Standards of Learning (SOL) results released by the Commonwealth of Virginia on Wednesday show that pass rates for ACPS remain fairly consistent with recent years.
ACPS has seen noticeable academic gains in writing this year, particularly for students with disabilities, English learners and students who are economically disadvantaged. Writing pass rates for the division saw a four percentage point increase overall.
Successes in writing may be attributed to the intentional efforts to increase training opportunities for our teachers through the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University in New York. ACPS aims to learn from these kinds of improvements to see continued growth in other content areas in the future.
While these SOL results are not yet where we expect or want them to be, we are working towards our goals of providing professional learning for our teachers so that they are able to support every student. We know that SOLs are only one data point among many when assessing student outcomes. We also value the growth and progress we see in our students, the supportive and caring relationships that young people foster with their teachers and the amazing real-world learning opportunities and experiences offered by ACPS. Our mission is to see every student engaged, supported, and challenged and acquiring the skills and characteristics necessary to succeed,” said Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Jr., Superintendent of Schools.
ACPS remains committed to the core work necessary to ensure that it meets the goals of the ACPS 2020 Strategic Plan and ensure that every student succeeds. To reach this goal, the division must have an intense focus on academic work within the classroom, supported by the necessary resources, high-quality professional learning and best-practice instructional strategies. This year, every school and department will be involved in a refined improvement planning process. The process is designed to ensure that school and department staff are working collaboratively to provide the specific supports and services to each and every student based on needs that have been identified through the analysis of the data. There will also be an increased focus on literacy and writing across the curriculum, and mathematics, as well as an emphasis on small group instruction that is culturally responsive to student needs.
Accreditation information for all schools is scheduled to be released by the Virginia Department of Education on September 27. ACPS looks forward to the release of the state accreditation data, which also focuses on the growth of students and the progress they have made over the course of the previous school year.