Henrico students fall below state average in 4 of 5 SOL exams
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Henrico County public school students performed below the state average in four of the five subject areas on Virginia's Standards of Learning exams during the 2018-19 school year, according to data released today by the Virginia Department of Education.
Henrico students outpaced the state average only in science (with an 82 percent pass rate, compared to the state average of 81 percent). They trailed the state averages in reading (78 to 76 percent), writing (76 to 72), math (82 to 81) and history (80 to 79).
It was the second straight year that overall pass rates in Henrico dropped in reading, writing and history. The pass rate in science remained steady, while the math pass rate jump by five points; the state instituted new math tests at all levels.
Students take SOLs in all five subjects at the end of certain high-school level courses and also in grades 3-8 (reading and math), grades 3,5 and 8 (science and history) and grade 8 (writing).
Of the 31 individual tests taken by Henrico students across all grade levels last school year, pass rates decreased from the previous year in 17, increased in 13 and remained the same in one.
All but two of the higher scores came in math and science exams. Pass rates decreased in all but two of the 17 reading, writing and history exams.
The largest pass-rate increase on an individual test came on the eighth-grade math test (up from 57 percent to 69 percent.
The largest pass-rate decrease on an individual test came on the end of course Virginia and U.S. history exam (down from 85 percent to 63 percent).
Of the 66 Henrico schools at which SOLs were administered, nearly half (32) achieved a pass rate of 94 or higher on at least one exam.
Twelve schools – all in the West End – achieved pass rates of 94 or higher on five or more exams, led by Deep Run High School, which had nine such occurrences. The other 11 were Holman Middle (six), Kaechele Elementary (five), Moody Middle (five), Nuckols Farm Elementary (six), Pocahontas Middle (six), Shady Grove Elementary (six), Short Pump Elementary (five), Short Pump Middle (six), Tuckahoe Elementary (five), Tuckahoe Middle (six) and Twin Hickory Elementary (five).
