Fredericksburg's Spring SOL Pass Rates Show Mix of Improvements, Declines

Staff presented general information about pass rates at Monday's School Board meeting. Official results will be released by the Virginia Department of Education at a later date.

By Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
Email Adele

James Monroe High School’s pass rates in end-of-course reading, Algebra I, and biology all decreased over last spring, principal Marcus Petty told the School Board this week.

The board heard an update on student achievement—specifically this spring’s SOL pass rates—from the principals of all four division schools at Monday’s regular meeting.

All students who are enrolled in English, Algebra I, or biology in high school take SOL tests, Petty explained.

The Virginia Department of Education generally releases SOL test results for all school divisions in late summer. The principals on Monday presented information about where pass rates decreased, increased, or stayed within three percentage points over last spring.

Petty said in response to a question from School Board Chair Matt Rowe that he doesn’t feel that students at James Monroe received the same level of extra support in Algebra I as they have in past years.

“In the past we would have had the ability to put [students who need extra support] in a daily math class,” as opposed to every other day, he said.

He said the school plans to offer additional Algebra Academies next school year, along with introducing a program called Elevate, which will provide 9th graders and their families with access to workshops to teach study skills and strategies for taking notes, preparing for an exam, self-motivation, and setting goals.

Petty said the school is in “the early stages” of working with Elevate to determine how exactly to implement the program at James Monroe.

Aside from reading, Algebra I, and biology, high school students only take SOL tests in subjects where they need a “verified credit” in order to graduate, Petty explained.

One hundred and sixty nine students earned a verified credit in end-of-course reading; 120 in Algebra I; and 180 in biology.

In other areas, 12 students earned verified credits in World Geography; 15 in World History I; 16 in World History II; 11 in Algebra II; 22 in Geometry; 1 in chemistry; and 18 in Earth Science, according to information presented on Monday.

Walker-Grant Middle

Walker-Grant Middle School saw improved test rates in eight out of the 11 testing areas—Algebra I, Geometry, Grade 6 math and English, grade 7 math, grade 8 English, and grade 8 science, principal Stephen Ventura told the School Board.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in some areas from the 2024-25 school year,” Ventura said.

The pass rate for students taking the Grade 6 reading test improved by just under 10%, he said, and the Grade 6 math pass rate improved by 7%.

For the second year in a row, 100% of students who took the Geometry SOL passed it, Ventura said.

There were no areas where pass rates decreased significantly at Walker-Grant, and pass rates in Grade 7 English, Grade 8 math, World Geography, and civics were within 3% of last spring’s rates.

Ventura said that next school year, students who are identified as not being successful in English or math will have a double block of those subjects every other day. The school also plans to implement weekly after-school sessions on Wednesdays for students who have incomplete assignments.

Hugh Mercer and Lafayette Elementary Schools

Interim principal Courtney Wheeler presented the achievement results for Hugh Mercer Elementary, which are a mix of improvements and declines. Pass rates improved in Grade 3 reading and math, Grade 4 reading, and Virginia Studies; were within 3% of last year’s rates in Grade 5 math; and decreased in Grade 4 math and Grade 5 reading and science.

But Wheeler noted that though Grade 5 reading and Grade 4 math scores declined compared to last year’s scores on those tests, that specific cohort of students improved their scores over last year.

“So while they didn’t meet the percentage pass rate of last year’s Grade 5 cohort, within their own cohort we are seeing growth,” she said.

Wheeler said there was high turnover among 5th grade teachers at Hugh Mercer this year, with some classes not receiving a permanent teacher until mid-year. The fact that these students maintained last year’s math scores “is something to highlight,” she said.

“It’s a testament to those teachers who worked extremely hard and worked together,” Wheeler said, explaining that there is a correlation between test scores and having a dedicated teacher in the classroom, as opposed to a long-term substitute.

Pass rates at Lafayette Elementary revealed similar trends, principal Jacinta Calzada-Mayronne said. Pass rates improved in Grade 4 reading and math, Grade 3 reading, and Grade 5 science; and declined in Virginia Studies, and Grade 5 math and reading—but there are improvements in specific cohorts year over year, she said.

Teacher Retention Discussed

Rowe asked the elementary principals what the division can do to retain teachers who express a desire to leave mid-year.

Mayronne said there are multiple reasons why teachers leave but that “I’m not sure we can say its salary anymore.”

She said “behaviors” are often mentioned as a reason teachers look to leave, and having administrators who can be present in the classroom to support teachers could help.

“We don’t know what a teacher is experiencing if we’re not in that space,” she said. “My hope is it’s more manageable” next year when Gladys West Elementary opens as the city’s third elementary school and the population of each school gets smaller.

“We’ll be able to get into the classrooms more,” Mayronne said.

This story was updated on June 6 to clarify how many students earned verified credits in required SOL tests.

Support the Advance with an Annual Subscription or Make a One-time Donation

The Advance has developed a reputation for fearless journalism. Our team delivers well-researched local stories, detailed analysis of the events that are shaping our region, and a forum for robust, informed discussion about current issues.

We need your help to do this work, and there are two ways you can support this work.

• Sign up for annual, renewable subscription.

• Make a one-time donation of any amount.

Local Obituaries

To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit the link that follows.

This article is published under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND. It can be distributed for noncommercial purposes and must include the following: “Published with permission by FXBG Advance.”