Every year Fauquier County Public School (FCPS) students take Standards of Learning (SOL) tests at the end of core courses for graduation credits. 2020 has been different than previous years, so SOL testing should be too. The fall semester has brought many changes to our education, but one thing is for sure: students are not being offered the same quality of education as previous years.
Despite this, students are still required to take SOL tests at the end of the course. Students are being held to the same standards of learning even though the same opportunities for learning are not being given.
Students will be penalized for not passing their SOL’s, despite not being taught all the information that will be tested. Students may be eligible to retake SOLs, however, the retake will simply retest the information without teaching the student more.
Virtual students have the option to come into the school to take their SOLs now or wait until the spring. Waiting until the spring could lead to lower SOL scores because students could forget the course information over the break. This encourages students to come into the school building and possibly be exposed to COVID-19.
SOL tests are inaccurate measures of student achievement. They test the student’s ability to take a test, rather than their understanding of the material. Last spring, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam waived the requirement for SOLs. There were less cases in the spring, and we have many more cases now. Because of the lack of proper education, possibility of exposure, and inaccuracy of the tests, SOL requirements for this semester should be waived by Northam again.