Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Assessment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greensville board hears proposed SOL cut-score changes as state seeks alignment with NAEP
Summary
A presenter told the Greensville County School Board that the Virginia Board of Education intends to adopt new SOL cut scores this fall to better align with NAEP results, listing proposed numeric changes that could lower statewide proficiency rates and prompting regional support visits for divisions.
Greensville County — The Greensville County School Board on Sept. 8 heard a briefing on proposed changes to Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) cut scores that state officials plan to adopt this fall to better align SOL proficiency labels with National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) results.
An assessment presenter told the board there is an "honesty gap" between NAEP and SOL scores and explained that differences in sampling and test design contribute to that discrepancy. "You can see what the state calls the honesty gap," the presenter said, describing NAEP as a sampled assessment administered in grades 4, 8 and 12 and contrasting it with statewide SOL testing.
The presenter walked through proposed numeric cut scores for multiple grades and subjects. Examples listed in the briefing included Grade 3 reading proposed at 444 (previously a different threshold), Grade 4 reading at 451, Grade 5 reading at 446, and high-school 11th-grade reading at 479. For mathematics the presenter cited Grade 3 at 443, Grade 4 at 441, Grade 5 at 445 and algebra/geometry cut points in the mid-400s.
Why it matters: The new cut scores, if adopted by the Board of Education, would change which students and schools are labeled "proficient" and could lower reported statewide proficiency percentages. The presenter said the state will hold regional meetings to review division-level impacts and support needs and that the changes would not affect current 12th graders.
The board did not take action on the state proposal; the presenter said the Board of Education will move forward with adoption at a later meeting and will provide regional briefings and impact runs so divisions can see prior scores versus the proposed cut-score outcomes.
Next steps: The Board of Education’s adoption is expected this fall; Greensville school leaders said they will review the state-provided impact data and consider supports to mitigate effects on students and public reporting.
