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The Student Accountability Plan
Promotion Benchmarks

6th Grade 7th Grade 8th Grade
Grade 6 Language Arts Promotion Benchmarks
 POS SOL
Language Arts Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 94K)
1. Writes narratives, descriptions, and explanations, to include fiction and nonfiction
 6.4
 6.7
2. Organize ideas into paragraphs during drafting and revising
 6.2
 6.7
3. Edits for use of correct language, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
 6.2
6.11
 6.7
4. Reads and understands the meaning of unfamiliar words
 6.3
 6.3
5. Demonstrates comprehension of a variety of selections
 6.4
6.5
6.6
6.9		 6.5
6. Selects the best resources for given purposes
 6.7
6.16		 6.9
7. Reads a variety of fiction and nonfiction material
 6.4
6.5		 6.4
8. Reads and writes a variety of poetry
 6.4
6.5		 6.6
9. Compares and contrasts elements of literature
 6.6 6.6
10. Listens critically and expresses opinions in oral presentations
 6.12 6.2

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Grade 6 Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks
 SOL
Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 11.7K)
1. Demonstrate understanding of place value in decimal numbers 6.4
2. Represent numbers as equivalent fractions 6.1
3. Recognize and compare integers 6.5
4. Estimate and find sums, differences, and products of decimal numbers 5.4, 6.7
5. Divide up to a four-digit number by two-digits 5.5
6. Add and subtract fractions and mixed numerals with like and unlike denominators or 12 or less 5,7, 6.6
7. Determine the perimeter and area of polygons (rectangle, parallelogram, triangle) 6.11
8. Determine the mean, median, and mode of a given set of data 6.19
9. Solve one-step equations 6.23
10.Explain the use of patterns to multiply and divide whole numbers with zeroes 6.21

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  Grade 7 English Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 7 English Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1 Use roots and affixes to expand vocabulary. 7.4.a
2 Recognize and complete analogies. 7.4.b
3 Draw conclusions and make inferences based on explicit and implied information.

7.5.e
7.5.f

4 Describe setting and plot structure. 7.5.a
5 Describe character development. 7.5.a
6 Describe theme. 7.5.a
7 Describe conflict. 7.5.a
8 Recognize figurative language and describe the impact of word choice, imagery, and poetic devices.

7.4.b
7.5.c

9 Summarize fiction and nonfiction text using main idea and supporting details.

7.5.g
7.6.f

10 Use knowledge of text structures and of words that signal an author’s organizational pattern to aid comprehension 7.6.a-b
11 Use print and electronic sources to locate information in books and articles. 7.7.a
12 Use graphic organizers to organize information. 7.7.b
13 Organize and synthesize information from multiple sources for use in written and oral presentations.

7.6.g
7.7.c

14 Distinguish fact from opinion in newspapers, magazines, and other print media. 7.6.c
15 Identify the source, viewpoint and purpose of texts. 7.6.d
16 Describe how word choice and language structure convey an author’s viewpoint. 7.6.e
17

Use prewriting strategies to plan ideas and organization for writing.
7.8.a
18 Elaborate the central idea in an organized manner with descriptive details and examples. 7.8.b
19 Revise word choice, sentence fluency, and voice to improve clarity and effect of writing. 7.8 c-e
20 Edit writing for conventions:  correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure. 7.9 c-e

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  Grade 7 Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 7 Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

The student will compare, order, and determine equivalent relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents, and numbers written in scientific notation.

7.1
2

The student will simplify expressions that contain rational numbers and positive exponents, using order of operations, mental mathematics, and appropriate tools.
7.2
3

The student will identify and apply properties of operations with real numbers

7.3
4

The student will
a)      solve practical problems using rational numbers and percents; and
b)      solve consumer-application problems.
7.4
5

The student will formulate rules for and solve practical problems involving basic operations with integers.

7.5
6

The student will use proportions to solve practical problems.

7.6
7

The student, given appropriate dimensions, will
a)     estimate and find the area of polygons
b)     apply perimeter and area formulas in practical situations.
7.7
8

The student will investigate and solve problems involving the volume and surface area of rectangular prisms and cylinders.

7.8
9

The student will compare and contrast quadrilaterals.

7.9
10

The student will identify and draw polygons.

7.10
11

The student will determine if geometric figures are similar and write proportions to express the relationships between corresponding parts of similar figures.

7.11
12

The student will identify and graph ordered pairs in the four quadrants of a coordinate plane.

7.12
13

The student, given a polygon in the coordinate plane, will represent transformations.

7.13
14

The student will investigate and describe the difference between the probability of an event found through simulation versus the theoretical probability of that same event.

7.14
15

The student will identify and describe the number of possible arrangements of several objects.

7.15
16

The student will create and solve problems involving the measures of central tendency and the range of data.

7.16
17

The student, given a problem situation, will collect, analyze, display, and interpret data, using a variety of graphical methods.

7.17
18

The student will make inferences, conjectures, and predictions based on analysis of a set of data.

7.18
19

The student will represent, analyze, and generalize a variety of patterns with tables, graphs, rules, and words in order to investigate and describe functional relationships.

7.19
20

The student will write verbal expressions as algebraic expressions and sentences as equations.

7.20
21

The student will use algebraic terms appropriately.

7.21
22

The student will
a)   solve one-step linear equations and inequalities in one variable.
b)   solve practical problems requiring the solution of a 1 step equation.
7.22

*Please note that these are abbreviated versions of the Promotion Benchmarks for Mathematics 7.  For a full version please see your mathematics teacher.  

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  Grade 7 Life Science Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 7 Life Science Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

Plan and conduct scientific investigations that fully develop the concepts and skills of scientific inquiry and experimental design and embrace the nature of science.

LS.1 a, c, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l
2

Recognize the historical contributions that scientists have made to the concept that living things are composed of cells and understand that cells function to differentiate, sustain, and propagate the life of the cell itself.

LS.2 a-d
3

Investigate and understand that livings things show patterns of cellular organization that enable them to perform life functions and processes.

LS.3 a-b
4

Investigate and understand the basic needs of plants and animals and the factors that influence their life processes.

LS.4 a-d
5

Use characteristics to classify organisms within a hierarchical biological classification system. 

LS.5 a-c
6

Investigate and understand the basic physical and chemical processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration andtheir importance to plant and animal life.

LS.6 a-c
7

Investigate, observe, and analyze the flow of energy and matter within an ecosystem.

LS.7 a-d
8

Investigate and understand interactions between organisms within the same population.

LS.8 a-b
9

Investigate and understand interactions between populations of different species in biological communities.

LS.9 a-e
10

Recognize the difference between ecosystems and biomes and give examples of major biomes and the adaptations that enable organisms to survive in a given environment.

LS.10 a-c
11

Investigate and understand that organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems are dynamic and change over time. 

LS.11a-c
12

Investigate and understand the impact of human actions upon the environment.

LS.12 a-e
13

Understand the structure and function of DNA, genes, and chromosomes and how each functions in the transmission of genetic information from one generation to the next.

LS.13 a-g
14

Understand how environmental influences, as well as genetic variation, can lead to diversity of organisms over time; recognize that fossils are records of organisms and events in the Earth’s history.

LS.14 a-c
15

Investigate and understand the location, structure, and major conservation, health, and safety issues related to Virginia’s regional watershed systems and the importance of wetlands and estuaries to wildlife and humans.

LS.6.7 a-g

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  Grade 7 United States History 1877 to the PresentPromotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 7 United States History Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

Use map reading skills to describe the impact of geography on the history of the United States.
2
2

Identify how life changed after the Civil War (post Reconstruction) for African Americans including racial segregation and the rise of “Jim Crow”.
3c
3

Identify the reasons for and the impact on westward expansion including the transcontinental railroad, discovery of gold and silver, Homestead Act, cattle drives, technological advances and adaptations, and reservations.
3a,b
4

Describe the reasons for the rise of big business (railroad, oil, steel) and its impact on American life including corporations and inventions.
3b,d
5

Describe the causes of increased immigration and its impact on the United States in the late 1800s including conditions in cities and the challenges of urbanization.
3b
6

Identify how the reforms of the Progressive Movement impacts life in the United States to include the rise of organized labor, child labor, changes in the workplace, women’s suffrage, temperance movements and the efforts of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois.
3c,e
7

Explain the causes of the Spanish-American War and how the results led to the emergence of the United States as a world power.
4a
8

Analyze the reasons for the United States’ involvement in World War I, including the inability to remain neutral due to economic and political ties to Great Britain and German submarine warfare.  Analyze the role of the United States as the war ended.
4b
9

Describe the impact of significant social, economic and technological changes in transportation, communication, and electrification on American life in the 1920s, including Prohibition and the Great Migration.
5a,b
10

Describe the impact of the cultural climate in the 1920s including significant people in art, literature, and music and the Harlem Renaissance.
5c
11

Identify the causes and impact of the Great Depression on Americans and the major features of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.
5d
12

Identify the causes and events that led to American involvement in World War II including the economic crises, the rise of dictatorships, and the attack on Pearl Harbor.
6a
13

Describe the major events and turning points of World War II in Europe and the Pacific.
6b
14

Described the impact of World War II on people’s lives including the Holocaust, Americans at home, and the atomic bomb.
6b,c
15

Analyze the aftermath of World War II, including the establishment of the United Nations and the rebuilding of Japan and Europe.
7a
16

Define the term, Cold War.  Sequence and explain how events affected the spread and containment of communism, including the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the break-up of the Soviet Union.
7c
17

Describe the changing patterns of society including expanding educational and economic opportunities for veterans, women, and minorities as the economy shifts from wartime to peacetime with an increased emphasis on consumerism.

7b,d

8b
18

Describe major events of the Civil Rights Movement including the actions of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr.; changes in government policy towards minorities; and its impact.
8a

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  Grade 8 English Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 8 English Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1 Identify and complete analogies. 8.4.a
2 Use context, structure, and connotations to determine meaning of words and phrases. 8.4.b
3

Identify and explain the use of symbols and figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole).
8.5.a
4

Draw conclusions and make inferences based on explicit and implied information.

8.6.h
8.6.i

5

Describe inferred main ideas or themes, using evidence from the text as support.
8.5.b
6

Describe how authors use characters to create meaning.

8.5.c.
7

Describe how authors use plot and conflict to create meaning.

8.5.c.
8

Describe how authors use point of view to create meaning.
8.5.c.
9

Describe how authors use tone to create meaning.
8.5.c.
10

Analyze the author’s use of text structure and word choice.
8.6.c
11

Analyze details for relevance and accuracy.

8.6.d
12

Read and follow instructions to complete an assigned task.

8.6.e
13

Summarize and critique text.

8.6.f
14

Use print and electronic sources to locate information.

8.7.f
15

Synthesize information from multiple sources.

8.7.f
16

Evaluate and synthesize information to apply in written and oral presentations.
8.6.g
17

Revise writing for central idea and elaboration with specific information.

8.7.a
8.7.b

18

Revise writing for sentence fluency.
8.7.d
19

Revise writing for word choice, tone, and voice.

8.7.c
8.7.d

20

Edit for conventions: correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.

8.8.b-e

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  Grade 8 Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 8 Mathematics Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

The student will
a)  simplify numerical expressions involving positive exponents, using rational numbers, order of operations, and properties of operations with real numbers;
b)  recognize, represent, compare, and order numbers expressed in scientific notation; and
c)  compare and order decimals,  fractions, percents, and numbers written in  scientific notation.
8.1
2

The student will describe orally and in writing the relationship between the subsets of the real number system.
8.2
3

The student will solve practical problems involving rational numbers, percents, ratios, and proportions. 

8.3
4

The student will apply the order of operations to evaluate algebraic expressions for given replacement values of the variables.  Problems will be limited to positive exponents.
8.4
5

The student, given a whole number from 0 to 100, will identify it as a perfect square or find the two consecutive whole numbers between which the square root lies.
8.5
6

The student will verify by measuring and describe the relationships among vertical angles, supplementary angles, and complementary angles and will measure and draw angles of less than 360°.
8.6
7

The student will investigate and solve practical problems involving volume and surface area of rectangular solids, cylinders, cones, and pyramids.
8.7
8

The student will apply transformations to geometric figures represented on graph paper. 

8.8
9

The student will construct a three-dimensional model, given the top, side, and/or bottom views.
8.9
10

The student will  
a)  verify the Pythagorean Theorem; and
b)  apply the Pythagorean Theorem.
8.10
11

The student will analyze problem situations and make predictions, using knowledge of probability.
8.11
12

The student will make comparisons, predictions, and inferences, using information displayed in frequency distributions; box-and-whisker plots; scattergrams; line, bar, circle, and picture graphs; and histograms
8.12
13

The student will use a matrix to organize and describe data.
8.13
14

The student will
a)  describe and represent relations and functions, using tables, graphs, and rules; and
b)   relate and compare tables, graphs, and rules as different forms of representation for relationships
8.14
15

The student will solve two-step equations and inequalities in one variable.
8.15
16

The student will graph a linear equation in two variables, in the coordinate plane, using a table of ordered pairs.
8.16
17

The student will create and solve problems, using proportions, formulas, and functions
8.17
18

The student will use the algebraic terms appropriately.

8.18

*Please note that these are abbreviated versions of the Promotion Benchmarks for Mathematics 8.  For a full version please see your mathematics teacher.  

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  Grade 8 Physical Science Promotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 8 Physical Science Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

Plan and conduct scientific investigations that fully incorporate the concepts and skills of scientific inquiry and experimental design and embrace the nature of science.

PS.1 a, b, c, d, e, g, h, i, j, k, n
2

Investigate and understand the characteristics, structure, and properties of the states of matter.

PS.2 a-f
3

Investigate and understand the basic structure of the atom and how historical models have been used to develop our understanding of atomic structure.

PS.3 a-b
4

Understand the organization of the periodic table and use the table to obtain information about the elements that comprise it.

PS.4 a-c
5

Investigate and understand that matter and energy can be changed in different ways (physical, chemical, and nuclear), but the total amount or mass and energy remains unchanged.

PS.5 a-c
6

Investigate and understand the states and forms of energy and how energy is transferred and transformed between them.

PS.6 a-b
7

Investigate and understand the processes that transfer energy between substances, practical and technological applications of thermal energy transfer, and the Celsius and Kelvin temperature scales.

PS.7 a-d
8

Investigate and understand the characteristics and technological applications of sound waves.

PS.8 a-d
9

Investigate and understand the nature of the electromagnetic spectrum and its technological applications in everyday life.

PS.9 a-c
10

Investigate and understand the scientific principles and technological applications of work, force and motion, applying mathematical concepts to solve basic problems to calculate speed, force, work and power.

PS.10 a-d
11

Investigate and understand the basic principles of electricity and magnetism and relate how they interact in motors and generators.
PS.11 a-c

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  Grade 8 Civics and Economics PresentPromotion Benchmarks POS/SOL
  Grade 8 Civics and Economics Promotion Benchmarks (pdf 85K)
1

Describe democracy and representative government and explain the fundamental principles of the consent of the governed, limited government, rule of law.
2a
2

Describe the duties and responsibilities of citizens and the process by which an individual becomes a citizen of the United States.

3a,c,d
3

Explain the functions and influence of political parties including the campaign process. Describe the role of the Electoral College.
5 a-f
4

Describe the role of mass media, interest groups, and individuals in setting and making public policy.

 5c
 7c

5

Identify and give examples of First Amendment freedoms.
3b
6

Give examples of due process protections found in the Bill of Rights.
3b
7

Explain the significance of the charters of the Virginia Company of London, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, and the Constitution of the United States.
2b
8

Demonstrate knowledge of the American constitutional government and describe the relationship between local, state, and federal governments within the federal system.

6a,b,c
9

Explain the structure and powers of the legislative branch of government, including amending the Constitution.
7a
10

Explain the functions and powers of the executive branch of government including the powers of the president.
7b
11

Explain the organization, functions and powers of the judicial branch at the federal and state levels, including the exercise of judicial review, court proceedings in civil and criminal cases, and due process protection.
8 a-d
12

Demonstrate an understanding of how supply and demand affect price.

9a
13

Explain how scarcity, resources, incentives, opportunity cost, price, production, and consumption influence the choices that entrepreneurs make.

9a
14

Compare the similarities and differences among free market, command and mixed economies.

9b
15

Describe the characteristics of the United States economy including free markets, private property, profit, and competition.

9c
16

Describe types of business organizations, financial institutions, and how they interact with consumers (circular flow).

10a,b,c
17

Identify reasons for Virginia and the United States to trade in a global economy.

10d
18

Describe the role of the United States government in the economy including competition, the creation of public goods and services, taxation, and the protections of consumer rights and property rights.

9c

11a-c,e
19

Describe the functions and role of the Federal Reserve System.
11d

 
Last Updated   8/9/2004
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Diane Harazin
Diane.Harazin
@fcps.edu
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