File photo (Analise Beres for the Henrico Citizen)
Fewer than half of Henrico County Public Schools students in grades 3-5 have a good baseline knowledge of last year’s grade-level math content, while only 41% of third-graders are up to speed on reading content from last year, according to results from a new state-mandated growth assessment test administered this fall.
The worst Henrico scores on the Virginia Growth Assessment test were among third-graders — 75% of whom scored “below high basic” (the lowest of three categories) on the math assessment, while just 16% scored “low proficiency and above” (the highest category).
On the reading assessment, 47% of HCPS third-graders’ scores fell into the lowest category, while only 41% scored in the highest category.
The VGA was mandated by legislation (House Bill 2027 and Senate Bill 1357) approved by the 2021 General Assembly during special session in March. The reading and math tests are meant to measure growth during the school year. There are no pass/fail scores, and the results are designed to be used by teachers to identify what information students have already learned and what they will need additional help with.
The assessments test students’ knowledge of their previous grade level’s content in order to help teachers identify the areas of unfinished learning from last year due to disruptions to education caused by the pandemic. Henrico students took the computer adaptive assessments between Sept. 20 and Oct. 15, and these will be the only VGA tests taken this academic year. In the following years, VGA assessments will be administered in the fall and spring.
Students received a vertical scaled score ranging from 900 to 2,000. The Virginia Department of Education created three categories to explain the scores: low proficient (best), high basic (middle) and below high basic (worst).
“Low proficiency,” as defined by the VDOE, means that the student has a good baseline knowledge of last year’s grade-level content and is generally prepared for new grade-level content in 2021-22.
The middle tier, “high basic to low proficiency,” is defined as students who may need scaffolding to support them with grade-level instruction.
Students who score “below high basic,” the bottom tier, will definitely need scaffolds and support in order to be successful with new grade-level content, according to the state’s reference points.
The best results among Henrico elementary school students came on the reading tests for fourth and fifth-graders – 63% of the former and 70% of the latter who scored in the highest category for competency.
Teachers should use this data to craft instruction that meets the individual needs of every student, with the goal of achieving proficiency or significant growth by the end of the year.
There are no statewide results available because the VDOE did not aggregate the scores, and school divisions are not required to aggregate or release scores.
“It really is intended to be used at the individual student level to see over here where the student is,” said Shelley Loving-Ryder, assistant superintendent for student assessment, accountability and ESEA programs at the VDOE. “A teacher might want to look at the score reports for the kids in her class and see if she sees any patterns, but it’s really not intended to be aggregated.”
The Richmond Public Schools division released aggregated scores, which showed that the majority of all RPS students grades 3 – 8 are not proficient in reading or math based on their grade level.
Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney criticized the Richmond City School Board at a press conference following the release of the scores, and said he was disappointed but not shocked.
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Anna Bryson is the Henrico Citizen’s education reporter and a Report for America corps member. Make a tax-deductible donation to support her work, and RFA will match it dollar for dollar.