As required by state law (HB 2027), students in grades 3-8 were administered the Virginia Growth Assessments designed to measure student progress in math and reading from the beginning to the end of the year.  This year students will take a fall Growth Assessment to establish a benchmark of their level, and at  the end of the year, fall results will be compared to spring SOL test results to determine growth.  Each test will have a “Vertical Scaled Score” for comparison.

Vertical Scaled Scores

Vertical scaled scores are NOT an indicator of passing or failing.  Tests are used for growth purposes only and provide a starting baseline for your child.  The score itself doesn’t mean much right now, but will mean more once we compare them with the vertical scaled score on this spring’s SOL test to determine growth.  

Test items

Fall testing items are derived from content at the previous grade level.  For example, a sixth grader would be answering questions that would appear on a fifth grade SOL. 

Note About 3rd Grade

Because there are no 2nd grade SOL tests, the 3rd grade tests for this fall will include basic versions of 3rd grade skills. Scaled scores are adjusted accordingly.

Long term goals

With these tests being given multiple times during the year, teachers will be able to see the levels of student growth, and more effectively target learning objectives. By focusing on student growth, rather than a passing or failing score, it allows schools to focus on specific learning objectives rather than focusing on getting a specific score.