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Norfolk officials report sharp drop in Black students at STAR urgent-intervention level; SOL correlation remains unclear
Summary
Interim superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl told the school board that STAR reading data show a marked decline in the percentage of Black students scoring at the urgent-intervention level, while board members pressed staff to explain how that progress aligns with the state Standards of Learning tests (SOL).
Interim Superintendent Dr. James M. Pohl told the Norfolk school board on June 18 that Renaissance STAR assessment data show a substantial decline in the percentage of Black students scoring at the STAR “urgent intervention” level in reading, and that the division exceeded its targets for 2024–25.
The report focused on Goal 3, Measure 2 — the percentage of Black students in grades 3–8 at the urgent intervention level on STAR reading. “The measure exceeded the target by 8.7 points,” Dr. Pohl said, adding that the percentage fell 16.3 points from spring 2024 to spring 2025 and nearly 20 points since spring 2022. He cautioned, however, that the division remains “right around that 20% mark” and that leaders want to bring the urgency-category rate below 10%.
Board members pressed staff on how STAR gains relate to the state SOL reading test, which used new standards and a new SOL reading assessment this year. “Our reading scores saw some improvement, but not like we've seen in STAR,” Dr. Pohl said. He explained that STAR is a consistent, locally administered interim assessment, while the SOL was redesigned; division staff plan correlation reports over the summer to compare STAR and SOL performance and examine cohort movement across intervention bands.
On Goal 4 (achievement-gap reduction), the division reported mixed results. Division presenters said proficiency and urgent-intervention rates improved across most subgroups from winter to spring on STAR, but some gaps widened between specific pairs (for example, students with disabilities versus non‑disabled students and Hispanic versus non‑Hispanic students on certain measures). The division noted English learner (EL) students did not show improvement in urgent intervention for reading.
Leaders described multiple implementation steps taken this year to support reading and math: divisionwide walkthroughs using the Virginia Department of Education ELA protocol, 92-hour observation cycles across 13 schools, school-based data meetings, professional development workshops tied to the Virginia literacy grant, and hiring efforts targeted at EL certification. In mathematics, the division reported expanded Zearn usage and more than 100 walkthroughs focused on the 2023 math standards, along with coaching on small-group instruction.
Board members asked for clearer root-cause analyses tied to assessment changes. One board member asked why the division planned to focus its summer review on SOL data rather than STAR; Dr. Pohl said that until a strong correlation between STAR and the new SOL is established, the SOL — which will remain the state accountability measure — is the wiser anchor for deeper, divisionwide root-cause work.
Division staff listed summer next steps: disaggregate STAR and SOL data by school and subgroup, support targeted schools with school improvement plans, expand professional development on high‑quality instructional materials and evidence‑based interventions, and complete a SOL–STAR correlation report to guide fall recalibration of interim goals.
Board members and staff emphasized that STAR gains indicate classroom-level progress but that the division will use the SOL correlation work to confirm how those gains translate to the state test.
