Norfolk staff warn VDOEchanges could sharply lower pass rates under new accountability framework

Miss McGarity, the divisionassessment lead, told the Norfolk School Board at a Nov. workshop that VirginiaDepartment of Education (VDOE) data for the new School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF) are still embargoed while a third-party vendor validates the numbers.

"This is a very confusing system," McGarity said, describing the SPSF as an "output"-driven, weighted index in which schools earn points for mastery, growth and readiness that total up to 100 points. She warned the board that the system uses full-precision calculations with no rounding and that the division has submitted 15 to 20 data corrections to VDOE.

The SPSF replaces the stateprevious accreditation approach by explicitly separating accreditation (policy and structural "inputs") from accountability (student outcome "outputs"). Under the SPSF, elementary schools are measured on mastery (for example, reading and math SOLs), growth and readiness; each indicator carries a point value. In McGarityexample, mastery can be worth up to 65 points for elementary schools.

Division staff illustrated how individual student scores map to fractional index points (pass advanced = 1.25, pass proficient = 1.0, fail basic = 0.75, fail below basic = 0.25) and how small fractional differences can push a school below the 80-point threshold that VDOE labels "on track." "Because there is no rounding and 80 points is on track, this school is off track," McGarity said of a worked example in which a school's total fell to 79.845 points.

McGarity described special rules for subgroup indicators. For example, the English Learner (EL) progress indicator is based on ACCESS for ELLs results and activates only for schools with at least 15 EL students; if an indicator does not activate, its points are reallocated to other components such as growth. She also summarized the high-school "3E" readiness metric (enrollment, employment, enlistment) and the state's shift in graduation measurement to a Four-Year Cohort Graduates Index (FGI) that counts only standard or advanced diplomas in the 4-year indicator. Applied-studies diplomas and GEDs are not counted as completers in the 4-year FGI; they may be reflected later in a six-year measure.

The division presented a striking calculation of potential impact if VDOE's newly approved SOL cut scores were applied to last year's results: reading pass rates could fall from about 62% to 20%, math from about 57% to 24%, and roughly 74% of students who graduated with standard or advanced diplomas last year would be affected, according to the division's analysis. McGarity said the cut scores had been voted in unanimously at the state level, and VDOE staff are discussing phased implementation options.

Board members asked how these changes would affect staffing (especially ESL positions), the timing of cohort application and whether implementation could be delayed for high-school cohorts already in progress. McGarity said many technical decisions remain unresolved and noted the division had advocated for implementation approaches that minimize harm and maximize transparency, including recommending use of progress tables for growth methodology.

With the divisionstill awaiting validated SPSF data, staff said schools have been given companion documents and internal pass-rate data to guide planning. McGarity urged caution in public reporting until VDOE completes validation and releases final criteria for accreditation ratings.

Norfolk officials said the board will continue to press VDOE for clarity on implementation timelines and to advocate for phased approaches to limit sudden impacts on students and staffing.