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Virginia Board of Education Committee on School and Division Accountability October 16, 2019

Discussion of Potential Solutions to Testing Concerns Related to the 2017 Standards of Accreditation. Virginia Board of Education Committee on School and Division Accountability October 16, 2019. Review of SOA Changes to Reduce Testing Requirements for Students.

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Virginia Board of Education Committee on School and Division Accountability October 16, 2019

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  1. Discussion of Potential Solutions to Testing Concerns Related to the 2017 Standards of Accreditation Virginia Board of Education Committee on School and Division Accountability October 16, 2019

  2. Review of SOA Changes to Reduce Testing Requirements for Students • Changes in the 2017 Standards of Accreditation (SOA) resulted in students taking fewer EOC tests. • Students only take EOC tests if they are needed for verified credit or to meet federal accountability requirements. This change applies to all students regardless of graduation cohort • Fewer verified credits needed for graduation for first time ninth graders in 2018-2019 and beyond.

  3. Changes to Verified Credit Requirements: First Time Ninth Graders in 2018-2019 and Beyond • Standard diploma reduced from 6 to 5 verified credits • Advanced diploma reduced from 9 to 5 verified credits

  4. Requirements for Verified CreditsUnder 2017 SOA • To earn a verified credit in mathematics, reading, science, and history, students must earn a standard credit and achieve one of the following: • Pass an SOL end-of-course test OR • Earn a locally awarded verified credit OR • Earn an acceptable score on a Board-approved substitute test • In addition to the options for earning a verified credit listed above, school divisions may verify credits in WRITING through a local performance assessment • Additional information regarding the use of local performance assessments to verify credits in writing is included in the Guidelines for the Use of Local Performance Assessments for Verifying Credits in Writingapproved by the Board of Education on September 20, 2018.

  5. 2019 Appropriations Act Authority: § 22.1-253.13:3, sections C and E, Code of Virginia; P.L. 107-110, Federal Code. D. …In establishing graduation requirements, the State Board of Education shall require students to earn one verified credit in history and social science. Such verified credit shall be earned only by (i) the successful completion of a Board-developed end-of-course Standards of Learning assessment; (ii) achievement of a passing score on a Board-approved standardized test administered on a statewide, multistate, or international basis that measures content that incorporates or exceeds the Standards of Learning content in the course for which the verified credit is given; or (iii) achievement of criteria for the receipt of a locally awarded verified credit from the local school board in accordance with criteria established in Board guidelines when the student has not passed a corresponding Standards of Learning assessment. Such end-of-course Standards of Learning assessment shall not be a performance-based assessment.

  6. Locally Awarded Verified Credits To be eligible to earn a locally awarded verified credit in English, mathematics, science, or history/social science, a student must: • Pass the high school course, • Score within a 375-399 scale score range on any administration of the Standards of Learning test after taking the test at least twice, and • Demonstrate achievement in the academic content through an appeal process administered at the local level. • See the attachment to Supt’s Memo #130-18, Revised Guidance Governing the Use of Locally-Awarded Verified Credits,for additional details on the appeal process.

  7. Use of Locally Awarded Verified Credits (LAVC)

  8. Continued Availability of Credit Accommodations for Standard Diploma • Available to students with disabilities • MUST be addressed in IEP or 504 plan. Access to credit accommodations is not automatic. • No cap on the number of locally awarded verified credits that can be earned for a standard diploma. • Additional information may be found at www.doe.virginia.gov/instruction/graduation/credit_accommodations.shtml

  9. Current Concerns • Impact of SOA language on SOL EOC tests taken to earn verified credits and to meet federal testing requirements • Impact on reported pass rates for certain tests because there are few test takers

  10. Excerpt from 2017 SOA (red text added for emphasis) E. Each student in middle and secondary schools shall take all applicable end-of-course SOL tests following course instruction. The division superintendent shall certify to the Department of Education that the division's policy for dropping courses ensures that students' course schedules are not changed to avoid end-of-course SOL tests. Students who achieve a passing score on an end-of-course SOL test shall be awarded a verified unit of credit in that course in accordance with the provisions of 8VAC20-131-110. Students may earn verified units of credit in any courses for which end-of-course SOL tests are available. Students shall not be required to take an end-of-course SOL test in an academic subject after they have earned the number of verified credits required for that academic content area for graduation, unless such test is necessary in order for the school to meet federal accountability requirements. ….

  11. April 2019 Discussion on Phasing Out Certain SOL EOC Test to Address Concerns • Science • Earth Science • Chemistry • History • World History to 1500 • World History: 1500 to the Present • World Geography

  12. Standards of Quality: State Assessment Program § 22.1-253.13:3. Standard 3. Accreditation, other standards, assessments, and releases from state regulations. C. With such funds as are available for this purpose,the Board of Education shall prescribe assessment methods to determine the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives by all students. Such assessments shall evaluate knowledge, application of knowledge, critical thinking, and skills related to the Standards of Learning being assessed. …..The Board shall include in the student outcome measures that are required by the Standards for Accreditation end-of-course or end-of-grade assessments for various grade levels and classes, including the completion of the alternative assessments implemented by each local school board, in accordance with the Standards of Learning. These assessments shall include end-of-course or end-of-grade tests for English, mathematics, science, and history and social science and may be integrated to include multiple subject areas. ….The Standards of Learning assessments administered to students in grades three through eight shall not exceed (a) reading and mathematics in grades three and four; (b) reading, mathematics, and science in grade five; (c) reading and mathematics in grades six and seven; (d) reading, writing, and mathematics in grade eight; (e) science after the student receives instruction in the grade six science, life science, and physical science Standards of Learning and before the student completes grade eight; and (f) Virginia Studies and Civics and Economics once each at the grade levels deemed appropriate by each local school board.

  13. Possible Phase Out of Certain SOL EOC Tests Shaded cells - indicate tests required by ESSA *While Virginia has identified Algebra I as the mathematics test used for federal accountability for high school students , the Geometry or Algebra II tests may be used by students who have passed the EOC Algebra I test in middle school to meet federal testing requirements.

  14. Issues to Consider • Availability of EOC tests to meet graduation requirements • Limitations on number of locally awarded verified credits that can be used

  15. Potential Impact of Phasing Out Tests on Graduation

  16. Students Graduating with Standard or Advanced Studies Diplomas (2018 Cohort) Test: Virginia and U.S. History

  17. Students Graduating with Standard or Advanced Studies Diplomas (2018 Cohort) Test: Biology

  18. Students Graduating with Standard or Advanced Studies Diplomas (2018 Cohort) Test: Virginia and U.S. History AND Biology

  19. Use of Locally Awarded Verified Credits (LAVC)

  20. Feedback on Possible Phase Out of SOL Tests • Superintendents • Special Education Directors • Committee of Practitioners • Virginia ESL Supervisors Association • Division Directors of Testing • History/Social Science Curriculum Specialists and Teachers • Science Curriculum Specialists and Teachers

  21. Questions Used in Collecting Feedback • What are potential opportunities offered by the phasing out of these tests? • What are the challenges? • Are there other actions that would be necessary if the tests are phased out? • Other comments/thoughts?

  22. Feedback “Themes”

  23. Another Potential Solution: Board Opens SOA and Revises • Requires students to take the tests needed for federal accountability (reading, Biology, and end-of-course math as appropriate) • Other tests administered only if needed for verified credit • Eliminates requirement for students to take EOC SOL tests until they have earned a verified credit in the subject area. • Retains SOL EOC tests for students who need them for verified credit • Addresses current limits on number of locally awarded verified credits that can be earned • Regulatory process would not allow immediate change

  24. Board Discussion

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