not have prepared the students well. The curriculum or lack of one could be to blame.

They passed.... Don't be so hung up on the pass advanced. Some of the best teachers we've had have been first year from out of state, taught what the kids needed to learn more than the standards

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Grade inflation is the disconnection.

Not necessarily. The teacher may not have prepared the students well. The curriculum or lack of one could be to blame.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Grade inflation is the disconnection.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Was is your point, OP? My child has a 100% in English and got a 430 on her reading SOL. She is dyslexic, reading is challenging, but she's super smart and a hard worker. We don't measure our children's worth in SOL scores.

I am the OP.
My point is there is disconnection between SOL score and class score.

Maybe your kid just didn't do a good job on the SOL.

Yeah but what caused that? Maybe what the teacher did in class didn’t help prepare the kid enough?