Fairfax Schools See Decline In Writing, History: Standards Of Learning

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated who is the superintendent of the school system.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — While Fairfax County Public Schools saw little change in the 2023-2024 Standards of Learning standardized tests in some subjects, FCPS saw declines in English Writing and History performance.

According to Virginia Department of Education data released Tuesday, the English reading pass rate for FCPS was 78 percent, which was unchanged from the last year. The math pass rate was 76 percent, one point up from the last year. Only 28 percent of students were passing English writing, nearly half of the 57 percent posted last year, which was down from 78 percent during the 2021-2022 school year. In history/social science, FCPS students scored 41 percent, which was down from 62 percent the previous school year. FCPS had a 73 percent pass rate for science, up one point from last year.

With the exception of English Writing and History, the pass rates across FCPS were higher than the state average in all subjects. The state averages were 73 percent in English reading, 71 percent in math, 76 percent in English writing, 65 percent in history/social science, and 68 percent in science.

"We know that when we are intentional about funding and supporting public education, great things can happen," said Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid in a statement. "We still have work to do, but I am proud of everything our dedicated educators have accomplished to get us where we are today."

While reading, mathematics, and science Standards of Learning (SOL) tests are required under the Every Student Succeeds Act, writing and history SOL exams are optional. In school year 2023-24, as in prior years, the vast majority of FCPS students took local alternative assessments in writing and history instead of the SOL exams, a school district spokesperson said.

A small subset of students chose to take the SOL exams in writing and history (110 students in writing and 474 in history).

More than 18,000 students took state Board-approved substitute exams in 2023-24 with pass rates at 96% or above for writing, the district said. Pass rates for required reading, mathematics, and science SOL exams remain consistent with, or slightly higher than, previous school years.

For example, in 2023-24, 4,995 students took an AP English exam. 96% of those students attained a score qualifying for verified credit in writing.

"Any suggestion that Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) students are failing in any required area is false," the district spokesperson said. "Our district-wide averages in reading, math, and science remain higher than the state averages."

Statewide, Gov. Glenn Youngkin's office said the SOL results reflected the start of learning recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall pass rate in math increased from 69 percent to 71 percent. The English reading pass rate remained the same at 73 percent.

"Today’s promising data shows that when we have high expectations for our students, teachers and schools, they meet them when using proven approaches and tools," said Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera. "We know what works. Every school in the Commonwealth must know and understand each student’s academic progress and mastery and provide tailored supports and teaching that will put every student on track to succeed in life."

According to the Virginia Department of Education, 70 percent of school divisions showed improvements in third to eighth grade reading scores, 10.7 percent maintained scores, and 19.1 percent had declines. In third to eighth grade math, 75 percent of school divisions saw score improvements, 4.6 percent maintained scores and 19.8 percent had declines.

In high school, the math pass rate increased from 81 percent to 84 percent. However, the reading pass rate declined from 85 percent to 84 percent.

Most FCPS student subgroups had gains in reading and math. Students with disabilities had a reading pass rate was unchanged at 51 percent and the math pass rate increased from 48 percent to 50 percent. Economically disadvantaged students' reading pass rate increased slightly from 56 to 60 percent, and the math pass rate also increased from 55 percent to 56 percent. English learners had an improvement in math from 41 to 42 percent, but the reading pass rate declined stayed flat at 31 percent.

"We are encouraged by the overall improvement in SOL scores across the division, and we will remain dedicated to addressing the unique needs of each student," said Ashley Ellis, chief academic officer at LCPS. "This includes providing targeted academic interventions and support systems for our English Learners and students with disabilities. LCPS will continue to focus on ensuring that every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential."

Chronic Absenteeism and Other State Education Focuses

Along with SOL results, the Virginia Department of Education provided an update on another statewide focus: chronic absenteeism. Youngkin's office reiterated the benefits of regular school attendance, as chronically absent students (attending less than 90 percent of the school year) performed 19 percentage points below other students in reading and 26 points below in math.

Statewide, the rate of chronic absenteeism fell from 19.3 percent to 16.1 percent, with 40,974 fewer students chronically absent in the last school year. Virginia K-12 students collectively had 1,276,522 less absent days to allow 8,935,654 more hours of instruction, according to a Virginia Department of Education estimate.

The state is running an All in VA initiative through the 2025-2026 school year to address learning loss through high-intensity tutoring, extended time for tutoring, summer programs and personalized supplemental math and reading resources. The initiative also focuses on reducing chronic absenteeism with a Chronic Absenteeism Task Force, an action kit for divisions and other strategies.

The Virginia Department of Education is also accelerating the implementation of the Virginia Literary Act in kindergarten to third grade to support early literacy. The state initiative includes new instructional strategies for literacy and requires additional professional development for teachers.