Standards Of Learning Results 2022: How Falls Church Schools Performed

FALLS CHURCH, VA — The Virginia Department of Education released Standards of Learning standardized test results for 2022 Thursday showing some improvements from last year's scores but lower numbers than pre-pandemic testing. Falls Church City Public Schools was a top performer in the commonwealth, becoming the only school district to earn either first or second place pass rates for all five key subjects.

The FCCPS pass rate of 92 percent for reading was ranked first in Virginia. By comparison, the state average was a 73 percent pass rate. The school division's pass rate is up from 90 percent in 2021, which reflects reduced student participation due to COVID-19 impacts to testing.

FCCPS also ranked first for science with an 88 percent pass rate compared to a state average of 65 percent. The pass rate in 2021 for FCCPS was 83 percent, which reflects reduced student participation.

The school division ranked second for writing (89 percent pass rate), history (89 percent pass rate) and math (87 percent pass rate). The pass rates in Virginia were 65 percent in writing, 66 percent in history and 66 percent in math.

"This is evidence that despite the pandemic challenges, we found ways to meet the needs of the vast majority of the students we serve," said Superintendent Peter Noonan in a statement. "While our achievements in the aggregate are excellent, we have a way to go to ensure true equity for all of our students. We look forward to continuing our work on behalf of all students."

Similar to the state as a whole, there are some disparities in results between student groups.

For reading, the results were:

• Asian students, 97 percent pass rate in 2022, up from 87 percent in 2021
• White students: 95 percent pass rate, up from 94 percent
• Black students: 76 percent pass rate, down from 85 percent
• Hispanic students: 74 percent pass rate, up from 70 percent
• Students with disabilities: 68 percent pass rate, no change from 68 percent
• Economically disadvantaged students: 64 percent pass rate, up from 59 percent
• English learners: 54 percent pass rate, up from 39 percent

Each of these groups had improvements in reading since the 2021 test, except for Black students, which saw an 85 percent pass rate fall to 76 percent.

In math, however, all student groups improved in the math pass rate:

• Asian students, 95 percent pass rate in 2022, up from 87 percent in 2021
• White students: 91 percent pass rate, up from 88 percent
• Black students: 65 percent pass rate, up from 56 percent
• Hispanic students: 67 percent pass rate, up from 61 percent
• Students with disabilities: 56 percent pass rate, up from 49 percent
• Economically disadvantaged students: 59 percent pass rate, up from 47 percent
• English learners: 53 percent pass rate, up from 41 percent

"We are pleased with these numbers, but especially by the growth of all our student groups," said Peter Weilenmann, director of assessment and accountability for FCCPS. "It is a tribute to their hard work and commitment to learning in the challenge of the pandemic. The results are also helpful in pointing out areas needing improvement, and we will continue to sharpen our focus on closing all gaps."

On the state level, Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Department of Education pointed to the impact of school closures as a factor in SOL results. All 132 school divisions in Virginia were back to in-person learning in the 2021-2022 school year and normal testing levels for the 2022 SOL. In 2021, SOL tests were impacted by testing opt-outs granted to students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. SOL testing had been canceled in the 2019-2020 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"When we compare the 2021-2022 data with achievement in 2020-2021 — when the majority of our students were learning remotely or on hybrid schedules — we can see the difference our teachers made once they were reunited with their students in their classrooms," said Superintendent of Public Instruction Jillian Balow in a statement. "I want to thank all of our teachers for everything they did last year to begin what will be a multiyear recovery effort."

However, the Virginia Department of Education noted changes in pass rates between 2021-2022 and 2018-2019, the last time Virginia had regular SOL testing participation. The overall pass rate in math for all students fell from 82 percent in 2019 to 66 percent in 2022. The percentage drops were even higher for some student groups — 70 percent to 49 percent for Black students, 74 percent to 53 percent for Hispanic students, 72 percent to 52 percent for economically disadvantaged students, and 59 percent to 36 percent for English learners.

The percentage drop for reading was less significant, as the Virginia Board of Education had introduced less rigorous proficiency standards starting with the 2021 test. For all students, the reading pass rate fell from 78 percent in 2019 to 73 percent in 2022.

"Had the board retained the pre-pandemic level of rigor on the reading SOLs, we would be looking at less recovery in reading," said Balow.

The Virginia Department of Education plans to launch individualized progress reports this fall for students in grades 1 to 8. According to the department, the reports will show parents or guardians where their students are succeeding and falling behind. The reports will be piloted in selected school divisions before becoming available statewide.

SOL results are available on the School Quality Profile for Falls Church City Public Schools.