How Far Have We Come with SOL and NCLB

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How Far Have We Come with SOL and NCLB?
10 Years of Educational Reform in the Commonwealth
VSBA Annual Conference November 17, 2005
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Architecture of Virginias 1995 Accountability
System

• Standards of Learning (SOL) in all core academic
  content areas K-12
• Assessment of students SOL achievement
• Accountability for student achievement results in
  schools
• Support for schools in need of improvement
• High quality standards for instructional
  personnel through licensure regulations aligned
  with SOL
• Annual School Report Card to inform parents and
  public

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Fully Accredited Schools1998-2005
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School Accreditation Trends1998-2005
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2005-2006School Accreditation
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No Train Wreck in 2004 Nor in 2005

• 94.6 of seniors in the Class of 2005 graduated
  as compared to 94.2 in 2004
• AND
• 73.6 of the ninth-grade enrollment four years
  earlier graduated in 2005 as compared to 73.4 in
  2004

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Virginia Outperforms Nation South on 2005 NAEP
Reading

• Virginia fourth- and eighth-grade students scored
  significantly higher than their counterparts
  nationwide and in the South on the 2005 NAEP
  reading test.

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Virginia Outperforms Nation South on 2005 NAEP
Reading
Regional designations were changed in 2003 to
reflect the new census regions.
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Virginia Outperforms Nation South on 2005 NAEP
Math

• Virginia fourth- and eighth-grade students scored
  higher than their counterparts nationwide and in
  the South on the 2005 NAEP mathematics assessment.

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Virginia Outperforms Nation South on 2005 NAEP
Math
Regional designations were changed in 2003 to
reflect the new census regions.
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Virginia Mathematics SAT I Scores Surge in 2005

• The average math score of Virginia public school
  seniors increased by 6 points to 512

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Virginia Mathematics SAT I Scores Surge in 2005
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Virginia Verbal SAT I Scores Increase in 2005

• In 2005, Virginia public school students
  increased their verbal scores by 2 points to 513

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Virginia Verbal SAT I Scores Increase in 2005
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More Virginia Students Earn College Credit on AP
Exams

• For 2005, more public school students took at
  least one AP exam AND they took more AP exams AND
  more earned a 3 or higher.

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More Virginia Students Earn College Credit on AP
Exams
The number of African-American and Hispanic
students taking AP exams and earning college
credit increased significantly.
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Virginia Makes Achievement Gains in 2005 NCLBs
AYP

• The Commonwealth of Virginia made Adequate Yearly
  Progress (AYP) on federal No Child Left Behind
  (NCLB) achievement benchmarks in reading and
  mathematics.

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Virginia Makes Achievement Gains in 2005 NCLBs
AYP
In 2005, 80 of schools (1,460 of 1,821 schools)
made AYP compared to 74 in 2004
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Virginia Makes Achievement Gains in 2005 NCLBs
AYP
In 2005, 48 of school divisions (63 of 132) made
AYP compared to 22 in 2004
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Virginia and NCLB

• Compliments
• Requires Standards of Learning testing in reading
  and math in grades 3-8 and once in high school
• Requires student achievement data to be used as
  the foundation for school accountability
• Extends school accountability to specific
  "sub-groups

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Virginia and NCLB

• Compliments
• Requires robust student information systems for
  data collection and analysis
• Requires reading instruction (Reading First) that
  is research based
• Extends accountability to school districts and
  states, not just schools
• Compels state boards of education to collaborate
  with school districts in more meaningful ways
  (MOU)

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Virginia and NCLB

• Challenges
• Conflicts between Virginia's maturing
  standards-based reform and requirements of NCLB
• Conflicts between two major pieces of federal
  legislation (NCLB and IDEA)
• Difficulty providing choice options to students
  in small or very low performing school districts
• Calculating AYP and designing a meaningful public
  message

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Board of Education Waiver Requests Concerning NCLB

• Requests that were Approved
• First Score retake results count
• Graduation Rate Other Academic Indicator
  recognizes that some LEP and disabled students
  require additional time for proficiency
• Annual proficiency targets reading and math
  AMOs were adjusted
• Immigrant Children Youth Funding Formula
  revised from 15 to 5

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Board of Education Waiver Requests Concerning NCLB

• Requests that were Approved with Modifications
• Minimum n Size 50 students or 1 with a cap
  of 200
• Division Accountability in need of improvement
  if same subject all grade spans but not same
  subgroup

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Board of Education Waiver Requests Concerning NCLB

• Requests that were Denied
• Identification based on same subject and same
  subgroup
• Other academic indicator
• Targeting choice supplemental educational
  services
• LEP exclusion of K 1st grade students
• Inclusion of students with disabilities proxy
  method

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Board of Education Waiver Requests Concerning NCLB

• Requests Under Study
• Order of choice supplemental educational
  services
• Separate starting points for subgroups
• Inclusion of LEP students in state assessments

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Are We There Yet?

• Challenges
• Achievement gaps
• Graduation rate
• Continuing education

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Are We There Yet?

• Challenges
• Redesign high schools
• Technology resources
• Business community partnerships
• Teacher and school leader preparation programs

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What Does It All Mean?
Virginias educational reforms prove our public
school students can meet high standards AND Our
schools are accountable for providing a quality
education.