Dear Families,
We are reaching out to provide information about Virginia's state assessment program, which includes the Standards of Learning Tests (SOL) for students in grades 3 through 8, and specific high school credit courses. These assessments, aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning, will be administered to students the following dates:
April 15th: 5th Grade Reading SOL Part 1
April 16th: 5th Grade Reading SOL Part 2
April 22nd: 5th Grade Integrated Reading & Writing (IRW) SOL
April 23rd: 3rd & 4th Grade Reading SOL Part 1
April 24th: 3rd & 4th Grade Reading SOL Part 2; 5th Grade Science
April 30th: 3rd- 5th Grade Math SOL
Prior to testing:
Students are encouraged to practice using the SOL Practice Items at https://va8.testnav.com/client/index.html to become familiar with the test items and tools they'll encounter on their SOL tests.
On testing days, students should bring their fully charged laptop and charger to school, and personal electronic devices should be kept out of the SOL testing rooms. Detailed procedures can be found in the Henrico County Public Schools Policies and Regulations (Chapter 6 Students - Policy P6-08-004-R), available at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/henrico/Board.nsf/vpublic?open# .
Make sure your child gets enough sleep and eats a healthy breakfast before each test day.
Let you child know that this test is nothing to stress about. Just like any assessment, this is just to showcase what they know.
It's important to note that all SOL tests must be taken in-person at school under the supervision of trained test examiners, with most tests given in a single day. Particularly, the online tests for Grades 3-8 Reading and Math SOL utilize Computer Adaptive Testing (CAT), which streamlines the assessment process by using fewer questions, making the tests shorter.
New this year, as an additional component of the Grade 5 and 8 Reading SOL test, students will complete an Integrated Reading and Writing section, which will be given on a separate day from the Reading test. Students will read a nonfiction passage about a history or science topic and then answer questions about what they have read, including one question asking students to write about what they have read. While this component won't affect overall test scores, it offers valuable insights into students' strengths and areas needing support. Scores on each of these tests will help you and your child’s school assess academic progress.
More information about the Standards of Learning tests is available at https://www.henricoschools.us/o/hcps/page/testing-and-assessments.
If you have questions about the federal, state or division assessment policies, please contact Angela Bell at ambell@henrico.k12.va.us or Kelli Brown at kcbrown@henrico.k12.va.us. If you have questions related to your school’s testing processes and options, please contact your school’s testing coordinator Amy Eberhard.
Sincerely,
Amy Eberhard
Greenwood ES
804-261-2970