SOL scores a mixed bag for area schools

RICHMOND, Va. — The Department of Education released its Standards of Learning test results today, and the numbers reflect both gains and losses in local schools.

Richmond city student test scores reflect an increase in mathematics, but overall scores fall behind neighboring districts.

Other districts saw overall scores dropping from the 2011-2012 test results in science and English (reading and writing).

For example, the data shows that overall Chesterfield and Henrico County English reading scores dropped 15 points from the 2011-2012 school year, with similar results in English writing scores.

All surrounding counties — Chesterfield, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, Louisa and New Kent — scored over the 70 percent mark. Hopewell, Petersburg and Richmond mostly scored under or near the 70 percent mark in all subjects, with the exception being history and science for Hopewell.

The VDOE noted that achievement is up on all of the mathematics tests since the introduction of the more challenging assessments in 2011-2012. Statewide, 74 percent of students passed the mathematics assessment for their grade level or course. That’s compared with 71 percent the previous year,  during 2012-2013.

Students posted gains on eight of the nine individual grade-level and end-of-course mathematics SOL tests, with the biggest increases in grades 4, 5, 7, 8, Algebra I and Algebra II.

The division-level pass rates test that combine all of the SOL tests by subject area, for the surrounding cities and counties,  are listed below.  The scores of all Virginia divisions can be found using this handy Richmond Times-Dispatch database.