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Standards of Accreditation and Standards of Learning

Fairfax County Public Schools Standards of Learning

Standards of Accreditation and Standards of Learning, What are They?

Have you heard the acronyms SOA and SOL at your school this year? Do you wonder what they mean and where they came from? Are you concerned about how they will affect your children and your school?

New standards for accrediting public schools in Virginia were adopted by the Virginia Board of Education on Sept. 4, 1997. The Code of Virginia requires that local school boards maintain schools that meet the Standards of Accreditation (SOAs) prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education; part of these SOAs are requirements related to the Standards of Learning (SOLs).

In June 1995, the Virginia Board of Education adopted new Standards of Learning (SOLs) in four core subject areas: English, mathematics, history and social science, and science. The Standards of Learning provide standards for educational performance in Virginia's public schools. Schools in Virginia will earn accreditation based on their students' achievement on specially developed tests related to the SOLs as well as on traditional measures, such as courses offered by the schools and their teachers' qualifications.

The new SOL tests must be administered to students in English and reading, mathematics, science, and history and social science at grades 3, 5, and 8 and to students upon completion of specific high school credit courses such as Algebra 1. In addition, a technology test will be given to students in grades 5 and 8. These test results will be part of the criteria for promoting or retaining students at the elementary level and for fulfilling high school students' graduation requirements. Each school will be fully accredited, provisionally accredited, accredited with warning, or denied accreditation based on the percentage of students passing the tests.

All schools received provisional accreditation on July 1, 1998. Schools will continue to be provisionally accredited even when the student achievement requirements for full accreditation are not met, as long as there is annual improvement in the percentage of students passing the mandated tests. The provisionally accredited rating ceased to exist at the end of the 2002-2003 school year.

What do the new standards mean for Fairfax County Public Schools? Teachers who use the Program of Studies (POS) in the core disciplines are preparing their students to take the Virginia-mandated tests. The Fairfax County Public Schools POS covers the SOLs and more. Some programs are being rearranged to coordinate the teaching of particular subject matter with testing years.

The offices within the Department of Instructional Services have examined the SOL impact at all grade levels and are providing additional support to schools through content courses, in-service training, and relevant materials. The Department of Instructional Services recognizes that the tests given at grades 3, 5, and 8 will test students' cumulative knowledge and understanding. Therefore, review units for the elementary and middle school levels have been organized into sections: kindergarten, grades 1-3, grades 4-5, and grades 6-8. High school materials are based on the individual courses.

Instructional Program
Instruction in English, mathematics, science, and history and social science must include the state SOLs. In addition, schools will provide instruction in art, music, and physical education and health.

At least 75 percent of instructional time will be spent on English, mathematics, science, and history and social science.

In grades K-3, reading, writing, spelling, and mathematics will be the core subjects.

School Report Card
An elementary school will be fully accredited when 75 percent of all students pass the state-mandated tests for English, 70 percent of all students pass the state mandated tests for math, 50 percent pass the science and history tests at grade 3, and 70 percent of the students pass the science and history tests at grades other than grade 3.

A minimum of eight course offerings must be provided for eighth grade students. Four are required core courses (English, mathematics, science, and history and social science) and four are electives (one in foreign language, one in health and physical education, one in fine arts, and one in career and vocational education).

At grades 7 and 8, each student will receive 140 clock hours of instruction in each of the four subject disciplines of English, mathematics, science, and history and social science. Sixth grade students may receive an alternative schedule for a total of 560 clock hours of instruction in these subjects.

School Report Card
A middle school will be fully accredited when 70 percent of its students pass the mandated state test in each of the four core disciplines.

A high school will be fully accredited when 70 percent of its students pass the mandated state test in each of the four core disciplines.

Requirements for Diplomas
The new accreditation standards include new course requirements for graduation (which FCPS exceeds) and an additional requirement of "verified units of credit." The verified units are awarded based on state tests administered at the end of courses in specific subject disciplines. The course requirements for graduation will affect this year's eighth graders. They become effective with the graduating class of 2002. The requirement for verified units of credit (passing the course and its related test) affects the graduating class of 2004.

Courses Required for FCPS Graduation
(These exceed the requirements of the Virginia SOAs.)

Verified Units of Credit
A verified unit of credit for graduation will be based on a student's satisfactory completion of a course and a passing score on the end-of-course Standards of Learning test for that course. Currently, there are SOL tests for Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, English, Writing, Earth Science, Biology, Chemistry, United States History, World History and Geography to 1000 A.D., and World History and Geography 1000 A.D. to the Present.

Testing Requirements
(Beginning with the class of 2004.)

Students in grades 7-12 receive credit toward graduation for high school courses taken in the seventh and eighth grades in foreign language, algebra, and geometry. These courses count toward credits in the foreign language and mathematics sequences as well as toward the total number of credits required for graduation and calculation of the grade point average. Beginning with students now in grades 7 and 8, parents may request that grades for any high school credit-bearing course taken in middle school be omitted from the student's transcript, and the student will not earn high school credit for the course. This request must be made in writing to the school prior to the beginning of the next school year. The course will appear on the high school transcript with a "no mark" designation.

SUPPORT FOR CLASSROOM TEACHERS

Materials for the elementary and middle school levels have been grouped in instructional units: kindergarten, grades 1-3, grades 4-5, and grades 6-8. This organization recognizes the fact that the tests at grades 3-5 and at grade 8 are cumulative.

Elementary Level
The elementary language arts and mathematics Programs of Studies incorporate the Virginia Standards of Learning. Programs of Studies in science and history and social science are being reorganized. Following recommendations from the Science and Social Studies Task Forces, the Programs of Studies in these areas are being reorganized and will cover the content listed in the state's SOLs. A minimum of 75 percent of instructional time will be given to instruction in these four core subjects. SOL preparation packets were distributed to grade 3 and grade 5 teachers at their August 1997 in-service training.

Middle School
The science Program of Studies is being revised to include a stronger Earth science strand and the integration of an experimental method.

High School
New Programs of Studies have been developed for selected social studies and science courses to align courses with the Virginia Standards of Learning. The English and mathematics Programs of Studies are already in alignment with the SOLs. Training is being offered in the core subject disciplines.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

If you want additional information on the Standards of Learning and Standards of Accreditation, call the office within the Department of Instructional Services that works with your grade level. (You can reach them at the following numbers: elementary, 846-8616; middle, 846-8601; high, 208-7703.) These offices have the most current information on the accreditation requirements recently adopted by the Virginia School Board.