WASHINGTON — Falls Church City and Loudoun County schools had the highest pass rates in Northern Virginia on this year’s statewide Standards of Learning tests.
Alexandria, Fredericksburg and Manassas City schools had the lowest pass rates in the region on the state-run standardized tests, newly released Virginia Department of Education data show.
The pass rates only indicate the proportion of students meeting minimum standards, and are not weighted to account for different students in the system each year; smaller systems where a small number of students can significantly swing results, or differing demographic challenges in each system. Still, the tests are something students, teachers and administrators spend a significant amount of time on.
Students take the Standards of Learning tests, commonly known as SOLs, from elementary through high school.
Overall pass rates fell slightly statewide in each broad subject area this year. Significant achievement gaps remain even in many top scoring systems.
While the pass rates had been the sole measure used to describe the accreditation status of schools, the status can now be adjusted higher based on significant growth in student test scores, progress closing achievement gaps or reductions in chronic absenteeism. High school accreditation information will also factor in changes to dropout and graduation rates in schools in each of Virginia’s 131 public school divisions.
Top pass rates
On English reading tests, tiny West Point, east of Richmond, had the highest pass rate for the 2017-2018 school year with 93 percent of all students passing their exams.
On English writing tests, Highland County west of Staunton tied West Point for the highest pass rate.
On math tests, West Point tied Wise County, in southwest Virginia, for the highest pass rate, followed by Scott, York and Wythe counties. Falls Church had the top Northern Virginia pass rate.
On science tests, West Point, Rappahannock County and Poquoson City, near Newport News, had the highest pass rates, followed by Falls Church.
On history and social science tests, Falls Church had the highest pass rate in the state, two points ahead of West Point and Wise County. Bland County, in southwest Virginia, and Poquoson followed just behind.
Local pass rate rankings
English: Reading
| State Rank/School System | 2015-2016 Pass Rate | 2016-2017 Pass Rate | 2017-2018 Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2 Falls Church | 92 | 93 | 92 |
| #6 (tie) Loudoun County | 88 | 87 | 86 |
| #17 (tie) Arlington County | 87 | 87 | 84 |
| #31 (tie) Fairfax County | 85 | 84 | 81 |
| #31 (tie) Stafford County | 82 | 82 | 81 |
| # 47 (tie) Fauquier County | 80 | 80 | 80 |
| #59 (tie) Orange County | 80 | 80 | 79 |
| #59 (tie) Prince William County | 80 | 80 | 79 |
| #66 (tie) Spotsylvania County | 79 | 79 | 78 |
| #83 (tie) Culpeper County | 78 | 76 | 75 |
| #100 (tie) Manassas Park | 71 | 74 | 72 |
| #113 (tie) Alexandria | 73 | 71 | 69 |
| #121 (tie) Fredericksburg | 73 | 74 | 67 |
| #121 (tie) Manassas | 73 | 72 | 67 |
English: Writing
| State Rank/School System | 2015-2016 Pass Rate | 2016-2017 Pass Rate | 2017-2018 Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Falls Church | 91 | 94 | 92 |
| #4 Loudoun County | 87 | 89 | 89 |
| #6 (tie) Arlington County | 85 | 86 | 86 |
| #8 (tie) Fairfax County | 86 | 86 | 85 |
| #31 (tie) Prince William County | 78 | 79 | 80 |
| #36 (tie) Fauquier County | 82 | 79 | 79 |
| #50 (tie) Orange County | 74 | 75 | 77 |
| #50 (tie) Stafford County | 81 | 81 | 77 |
| #58 (tie) Spotsylvania County | 76 | 79 | 76 |
| #68 (tie) Manassas Park | 76 | 74 | 74 |
| #77 (tie) Culpeper County | 73 | 79 | 73 |
| #81 (tie) Alexandria | 69 | 68 | 72 |
| #99 (tie) Manassas | 72 | 73 | 68 |
| #129 Fredericksburg | 68 | 68 | 56 |
Math
| State Rank/School System | 2015-2016 Pass Rate | 2016-2017 Pass Rate | 2017-2018 Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| #6 (tie) Falls Church | 88 | 88 | 87 |
| #17 (tie) Arlington County | 87 | 86 | 83 |
| #17 (tie) Loudoun County | 86 | 85 | 83 |
| #27 (tie) Fairfax County | 83 | 83 | 81 |
| #35 (tie) Culpeper County | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| #35 (tie) Stafford County | 83 | 82 | 80 |
| #65 (tie) Prince William County | 79 | 79 | 76 |
| #74 (tie) Fauquier County | 80 | 78 | 75 |
| #74 (tie) Orange County | 80 | 78 | 75 |
| #74 (tie) Spotsylvania County | 80 | 80 | 75 |
| #92 (tie) Manassas Park | 77 | 75 | 72 |
| #109 (tie) Manassas | 78 | 74 | 68 |
| #123 Alexandria | 68 | 66 | 61 |
| #124 (tie) Fredericksburg | 74 | 67 | 60 |
History and Social Sciences
| State Rank/School System | 2015-2016 Pass Rate | 2016-2017 Pass Rate | 2017-2018 Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Falls Church | 95 | 96 | 95 |
| #6 (tie) Loudoun County | 92 | 92 | 91 |
| #19 (tie) Fairfax County | 90 | 90 | 88 |
| #30 (tie) Orange County | 88 | 88 | 87 |
| #30 (tie) Prince William County | 87 | 89 | 87 |
| #36 (tie) Arlington County | 88 | 88 | 86 |
| #36 (tie) Stafford County | 89 | 88 | 86 |
| #61 (tie) Fauquier County | 87 | 85 | 83 |
| #61 (tie) Spotsylvania County | 84 | 85 | 83 |
| #65 (tie) Culpeper County | 86 | 84 | 82 |
| #74 (tie) Manassas Park | 82 | 78 | 81 |
| #114 (tie) Alexandria | 77 | 76 | 75 |
| #114 (tie) Manassas | 80 | 77 | 75 |
| #125 Fredericksburg | 81 | 76 | 71 |
