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Danville schools outline yearlong SOL preparation: test practice, interventions and a 'chance bus' to boost attendance
Summary
The district described a yearlong approach to state Standards of Learning assessments that emphasizes curriculum alignment, sustained practice, summer remediation, and logistical readiness for online testing; board members praised an Uber-like transportation program to improve attendance.
Doctor Babalola, a Danville Public Schools staff member responsible for assessment and curriculum updates, presented the district’s approach to preparing students for the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments at the May 1 meeting.
“Testing is just one part of that journey,” Babalola told the board, outlining a yearlong strategy that begins in the fall with diagnostic assessments and continues through midyear benchmarks, spiraled review, boot camps and mock exams ahead of the spring testing window. He said the district’s approach focuses on curriculum alignment, delivering instruction with high-quality instructional materials and building student stamina through progressively longer assessments.
Babalola described multiple supports: expanded summer school offerings for remediation and acceleration, Saturday programs, after-school tutoring, family engagement, and professional learning communities for teachers. He said the district has prepared students for online testing via the TestNav platform and uses state and commercial tools such as released practice items, IXL and Lexia Core to support instruction.
The presentation also included nonacademic supports that aim to improve attendance and readiness. Board chair Tyquan Graves and others praised the district’s “chance bus,” an on-demand transportation option described by the presenter as an Uber-like service that has reduced absences for students whose families face transportation barriers. “This right here has closed that gap,” Graves said during board discussion.
Babalola said the district collaborates with the Virginia Department of Education, the University of Virginia and other partners for data-driven instructional models, and that monitoring will include walk-throughs, quarterly audits and benchmark growth metrics. He framed SOLs as tools to measure learning, guide instruction and promote equity across the division.
The presentation was informational; board members did not vote on policy changes in response to the item.
