After preliminary analysis of the 2006-2007 Standards of Learning (SOL) test results, it is projected that 100 percent of Virginia Beach City Public Schools will earn full SOL accreditation; however, the Virginia Department of Education will not release the official results until the fall.

“Our students worked very hard all year and should be proud of this accomplishment,” says Division Superintendent Dr. James G. Merrill. “In addition, teachers and principals worked diligently to develop and implement strategies to ensure student success. Their focused efforts are clearly paying off.”

One area of focus continues to be middle school math. School Year 2005-2006 was the first time fourth, sixth, and seventh grade students were required to take SOL tests in reading and mathematics. School districts across Virginia reported lower than expected test scores that first year.

“Math is an ongoing challenge at some middle schools even though scores are improving. We are taking a close look at the data, but at this time believe all schools will meet the necessary benchmarks for full accreditation,” says Dr. Jared Cotton, Assistant Superintendent of the Department of Accountability. “As in the past, school staffs will continue to develop targeted teaching strategies to address areas of weakness.”

A preliminary overview of divisionwide, unadjusted test scores reveals:

• English writing tests at the elementary, middle, and high school levels all have passing rates equal to or exceeding 90%.
• English reading tests at the elementary, middle, and high school levels have passing rates equal to or exceeding 80%.
• Passing rates for all assessments administered at the elementary level exceed 80%.
• Passing rates for both grade 6 and grade 7 mathematics increased by 11 percentage points.
• Overall, passing rates increased on 20 of the 34 SOL tests administered.

For more information regarding SOL testing procedures or accreditation results, please contact the Department of Accountability at 263-1030.