A Better Education for a Better Future

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A Better Education for a Better Future
Standards Testing Accountability Reporting

• A Workshop conducted by the Virginia Board of
  Education and the Superintendent of Public
  Instruction
• 1999 Virginia PTA/PTSA Leadership
  Training Conference

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PURPOSE of Education Reform in Virginia

• Ensure that all students will be prepared to be
  successful in the international economy
• Prepare students to be informed and responsible
  citizens of our democracy
• Communicating so that parents and the community
  know how well their local school is meeting that
  goal

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COMPONENTS ofVirginias Education Reform

• Standards
• Testing
• Accountability
• Reporting

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The First Component
Standards

• Revising the Standards of Learning

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What are the Standards of Learning (SOL)?

• Statements of the knowledge, processes, and
  skills that students need to be successful
• Clear and concise expectations that outline the
  minimum standards that teachers should teach and
  students should learn

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Development of the New SOL The Beginning 1994

• Four school divisions asked to lead the revision
  of the SOL in English, mathematics, science, and
  history/social science
• Parents, teachers, professional organizations,
  the business community, and interest groups
  involved in this process

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Development of the New SOLReview and Adoption
1995

• State Board of Education conducted 10 public
  hearings on the draft SOL
• SOL revised
• SOL approved in June 1995 by the Board of
  Education and distributed to schools and parents

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The Second Component
Testing

• The Standards of Learning Testing Program

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What are the SOL Tests?

• Tests that measure student progress in achieving
  the new SOL
• Tests contain some items that test factual
  knowledge
• Tests include other items that test the
  application of that knowledge and critical
  thinking skills

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Who Takes the SOL Tests?

• Students in grades 3, 5, and 8
• High school students as they complete certain
  courses in mathematics, science, English, and
  history/social sciences
• All students, unless exempted by special
  circumstances named in the Standards of
  Accreditation

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Development of the SOL Tests

• Teachers and educators appointed to Content
  Review Committees to create test blueprints and
  review test items
• Test items developed by the test contractor
• Items field-tested in 1997 items are field
  tested every year
• Committees reviewed field-tested items review is
  conducted every year
• Tests first administered in 1998

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Determining the Passing Scores

• Standard Setting Committees made up of parents,
  educators, and business representatives
  recommended ranges of passing scores
• PTA representative participated on each of the 27
  Standard Setting Committees
• The Board of Education selected two categories of
  passing Proficient and Advanced

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How the SOL Tests will be Used

• Make sure students have acquired the knowledge
  and skills they need
• In grades 3, 5, and 8, performance on the SOL
  tests is one factor in a multiple set of criteria
  for determining if a child is to be promoted or
  retained
• All students enrolled in specific courses must
  take end-of-course test
• The class of 2004 must pass a certain number of
  SOL tests to receive a standard or advanced
  studies diploma

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The Third Component
Accountability

• Holding Schools Accountable for Student
  Achievement

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The Standards of Accreditation (SOA)
The SOA were revised and adopted by the Board of
Education in September 1997 to

• Raise graduation requirements
• Provide for increased instructional time in the
  core subject areas
• Add the requirement for student academic
  achievement as shown on the SOL tests

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Increased Requirements for Graduation

• Graduating class of 2004 also needs six verified
  units of credit for a Standard diploma and nine
  verified units of credit for an Advanced Studies
  diploma
• Graduating class of 2002 needs 22 units of credit
  for a Standard diploma and 24 units of credit for
  an Advanced Studies diploma

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Increased Requirements for Graduation (cont.)

• Verified credit successful completion of a
  required course, plus achieving a passing score
  on the SOL end-of-course test for that course
• The SOL end-of-course tests may be retaken as
  many times as necessary to pass

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Accreditation of Schools

• In addition to other criteria, schools must have
  70 student passing rate in the four core
  academic areas to be Fully Accredited (except at
  grade 3 50 in science history)
• Through the 2002-03 school year, schools making
  progress are Provisionally Accredited
• For schools not at or above the required passing
  rates Schools not improving, or whose passing
  rate has dropped from the previous years, are
  Accredited with Warning
• No school can lose its accreditation before
  school year 2006-07

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The Fourth Component
Reporting

• Reporting Progress to the Community

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What is the School Performance Report Card?

• A report to parents and the community of SOL
  test results, reported by division and school.
  It also includes
• School safety information
• Information on attendance and dropout rates
• Information about teacher qualifications

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When will the Report Card be sent to parents?

• SOL tests are given in the spring of each year
  and at the end of the first semester in some high
  schools
• Testing information and other data are compiled
  in late summer
• Report Cards will be issued each fall

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SUPPORT from the State to Implement the Reforms

• For the 1998-2000 biennium
• 24.9 million for instructional materials
• 11.8 million for the Early Reading Initiative
• 25.1 million to train teachers and principals

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SUPPORT from the State to Implement the Reforms
(cont.)

• 28.3 million for remediation of students not
  succeeding on the SOL
• Approximately 18 million for graphing
  calculators and scientific probe and sensing
  device kits
• 3.2 million for the Governors Best Practice
  Centers to provide assistance to school divisions

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RESPONDING to the Concerns of Parents and Teachers
The Board has listened and responded to the
concerns and suggestions of parents and teachers
to

• Address test administration
• Meet the needs of special populations
• Address issues related to reporting
• Address consequences and rewards

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• BOARD ACTIONS
• Responding to the community Looking to the Future

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BOARD ACTION Addressing SOL Test Administration

• Negotiated a change to improve the timing of the
  tests
• Provided flexibility by allowing the 5th grade
  history/social science test to be given in the
  4th grade, and the 8th grade test to be given in
  the 7th grade

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BOARD ACTION Meeting the Needs of Special
Populations

• Excluded the test scores of Limited English
  Proficient students from calculation of SOL pass
  rates for schools
• Excluded the test scores of certain transfer
  students from calculation of SOL pass rates for
  schools
• Polices are fair, but challenging, to students

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BOARD ACTION Addressing Reporting Issues

• Suspended reporting of SOL test scores on student
  transcripts until regulations are clarified
• Clarified information that is on the School
  Performance Report Card
• Will add fights to the school safety
  information section
• Will report the number of teachers who are
  teaching outside their endorsement area

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BOARD ACTION Addressing Rewards and Consequences

• Announced intent to revise the SOA addressing
  school accountability
• Heard from experts about programs in other states
  
• Conducted preliminary public hearings

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Activities to Support SOL Implementation

• Teacher Resource Guide for History/Social Science
  will help teachers teach more effectively
• SOL Expositions
• attended by hundreds of teachers
• Arts Summit
• attended by numerous statewide and regional fine
  arts advocacy groups

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Involvement of Virginia PTA/PTSA

• Parents participated in the SOL revision
• Parents provided comments at the SOL and SOA
  hearings
• The PTA was represented on all SOL Test Standard
  Setting Committees and on the recently
  established SOL Test Advisory Committee

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Involvement of Virginia PTA/PTSA

• Throughout educational reform effort, Board
  members met with PTA representatives
• A PTA representative attends all Board of
  Education meetings

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Future Actions

• Listening and Responding
• Revision of Standards of Accreditation to address
  rewards and consequences for schools
• Appointment of the SOL Test Advisory Committee
  and the Test Experts Committee to review and
  provide recommendations
• Asking classroom teachers for their comments and
  suggestions about the SOL test

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Future Actions (cont.)

• Revisions of the SOL in fine arts, theater,
  music, and foreign language
• Revision of the SOL in health and physical
  education
• Revision of the Report Card to make it more
  understandable and useful to parents

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WHAT CAN YOU DO?

• Provide feedback to the Board through oral and
  written comment
• Stay informed about what is happening concerning
  Virginias educational reform and help inform
  your local unit members
• Check out the Departments Web site
  (www.pen.k12.va.us) and the First Ladys Web site
  (www.knowledge.state.va.us)
• Be aware of your schools progress in the journey
  to achieve full accreditation
• Work with your school to support activities that
  improve student performance

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Standards Testing Accountability Reporting
A Better Education for a Better Future
A Workshop conducted by the Virginia Board of
Education and the Superintendent of Public
Instruction 1999 Virginia PTA/PTSA Leadership
Training Conference