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Virginia students made small strides on reading and math standardized tests last spring, but the scores are still below where they were before the pandemic, according to data released Tuesday.
The scores from the state’s Standards of Learning tests, which are given to third through eighth grade students in various subjects each year, showed some improvement during the 2023-24 school year. During a news conference announcing the results, Gov. Glenn Youngkin touted investments in tutoring and combating chronic absenteeism.
In reading, according to state data, the pass rate increased from 72.53% to 72.92%. In math, meanwhile, numbers improved from 69.11% to 70.92%.
When data is released, Youngkin said, it’s a “snapshot into a motion picture.”
“I’m pleased today that that motion picture will, in fact, show that a ship that was off course has been turned around, and that we are seeing progress, but we will also say today that we have a long way to go,” Youngkin said.
Some of the state’s most vulnerable students are catching up faster than their peers, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Lisa Coons said.
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In reading, English language learners’ growth rate was more than six times the rate of growth for all students. Economically disadvantaged students doubled all students’ growth rate in reading.
And in math, English learners have nearly doubled their performance after the pandemic. Black students’ rate of growth was three times the growth rate of all students, according to state data.
“As we look at our student groups, the ones who are hit hardest by COVID-19, we are seeing improvements,” Coons said.
Northern Virginia school divisions largely followed state trends.
In Fairfax County, the state’s largest school division, test scores remained about the same. It reported a 77.7% pass rate in reading this year and about a 76% pass rate in math. In 2022-23, those figures were 78% and 75%, respectively.
Prince William County, the second-largest school district, reported marginal gains. The reading pass rate last spring was 76% and the math pass rate was about 72.9%. Those rates are up from, 2022-23, when the school system had a 74.6% reading pass rate and 70.7% math pass rate.
Loudoun County’s reading scores remained about the same, but the district reported a three-point bump in math scores, according to the state data.
Arlington’s reading and math scores similarly held steady, but the City of Alexandra reported a slight improvement in math scores.
Youngkin attributed some of the state’s progress to its “ALL In” plan, a three-year initiative that aims to improve attendance, accelerate literacy and use high-impact tutoring to focus on learning loss.
Chronic absenteeism, the term used to describe when a student misses 10% or more of school days in a year, is falling in Virginia. Last year, the chronic absenteeism rate was 16.1%, down from 19.3% in 2022-23. However, about 195,000 kids continue to be chronically absent, according to state data.
“We are making progress,” Youngkin said. “We have seen improvement. We have seen the direction change, but we still have a lot of work to do here.”
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