Newsroom

2021-22 SOL Results Released

For Immediate Release
Contact: Katherine Goff, Public Relations and Communications Officer
kgoff@ycsd.york.va.us
(757) 898-0391

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has released Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from the 2020-21 school year. The tests, which are required by federal law, were the first administered to students in two years. As state accreditation was waived for the 2021-22 school year, these results will not be used to establish school accreditation status. Instead, SOL data is intended to assist school divisions in identifying areas of unfinished learning and developing strategic steps to meet the varying needs of students. Data and results for the York County School Division (YCSD) are available on the VDOE website and on VDOE’s School Quality Profile reports.

The 2021-22 school year presented many challenges for YCSD and school systems across the state and country as students learned through virtual, hybrid and in-person instruction. Despite these challenges, approximately 93% of YCSD students participated in the federally mandated SOL tests last spring. “We are proud of our students’ resilience and adaptability during the 2020-21 school year, and we celebrate the hard work of our students, staff, and families,” shared Candi Skinner, the division’s chief academic officer.

While overall test results indicate our students’ SOL performance continues to surpass state averages, we recognize there is still a great deal of work to do across content areas to address unfinished learning. Most notably, in the area of mathematics, we have identified an increased need to provide students ongoing supports throughout the 2021-22 school year and beyond.

The spring SOL results will serve as just one of several diagnostic tools YCSD will use to help students grow and succeed following the challenges presented during the previous two school years. Over the first weeks of school, students in grades 3 through 8 will complete a state-developed growth assessment in both reading and mathematics. This assessment will measure skills and content from each student’s previous grade level, and it will be used to identify areas of unfinished learning at the beginning of the school year.

Grades 3 through 8 students will also take the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth assessment in reading and mathematics in the fall and spring. These comparative data points will enable the school division to measure overall student growth and identify next steps for instructional planning and student support. Additionally, in all courses and grade levels, teachers will conduct pre-assessments and formative assessments throughout the year to implement research-based best instructional practices and provide ongoing, differentiated instruction and academic supports to help all students progress toward their individual academic goals.

As we welcome students back into our buildings full-time Monday morning, we remain committed to providing all students engaging learning experiences and differentiated supports. The division is utilizing ESSER II and ESSER III funds to provide remediation, tutoring and extension opportunities for students across all grade levels.