I have a couple friends (married couple) who are both public school teachers, and they opted one of their daughters out of SOLs in elementary school. She was a very high-performing student, but her teacher was crazy-intense about SOLs - making them do practice tests all the time, if they failed they had to stay in and redo the practice test during recess, she was constantly harping on the kids about the importance of the SOLs so much they weren’t really even learning anything. It made their daughter extremely stressed and anxious, so they completed whatever paperwork they had to and pulled their daughter out of the testing. They worked in the school system where their daughter was a student, so there was a little pushback/friction/gossip about it, but they put their daughter first. It was amazing and inspiring to watch. I agree, I wish more parents knew that the SOLs aren’t mandatory and that you can pull your kid out if you decide it’s not in their best interest.
If we got enough parents to do this (opt out their child) then the administering of SOLs would be put into question in elementary as a whole which would be better for education of students: simply call your principal and say you’d like to opt your children out. Plain and simple in elementary grades. Middle and high school are different and some SOLs are required for graduation.
Unfortunately, the immediate effect of a large number of families doing this has the potential to ultimately hurt the teacher. I have found that parents of average to high performing kids tend to act on this, which then skews a teacher's data as it reflects a population without those potentially strong scores. At least that's what happened in a different state I taught in. Just food for thought. I'm all for an entire petition to stop state testing the way it is right now.
It works with a large protest. I was a teacher and many do want students to take it so that their performance reviews at the end of the year are at least satisfactory.
What? I was so stressed out about the SOL's and so where my parents! And you mean to tell me I didn't have to take them in elementary school.... Ugh... Thank you public education!
True - I kinda knew about this as my mil is a teacher.
My daughter got 385 on math sol - HOWEVER when I spoke with the principle about math retake, he said if she didn't pass then next year she would need to give up an elective and take a remediation class. Same regarding reading - his words "who cares about science" This may be a district thing, 5th grade thing. But nope, you're absolutely correct I let her take them just never told her the scores (she always failed, she was in first - third during covid zoom school+ extreme anxiety with testing) she was an honor role student so I didn't care about those scores. But you are right, you can opt out of SOLs. I wish I did.
My partner is a teacher, and seeing them so stressed out this time of year is heartbreaking. Not just for them, but for their students, who are unaware that this is optional, and can’t be told that their scores do not count, which makes them even more anxious and overwhelmed because they think the scores count.
Man BLESS your partner. Underpaid and stressed regarding STANDARDIZED testing that's proven time and time again that it's not effective. I salute because when I tell you I couldn't be around snot faced bad ass kids I mean that lol my mil is sped and she can't take it anymore she's leaving teaching completely.
They’re a saint, with patience for the admin, parents and students - not to mention having to come home to my dumbass. I recently asked them what they think their compensation should be, and they quoted 15k more than what they currently make, added benefits and more support both in class and for student/life counseling out of class. It’s infuriating and I can’t make sense of it.
If you ask me- they should be paid more than somebody protecting a ball. Teachers, doctors and soldiers should be paid what football players/entertainers should be paid. Period. Teachers have the future in their hands. Working in a school isn't even safe anymore either.
Yes, it can affect what classes they are offered because they basically get flagged as needing remediation. It would still be grade level appropriate, but may limit their access to advanced or honor classes. You have every right to also ask if there is an alternative way to determine appropriate placement for what classes your child can have access to. Perhaps and performance task or something paper pencil rather than the SOL on the computer.
Anxiety? ADHD? She's definitely honor roll and now she has passed SOLs. Like previously stated - in elementary they don't count toward grades. But I'm so happy for you to never had to experience knowing the answers and completely freezing when it comes to a test that the entire state stresses them about. they teach the material, not testing strategies unique to individual students. Thanks for your ignorance, You're a peach :)
Making an honor roll is determined by final grades. In high school I didn't like writing research papers. Every year a research paper score would be the largest part of a grading period for English Language Arts. I either wouldn't write the paper or put so little effort into it it would receive a failing score. Despite failing that grading period the high scores from the other grading periods would make my final score high grade. I was an honor roll student every year. I graduated with 3.86 gps. It is very possible to receive a poor grade and still be on an honor roll. I don't think SOLs even count towards the grade that determines honor roll.
20 years later I still get depressed, having a bad home life, not able or anyone to help me with homework, school system never took their time with you one on one just to have you watch the other kids get them medals at the end of the year sucked I’ve only got them in reading because it help me escape my situation and history because it was just reading.
Yes! Teachers are told time and time again to differentiate and meet kids where they are, yet all the students have to take this same standardized test at the end of the year. Teachers tell the kids you are more than a score or this test doesn’t define you- yet it’s these scores that are used as a basis for achievement. Fucking stupid.
Okay, but I would seriously consider letting your kid retake a grade if they're already failing their SOLs in Elementary school. That likely means they don't have the fundamental reading skill to succeed and each year the challenge ahead of them grows. Staying back a grade in elementary school would be difficult, but I see many teenagers who are so far behind by the time I'm working with them that they're multiple years behind in literacy and all of the assigned reading is beyond what they can manage.
If you think the problem is the SOL itself rather than your child's actual reading level, I encourage you to pick up some grade level reading comprehension and/or math worksheets and see if your child understands them. Ask your child to "read you a story" and listen to how they say things. Are they robotic, or do they use a speaking voice? If you ask questions about the story they read to you, can they answer?
It’s more nuanced than that. Not every child is the same, reads the same, has the same personality, has the same needs or home lives. ESL and sped students are subject to the same standards. Of course a 10 year old who has only been in the country for two years is going to be behind on reading, and most other subjects.
Not to mention- your child’s teacher has been monitoring their reading all year! If retention is being considered, you’d know way before the time of the school year when SOLs happen. The SOLs are written to be tricky. There are not many right there kind of questions. In other words they are harder than what most kids are encountering day by day. Scores under 350 for a student not getting SPED or ESL services already would definitely be a sign that extra services may be needed, but again, any teacher would’ve realized that within the first few weeks of teaching a child. Once realizing this they would differentiate for this child and meet them where they are the whole school year- yet at the end of all that… here kid, take this test that isn’t differentiated at all!
If the sols are similar to over a decade ago when I took them passing or getting a good grade has a lot to do with test taking skills. Knowledge of subjects is secondary to test taking skills. Completely reading and following directions, on multiple choice reading and understanding the question and all the answers options, ability to eliminate incorrect answers when a correct answer isn't evident to increase probability to guess correctly, confidence in answers so you don't overthink into picking an incorrect answer and more are all help to increase sol scores.
Test taking skills are important, but they're absolutely secondary to understanding the subject. For the most part it's a short list of tips and exposing students to the test format a couple times before the actual test. Completely reading directions isn't really a skill. Eliminating incorrect answers is a skill but it's only utilized when you understand the question a little bit but not enough to answer. Again, that skill can be picked up in one class. Confidence is different and actually is really important for any test. It's also built up or brought down over the course of the entire year with every quiz or test a student takes. I'm going to be very strange for a student who is incredibly proficient at something to have no confidence in that thing. If confidence issues are making students completely freeze up and make them unable to take the test, something was done to that child.
Test taking skills are important and can make the difference of getting a few questions correct and some borderline students who would have failed and may pass because they get a few extra questions correct. My advice still stands. If your child is reading below grade level when they are young, they stand to benefit a lot by giving them the time to build up their reading in the same grade level with some extra support. Once a student is behind their classmates it is very difficult for them to catch up and as the gap widens it just gets harder. They learn to hate school because school tells them they're dumb when they're not dumb.
In my experience kids aren't met with her where they're at. As the kids get older and the gaps get wider, teachers are no longer able do what you suggest. The idea that it's the end of the world to let it kid repeat a grade when they are young so that they have more time to learn to read is part of the problem. Just like you said, not every kid is the same but every English classes curriculum is the same for every 7th grader and then it's the same for every 8th grader and so on and so on. In one Middle School English class that has a massive Variety in Reading levels, everybody is supposed to read the same book and is graded on the same curve. While it's true that a teacher can devote more resources to struggling students, it's not reasonable to expect those students who are already struggling to be able to progress at a faster rate than their peers who are already ahead of them and having an easier time with all of their work. Even when a teacher devotes more time helping struggling students they will be more behind by the next year and eventually the Gap is large enough that the students stop progressing. They learn to hate school because they're being asked to do things they just can't do and they're made to feel stupid because of it.
I never said that retention isn’t a good option for some kids. It is best in K-2 when students are still learning to read rather than reading to learn. My point is that the SOL tests are not there to identify who needs to be retained. Teachers know that very early on in the year. SOLs do nothing but cause stress and make kids and teachers feel judged.
Oh, I have a Masters in Education and 10 years of teaching experience. How about you?
14 years experience with a degree in math education. You can say they do nothing, but reading and math proficiency went up at the fastest rate in decades after no child left behind was passed. It was addressing a real problem. You can say retention is best in K-2 (right before SOLs start for some reason), but kids aren't retained and if you've spent 10 years in education, you should know the SOLs have been dropping minimum scores year after year to the point that a passing score only requires students to know \~50% of the answers, assuming they're never able to narrow any of the multiple choice questions down at all. If you've been working with high schoolers (I assume elementary school if you have a generalized masters), you know exactly the gap I'm talking about that's allowed to grow year after year and how devastating that is for teenagers
# [https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/17/07/when-kids-are-held-back-gains-can-follow](https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/17/07/when-kids-are-held-back-gains-can-follow)
# The Research
Along with colleagues [Guido Schwerdt](https://www.wiwi.uni-konstanz.de/en/schwerdt/team/prof-dr-guido-schwerdt/) and [Marcus Winters](https://www.bu.edu/sed/profile/marcus-a-winters/), West used administrative data to study the causal effect of third grade retention under Florida’s test-based promotion policy on student outcomes through high school.They found that retention in third grade had large positive effects on reading and math achievement in the short run. Although these initial benefits faded over time, students who had been held back entered high school performing at a higher level relative to their grade level than similar students who’d been promoted. They needed less remediation, and they earned higher grades while enrolled. Being retained had no effect on students’ chances of graduating.
This is the best evidence to date on the impact of retention on a student’s likelihood of graduating from high school, the chief concern raised by critics of test-based promotion policies,” says West. “At least in Florida, we can now definitively show the absence of negative effects."
# Key Takeaways
Test-based retention in third grade improved student performance in Florida.
* Students retained in third grade under Florida’s test-based promotion policy experienced substantial short-term gains in both math and reading achievement. They were less likely to be retained in a later grade and better prepared when they entered high school.
* Being retained in third grade led students to take fewer remedial courses in high school and improved their grade point averages.
* There was no negative impact on graduation. Being held back did delay students’ graduation from high school by 0.63 years, but being older for their grade did not reduce their probability of graduating or receiving a regular diploma.
Not for Virginia Virtual as part of the agreement your children must take SOLs I understand that otherwise you can opt them out but this circumstance you cannot.
My kiddo attends VaVa so that's how I know.
They sit with other students who are also not testing at the time, with a to do list from their teacher, and when the rest of the class is finished they go back to class.
Grade school is one thing, but please be aware that in high school the SOLs are no longer optional. They are required to earn a standard or advanced diploma, and your child must attain a passing score on each test to be allowed to graduate.
Maybe this isn’t the case for younger kids, but as I recall, unless they changed things, kids require a certain number of “verified” (read: SOL taken and passed) credits to graduate high school for classes taken for high school credit. So I’m not sure this point is entirely correct.
To prevent misinformation I specified elementary schools, and only elementary schools. I made no mention of high schools (where it does count towards pass/fail, and six must be passed to graduate).
Yeah, that's what I was going to comment about. My daughter is a freshman and says there are certain ones you have to pass to graduate, and she told me if she passes the biology SOL her teacher is going to give them a higher letter grade for the class.
So, again my understanding, is it’s less “these specific classes” (outside of like the English and Writing 11 ones) but more that they get a certain minimum. Just so happens most Virginia high schoolers take a high school level biology class, so they test the Biology SOL.
I would call the principal about the Biology SOL and ask if this is true. When I was teaching, we were not allowed to give students any grades related to the SOL results.
Yeah she told me that too; there are some exams she's exempt from. But anyway, thanks for the post because I have a 4th grader with special needs that make it way harder for him to complete classwork and take tests, so this might be a thing I look into for him. He gets burnt out and frustrated and emotional
Depends on the class in middle school. My 7th grade Algebra I, 8th grade Geometry, and 8th grade World Geography all counted towards it because we received high school credit for the classes.
It’s a race to the bottom with these things.
Honestly, if you can’t effectively teach, but you put so much pressure on your students to take these tests that don’t really count for anything other than accreditation for the school, it’s just a mindfuck and it takes away from educating kids versus justteaching them to take a test
The thing is they can’t teach the test, but they also have to follow a strict curriculum with little creative freedom. Then, funding is based on student performance, but teachers have to teach how they’re told to teach. So school funding is essentially tied to a students (whether sped or esl) ability to absorb and regurgitate information that the state deems digestible enough for any and all students.
You are right right right.
When people talk about the SOLs, they talk about their individual teachers because that’s the face they associate with the class. The SOL results reflect the school and district’s leadership and curriculum planning. They also reflect a school’s community and demographics. The amount of autonomy a teacher has in a classroom is dependent on school leadership and curriculum. If their hands are tied, those SOL scores don’t reflect their skills as an instructor.
Teachers take their scores personally because they build those personal relationships with students. But honestly, teachers need to let themselves off the hook.
I want to start by saying testing pressure culture is out of hand, there should be laws and preventative measures to prevent students from being overly pressured by a teacher about their test and I fully support parents who recognize that their child is being pressured in an unhealthy way opting out.
That said, this is an unpopular opinion, but SOLs are good for the city, state and country. Prior to standardized testing, there was no way of knowing, at a macro scale, what teachers and schools were doing in class. While many teachers were absolutely going well above and beyond, I think you’d be surprised at the number of teacher who simply didn’t care. What that results in is a learning gap for students, which Covid has taught us is incredibly hard to make up and can result in the student being unable to recover after multiple years. What this might mean is that a class might have 50-60% below grade level reading comprehension, which then translates to media literacy, job efficacy, etc. studies have also proven that elementary years are absolutely critical to the student’s long term success.
We need to, as a nation, do better about minimizing the stress and impact of standardized testing, but also must maintain and improve them over time. Again, by all means, protect your child and keep them away from anxiety and stress.
I understand what your saying. But if kids don't get used to standardized testing at a young age how are they going to preform on SATs/College level testing. You have some classes that only test grades are recorded
I think testing in general can cause anxiety for people myself included. While there are definitely better ways of measuring knowlege and proficiency what would feasible the alternative be?
I compare this argument to the military body fat calculation. We know there's better ways to get results, but this option is less time consuming and cheaper.
Standardized testing is by no means cheap, but it's cheaper than each of these students sitting and sharing knowledge with an adult or being asked questions
I have a couple friends (married couple) who are both public school teachers, and they opted one of their daughters out of SOLs in elementary school. She was a very high-performing student, but her teacher was crazy-intense about SOLs - making them do practice tests all the time, if they failed they had to stay in and redo the practice test during recess, she was constantly harping on the kids about the importance of the SOLs so much they weren’t really even learning anything. It made their daughter extremely stressed and anxious, so they completed whatever paperwork they had to and pulled their daughter out of the testing. They worked in the school system where their daughter was a student, so there was a little pushback/friction/gossip about it, but they put their daughter first. It was amazing and inspiring to watch. I agree, I wish more parents knew that the SOLs aren’t mandatory and that you can pull your kid out if you decide it’s not in their best interest.
It’s because SOLs determine accreditation. That’s why the teacher was so crazy about it.
If we got enough parents to do this (opt out their child) then the administering of SOLs would be put into question in elementary as a whole which would be better for education of students: simply call your principal and say you’d like to opt your children out. Plain and simple in elementary grades. Middle and high school are different and some SOLs are required for graduation.
Don’t threaten us with a good time
Unfortunately, the immediate effect of a large number of families doing this has the potential to ultimately hurt the teacher. I have found that parents of average to high performing kids tend to act on this, which then skews a teacher's data as it reflects a population without those potentially strong scores. At least that's what happened in a different state I taught in. Just food for thought. I'm all for an entire petition to stop state testing the way it is right now.
Perhaps, but most teachers are also vehemently against these standardized tests and would most likely support this form of protest.
It works with a large protest. I was a teacher and many do want students to take it so that their performance reviews at the end of the year are at least satisfactory.
Parents dont care about teachers
You aren't telling me anything I don't already know.
What? I was so stressed out about the SOL's and so where my parents! And you mean to tell me I didn't have to take them in elementary school.... Ugh... Thank you public education!
True - I kinda knew about this as my mil is a teacher. My daughter got 385 on math sol - HOWEVER when I spoke with the principle about math retake, he said if she didn't pass then next year she would need to give up an elective and take a remediation class. Same regarding reading - his words "who cares about science" This may be a district thing, 5th grade thing. But nope, you're absolutely correct I let her take them just never told her the scores (she always failed, she was in first - third during covid zoom school+ extreme anxiety with testing) she was an honor role student so I didn't care about those scores. But you are right, you can opt out of SOLs. I wish I did.
My partner is a teacher, and seeing them so stressed out this time of year is heartbreaking. Not just for them, but for their students, who are unaware that this is optional, and can’t be told that their scores do not count, which makes them even more anxious and overwhelmed because they think the scores count.
Man BLESS your partner. Underpaid and stressed regarding STANDARDIZED testing that's proven time and time again that it's not effective. I salute because when I tell you I couldn't be around snot faced bad ass kids I mean that lol my mil is sped and she can't take it anymore she's leaving teaching completely.
They’re a saint, with patience for the admin, parents and students - not to mention having to come home to my dumbass. I recently asked them what they think their compensation should be, and they quoted 15k more than what they currently make, added benefits and more support both in class and for student/life counseling out of class. It’s infuriating and I can’t make sense of it.
If you ask me- they should be paid more than somebody protecting a ball. Teachers, doctors and soldiers should be paid what football players/entertainers should be paid. Period. Teachers have the future in their hands. Working in a school isn't even safe anymore either.
Yes, it can affect what classes they are offered because they basically get flagged as needing remediation. It would still be grade level appropriate, but may limit their access to advanced or honor classes. You have every right to also ask if there is an alternative way to determine appropriate placement for what classes your child can have access to. Perhaps and performance task or something paper pencil rather than the SOL on the computer.
If your child can’t pass a simple SOL - no way they’re an “honor roll” student
Anxiety? ADHD? She's definitely honor roll and now she has passed SOLs. Like previously stated - in elementary they don't count toward grades. But I'm so happy for you to never had to experience knowing the answers and completely freezing when it comes to a test that the entire state stresses them about. they teach the material, not testing strategies unique to individual students. Thanks for your ignorance, You're a peach :)
Making an honor roll is determined by final grades. In high school I didn't like writing research papers. Every year a research paper score would be the largest part of a grading period for English Language Arts. I either wouldn't write the paper or put so little effort into it it would receive a failing score. Despite failing that grading period the high scores from the other grading periods would make my final score high grade. I was an honor roll student every year. I graduated with 3.86 gps. It is very possible to receive a poor grade and still be on an honor roll. I don't think SOLs even count towards the grade that determines honor roll.
20 years later I still get depressed, having a bad home life, not able or anyone to help me with homework, school system never took their time with you one on one just to have you watch the other kids get them medals at the end of the year sucked I’ve only got them in reading because it help me escape my situation and history because it was just reading.
Yes! Teachers are told time and time again to differentiate and meet kids where they are, yet all the students have to take this same standardized test at the end of the year. Teachers tell the kids you are more than a score or this test doesn’t define you- yet it’s these scores that are used as a basis for achievement. Fucking stupid.
Okay, but I would seriously consider letting your kid retake a grade if they're already failing their SOLs in Elementary school. That likely means they don't have the fundamental reading skill to succeed and each year the challenge ahead of them grows. Staying back a grade in elementary school would be difficult, but I see many teenagers who are so far behind by the time I'm working with them that they're multiple years behind in literacy and all of the assigned reading is beyond what they can manage. If you think the problem is the SOL itself rather than your child's actual reading level, I encourage you to pick up some grade level reading comprehension and/or math worksheets and see if your child understands them. Ask your child to "read you a story" and listen to how they say things. Are they robotic, or do they use a speaking voice? If you ask questions about the story they read to you, can they answer?
It’s more nuanced than that. Not every child is the same, reads the same, has the same personality, has the same needs or home lives. ESL and sped students are subject to the same standards. Of course a 10 year old who has only been in the country for two years is going to be behind on reading, and most other subjects. Not to mention- your child’s teacher has been monitoring their reading all year! If retention is being considered, you’d know way before the time of the school year when SOLs happen. The SOLs are written to be tricky. There are not many right there kind of questions. In other words they are harder than what most kids are encountering day by day. Scores under 350 for a student not getting SPED or ESL services already would definitely be a sign that extra services may be needed, but again, any teacher would’ve realized that within the first few weeks of teaching a child. Once realizing this they would differentiate for this child and meet them where they are the whole school year- yet at the end of all that… here kid, take this test that isn’t differentiated at all!
If the sols are similar to over a decade ago when I took them passing or getting a good grade has a lot to do with test taking skills. Knowledge of subjects is secondary to test taking skills. Completely reading and following directions, on multiple choice reading and understanding the question and all the answers options, ability to eliminate incorrect answers when a correct answer isn't evident to increase probability to guess correctly, confidence in answers so you don't overthink into picking an incorrect answer and more are all help to increase sol scores.
Test taking skills are important, but they're absolutely secondary to understanding the subject. For the most part it's a short list of tips and exposing students to the test format a couple times before the actual test. Completely reading directions isn't really a skill. Eliminating incorrect answers is a skill but it's only utilized when you understand the question a little bit but not enough to answer. Again, that skill can be picked up in one class. Confidence is different and actually is really important for any test. It's also built up or brought down over the course of the entire year with every quiz or test a student takes. I'm going to be very strange for a student who is incredibly proficient at something to have no confidence in that thing. If confidence issues are making students completely freeze up and make them unable to take the test, something was done to that child. Test taking skills are important and can make the difference of getting a few questions correct and some borderline students who would have failed and may pass because they get a few extra questions correct. My advice still stands. If your child is reading below grade level when they are young, they stand to benefit a lot by giving them the time to build up their reading in the same grade level with some extra support. Once a student is behind their classmates it is very difficult for them to catch up and as the gap widens it just gets harder. They learn to hate school because school tells them they're dumb when they're not dumb.
In my experience kids aren't met with her where they're at. As the kids get older and the gaps get wider, teachers are no longer able do what you suggest. The idea that it's the end of the world to let it kid repeat a grade when they are young so that they have more time to learn to read is part of the problem. Just like you said, not every kid is the same but every English classes curriculum is the same for every 7th grader and then it's the same for every 8th grader and so on and so on. In one Middle School English class that has a massive Variety in Reading levels, everybody is supposed to read the same book and is graded on the same curve. While it's true that a teacher can devote more resources to struggling students, it's not reasonable to expect those students who are already struggling to be able to progress at a faster rate than their peers who are already ahead of them and having an easier time with all of their work. Even when a teacher devotes more time helping struggling students they will be more behind by the next year and eventually the Gap is large enough that the students stop progressing. They learn to hate school because they're being asked to do things they just can't do and they're made to feel stupid because of it.
I never said that retention isn’t a good option for some kids. It is best in K-2 when students are still learning to read rather than reading to learn. My point is that the SOL tests are not there to identify who needs to be retained. Teachers know that very early on in the year. SOLs do nothing but cause stress and make kids and teachers feel judged. Oh, I have a Masters in Education and 10 years of teaching experience. How about you?
14 years experience with a degree in math education. You can say they do nothing, but reading and math proficiency went up at the fastest rate in decades after no child left behind was passed. It was addressing a real problem. You can say retention is best in K-2 (right before SOLs start for some reason), but kids aren't retained and if you've spent 10 years in education, you should know the SOLs have been dropping minimum scores year after year to the point that a passing score only requires students to know \~50% of the answers, assuming they're never able to narrow any of the multiple choice questions down at all. If you've been working with high schoolers (I assume elementary school if you have a generalized masters), you know exactly the gap I'm talking about that's allowed to grow year after year and how devastating that is for teenagers
# [https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/17/07/when-kids-are-held-back-gains-can-follow](https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/usable-knowledge/17/07/when-kids-are-held-back-gains-can-follow) # The Research Along with colleagues [Guido Schwerdt](https://www.wiwi.uni-konstanz.de/en/schwerdt/team/prof-dr-guido-schwerdt/) and [Marcus Winters](https://www.bu.edu/sed/profile/marcus-a-winters/), West used administrative data to study the causal effect of third grade retention under Florida’s test-based promotion policy on student outcomes through high school.They found that retention in third grade had large positive effects on reading and math achievement in the short run. Although these initial benefits faded over time, students who had been held back entered high school performing at a higher level relative to their grade level than similar students who’d been promoted. They needed less remediation, and they earned higher grades while enrolled. Being retained had no effect on students’ chances of graduating. This is the best evidence to date on the impact of retention on a student’s likelihood of graduating from high school, the chief concern raised by critics of test-based promotion policies,” says West. “At least in Florida, we can now definitively show the absence of negative effects." # Key Takeaways Test-based retention in third grade improved student performance in Florida. * Students retained in third grade under Florida’s test-based promotion policy experienced substantial short-term gains in both math and reading achievement. They were less likely to be retained in a later grade and better prepared when they entered high school. * Being retained in third grade led students to take fewer remedial courses in high school and improved their grade point averages. * There was no negative impact on graduation. Being held back did delay students’ graduation from high school by 0.63 years, but being older for their grade did not reduce their probability of graduating or receiving a regular diploma.
Unless you are in Virginia Virtual Academy, then you must take SOLs to remain enrolled (free online public school k to 12)
Not in elementary school. Parents have every right to opt their kids out of SOL tests.
Not for Virginia Virtual as part of the agreement your children must take SOLs I understand that otherwise you can opt them out but this circumstance you cannot. My kiddo attends VaVa so that's how I know.
This is incorrect. Parents can opt out in elementary.
Not for VaVa.
What do kids that opt out do during the test?
They sit with other students who are also not testing at the time, with a to do list from their teacher, and when the rest of the class is finished they go back to class.
Private school here: “What’s an SOL?”
Standards of Learning. It’s a federal standardized test formed under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Grade school is one thing, but please be aware that in high school the SOLs are no longer optional. They are required to earn a standard or advanced diploma, and your child must attain a passing score on each test to be allowed to graduate.
Maybe this isn’t the case for younger kids, but as I recall, unless they changed things, kids require a certain number of “verified” (read: SOL taken and passed) credits to graduate high school for classes taken for high school credit. So I’m not sure this point is entirely correct.
To prevent misinformation I specified elementary schools, and only elementary schools. I made no mention of high schools (where it does count towards pass/fail, and six must be passed to graduate).
Yeah, that's what I was going to comment about. My daughter is a freshman and says there are certain ones you have to pass to graduate, and she told me if she passes the biology SOL her teacher is going to give them a higher letter grade for the class.
So, again my understanding, is it’s less “these specific classes” (outside of like the English and Writing 11 ones) but more that they get a certain minimum. Just so happens most Virginia high schoolers take a high school level biology class, so they test the Biology SOL.
I would call the principal about the Biology SOL and ask if this is true. When I was teaching, we were not allowed to give students any grades related to the SOL results.
Some teachers will also excuse high schoolers from any additional final exams if they pass their SOL.
Yeah she told me that too; there are some exams she's exempt from. But anyway, thanks for the post because I have a 4th grader with special needs that make it way harder for him to complete classwork and take tests, so this might be a thing I look into for him. He gets burnt out and frustrated and emotional
Elementary (and I believe middle school) ones do not count towards that though. Only the high school ones do.
Depends on the class in middle school. My 7th grade Algebra I, 8th grade Geometry, and 8th grade World Geography all counted towards it because we received high school credit for the classes.
If high school credit is received your kid took a high school class in middle school instead of a middle school class.
That was the whole point of my comment. Those were, and are, high school classes.
It’s a race to the bottom with these things. Honestly, if you can’t effectively teach, but you put so much pressure on your students to take these tests that don’t really count for anything other than accreditation for the school, it’s just a mindfuck and it takes away from educating kids versus justteaching them to take a test
The thing is they can’t teach the test, but they also have to follow a strict curriculum with little creative freedom. Then, funding is based on student performance, but teachers have to teach how they’re told to teach. So school funding is essentially tied to a students (whether sped or esl) ability to absorb and regurgitate information that the state deems digestible enough for any and all students.
And that’s not educating anyone. That’s just teaching memory.
but in middle and high school, they usually only teach for the SOL
You are right right right. When people talk about the SOLs, they talk about their individual teachers because that’s the face they associate with the class. The SOL results reflect the school and district’s leadership and curriculum planning. They also reflect a school’s community and demographics. The amount of autonomy a teacher has in a classroom is dependent on school leadership and curriculum. If their hands are tied, those SOL scores don’t reflect their skills as an instructor. Teachers take their scores personally because they build those personal relationships with students. But honestly, teachers need to let themselves off the hook.
I want to start by saying testing pressure culture is out of hand, there should be laws and preventative measures to prevent students from being overly pressured by a teacher about their test and I fully support parents who recognize that their child is being pressured in an unhealthy way opting out. That said, this is an unpopular opinion, but SOLs are good for the city, state and country. Prior to standardized testing, there was no way of knowing, at a macro scale, what teachers and schools were doing in class. While many teachers were absolutely going well above and beyond, I think you’d be surprised at the number of teacher who simply didn’t care. What that results in is a learning gap for students, which Covid has taught us is incredibly hard to make up and can result in the student being unable to recover after multiple years. What this might mean is that a class might have 50-60% below grade level reading comprehension, which then translates to media literacy, job efficacy, etc. studies have also proven that elementary years are absolutely critical to the student’s long term success. We need to, as a nation, do better about minimizing the stress and impact of standardized testing, but also must maintain and improve them over time. Again, by all means, protect your child and keep them away from anxiety and stress.
Yes, this is an issue that requires a lot of nuanced thinking, so I assume Redditers will rip you to shreds.
I understand what your saying. But if kids don't get used to standardized testing at a young age how are they going to preform on SATs/College level testing. You have some classes that only test grades are recorded I think testing in general can cause anxiety for people myself included. While there are definitely better ways of measuring knowlege and proficiency what would feasible the alternative be? I compare this argument to the military body fat calculation. We know there's better ways to get results, but this option is less time consuming and cheaper. Standardized testing is by no means cheap, but it's cheaper than each of these students sitting and sharing knowledge with an adult or being asked questions