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Math SOL scores drop, subgroups' rates plotted
Thursday, September 13, 2012
By BULLETIN STAFF REPORTS -
The state’s more rigorous math Standards of Learning (SOL) tests were challenging for all types of students last school year, especially among black students and those with disabilities, according to Virginia Department of Education data released Wednesday.
The state revised and strengthened the math standards in 2009, and last year’s SOL tests were the first to reflect the increased rigor of the new standards. The online math SOL tests taken by most students included new technology-enhanced items designed to mirror common classroom experiences. The items also required students to apply mathematical knowledge to multistep problems.
Data released Wednesday broke down previously released passing rates by subgroups. The numbers released Aug. 14 showed that every school division in the area had a drop in the passing rates for the SOL tests in geometry, Algebra I and Algebra II.
In the newest results released for Henry County, 67 percent of students passed the math portion of the SOL tests in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 91 percent the year before.
Among black students, rates fell from 87 percent to 56 percent, and for students with disabilities, rates fell from 74 percent to 38 percent, the data showed.
Passing rates for students categorized as economically disadvantaged fell from 89 percent to 61 percent, students with limited English proficiency saw passing rates decline from 87 percent to 54 percent, and passing rates for Hispanic students fell from 92 percent to 65 percent.
Among Asian students, passing rates rose from 96 percent to 100 percent, and among white students, the rates declined from 93 percent to 71 percent.
In Martinsville, 59 percent of students passed the math portion of the Standards of Learning tests in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 85 percent the year before.
Among black students, rates fell from 80 percent to 50 percent, and for students with disabilities, rates fell from 63 percent to 35 percent, the data showed.
Passing rates for students categorized as economically disadvantaged fell from 82 percent to 51 percent, students with limited English proficiency saw passing rates decline from 90 percent to 59 percent, and passing rates for Hispanic students fell from 92 percent to 62 percent.
The rates for Asian students rose from 92 percent to 93 percent, and for white students, rates declined from 91 percent to 72 percent.
In Patrick County, 72 percent of students passed the math portion of the Standards of Learning tests in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 92 percent the year before.
Among black students, rates fell from 86 percent to 67 percent, and for students with disabilities, rates fell from 81 percent to 45 percent, the data showed.
Passing rates for students categorized as economically disadvantaged fell from 91 percent to 64 percent, students with limited English proficiency saw passing rates decline from 83 percent to 71 percent, and passing rates for Hispanic students fell from 91 percent to 69 percent.
There were no figures for Asian students. For white students, the rates declined from 93 percent to 72 percent.
According to statewide data released Wednesday, 68 percent of students passed the math portion of the tests in the 2011-2012 school year, compared with 87 percent the year before, according to Associated Press reports.
The largest drops in passing rates between the two most-recent school years were among black students, whose rates fell from 77 percent to 52 percent, and students with disabilities, whose rates fell from 66 percent to 40 percent, the AP reported.
Passing rates for students categorized as economically disadvantaged fell from 78 percent to 54 percent, students with limited English proficiency saw passing rates decline from 82 percent to 59 percent, and passing rates for Hispanic students fell from 83 percent to 61 percent.
The smallest drops in passing rates were seen among Asian students, whose rates fell from 95 percent to 87 percent, and white students, whose rates declined from 90 percent to 75 percent.
While students across the state and by subgroup experienced declines in math assessment passing rates, education officials said results for English, science and history/social science assessments stayed relatively flat, with some improvements, the AP reported.
The State Department of Education will continue to provide training and resources to help reach the new math standards as well as new English and science standards that are set to be implemented during the current school year, according to the AP.
Virginia plans to release its annual accreditation ratings based on test results and other measures later this month. Schools will be able to use a three-year average of test results to help lessen the impact of lower rates in the last school year, the AP reported.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright said in a VDOE news release that the results represent the beginning of a new trend line in math achievement.
“What matters now is where we go from here,” Wright said. “At the state level, we must set aggressive but attainable annual objectives for narrowing and ultimately closing these achievement gaps. At the local level, instructional leaders must make sure that teaching in the classroom is aligned with the new standards. The focus must shift from ‘test prep’ to increasing the ability of students to apply their knowledge of mathematics and solve multi-step problems.”
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