99 SOLs

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The '99 SOL results are on the State Education Dept web site.  As to Richmond, they are an astounding record of failure.

Here for completeness are the Richmond data, excerpted from the statewide spreadsheet (Excel spreadsheet, 116K).  We also have some of the 99 data broken out by class.

Taking a bite sized approach, we start with the Third Grade English.  Here are the data:

  GR 3 ENG
SCHOOL NAME 1998 1999 % CHG
       
STATE SUMMARY 54.7293 61.3731 6.6438
DIVISION SUMMARY 35.0024 40.1223 5.1199
Bellevue 26.7857 46.3415 19.5558
Overby-Sheppard 21.4286 19.4444 -1.9842
Blackwell 30.6931 23.6842 -7.0089
Fox 54.0984 77.9070 23.8086
Swansboro 30.7692 22.0588 -8.7104
Ginter Park 34.6154 34.3137 -0.3017
RE Lee 33.3333 63.6364 30.3031
Mason 33.3333 33.9286 0.5953
Carver 21.9512 32.4074 10.4562
Oak Grove 41.7910 37.5000 -4.2910
Patrick Henry 38.7755 48.9362 10.1607
Stuart 47.2222 54.1667 6.9445
Summer Hill 21.0526 24.0000 2.9474
Munford 73.6111 81.8182 8.2071
Cary 39.6825 44.1860 4.5035
Woodville 31.3953 22.5000 -8.8953
Westover Hills 19.0476 31.0345 11.9869
Maymont 33.3333 24.1379 -9.1954
Fairfield Court 37.7778 17.1875 -20.5903
Whitcomb Court 18.6047 11.3636 -7.2411
Norrell 32.0000 25.0000 -7.0000
Clark Springs 36.9565 30.3571 -6.5994
Chimborazo 27.1739 33.6449 6.4710
Broad Rock 32.8125 33.9286 1.1161
Redd 33.3333 60.7143 27.3810
Greene 37.5000 51.0204 13.5204
Reid 33.3333 31.3725 -1.9608
Southampton 54.6667 64.8649 10.1982
Fisher 63.6364 78.5714 14.9350
Francis 23.8806 39.7436 15.8630

Here are the same data on a graph, showing the 1998-99 change as a function of the '98 SOL score (all data expressed as % passing)

The bad news is clear enough: The statewide average score in '98 was 54.7 (the gold point on the graph); the Richmond score was 35 (green point).  The statewide score improved by 6.6% in '99, Richmond by 5.1%.  It's bad enough that Richmond was 20 points behind the statewide average and improved less than that average; it's astounding that scores at twelve of the Richmond elementary schools decreased.

There is worse news to come.  Here are the data for 3d grade math:

  GR 3 MATH
SCHOOL NAME 1998 1999 % CHG
       
STATE SUMMARY 63.4576 67.8472 4.3896
DIVISION SUMMARY 40.3365 40.5959 .2594
Bellevue 42.8571 51.2195 8.3624
Overby-Sheppard 30.9524 21.9178 -9.0346
Blackwell 35.6436 25.0000 -10.6436
Fox 59.0164 76.7442 17.7278
Swansboro 41.8182 17.3913 -24.4269
Ginter Park 28.8462 27.1028 -1.7434
RE Lee 45.4545 73.5294 28.0749
Mason 37.7778 37.5000 -.2778
Carver 24.3902 26.6055 2.2153
Oak Grove 43.2836 34.5238 -8.7598
Patrick Henry 50.0000 55.3191 5.3191
Stuart 56.9444 47.2222 -9.7222
Summer Hill 22.3684 18.9189 -3.4495
Munford 72.6027 85.8696 13.2669
Cary 30.6452 33.3333 2.6881
Woodville 27.5862 18.7500 -8.8362
Westover Hills 12.1951 27.5862 15.3911
Maymont 23.3333 30.0000 6.6667
Fairfield Court 34.7826 17.1875 -17.5951
Whitcomb Court 32.5581 13.3333 -19.2248
Norrell 41.3333 32.8947 -8.4386
Clark Springs 34.7826 37.5000 2.7174
Chimborazo 28.2609 25.2336 -3.0273
Broad Rock 56.2500 48.2143 -8.0357
Redd 46.6667 50.8475 4.1808
Greene 62.5000 56.1224 -6.3776
Reid 40.0000 40.7767 .7767
Southampton 61.3333 67.5676 6.2343
Fisher 61.5385 81.1594 19.6209
Francis 43.2836 50.0000 6.7164

Note that the Richmond average in '98 was 40.3 vs. the statewide average of 63.4.  The statewide average improved 4.4% in '99 while Richmond increased only 0.3%.  Fifteen Richmond schools had scores that decreased.

The Third Grade History results are similarly unsettling:

  GR 3 HIST
SCHOOL NAME 1998 1999 % CHG
       
STATE SUMMARY 48.9258 62.4879 13.5621
DIVISION SUMMARY 27.2244 34.2093 6.9849
Bellevue 23.2143 26.8293 3.6150
Overby-Sheppard 13.2530 12.1212 -1.1318
Blackwell 24.5098 19.7368 -4.7730
Fox 55.0000 82.5581 27.5581
Swansboro 19.2308 10.0000 -9.2308
Ginter Park 21.4286 26.2136 4.7850
RE Lee 36.3636 47.0588 10.6952
Mason 25.0000 38.5965 13.5965
Carver 11.3821 29.5238 18.1417
Oak Grove 25.0000 28.3951 3.3951
Patrick Henry 52.0000 47.8261 -4.1739
Stuart 36.1111 30.5556 -5.5555
Summer Hill 25.0000 16.4384 -8.5616
Munford 60.2740 80.0000 19.7260
Cary 12.9032 23.2558 10.3526
Woodville 9.1954 23.7500 14.5546
Westover Hills 9.4118 24.4186 15.0068
Maymont 20.0000 20.0000 .0000
Fairfield Court 26.6667 14.0625 -12.6042
Whitcomb Court 16.2791 2.2727 -14.0064
Norrell 24.0000 18.4211 -5.5789
Clark Springs 8.6957 20.0000 11.3043
Chimborazo 22.8261 20.5607 -2.2654
Broad Rock 26.9841 39.2857 12.3016
Redd 26.6667 35.0000 8.3333
Greene 38.5417 47.9592 9.4175
Reid 37.1429 41.1765 4.0336
Southampton 52.7027 52.7027 .0000
Fisher 45.4545 78.2609 32.8064
Francis 23.4375 34.5679 11.1304

and the Third Grade Science numbers are affirmatively depressing

  GR 3 SCI
SCHOOL NAME 1998 1999 % CHG
       
STATE SUMMARY 63.0337 68.4906 5.4569
DIVISION SUMMARY 36.5049 35.1288 -1.3761
Bellevue 25.0000 26.8293 1.8293
Overby-Sheppard 30.1205 23.5294 -6.5911
Blackwell 40.0000 21.0526 -18.9474
Fox 60.0000 76.7442 16.7442
Swansboro 30.7692 11.4286 -19.3406
Ginter Park 30.0000 27.1845 -2.8155
RE Lee 57.5758 61.7647 4.1889
Mason 37.7778 32.1429 -5.6349
Carver 18.8525 22.2222 3.3697
Oak Grove 32.3529 24.6914 -7.6615
Patrick Henry 55.3191 36.1702 -19.1489
Stuart 50.0000 40.2778 -9.7222
Summer Hill 35.5263 17.3333 -18.1930
Munford 72.6027 81.0526 8.4499
Cary 41.9355 37.2093 -4.7262
Woodville 17.2414 19.2308 1.9894
Westover Hills 21.4286 35.6322 14.2036
Maymont 30.0000 14.2857 -15.7143
Fairfield Court 34.8837 12.5000 -22.3837
Whitcomb Court 26.1905 4.7619 -21.4286
Norrell 32.0000 23.6842 -8.3158
Clark Springs 21.7391 25.0000 3.2609
Chimborazo 28.2609 25.2336 -3.0273
Broad Rock 39.6825 19.6429 -20.0396
Redd 31.1111 55.0000 23.8889
Greene 42.7083 48.9796 6.2713
Reid 40.9524 32.3529 -8.5995
Southampton 54.0541 54.0541 .0000
Fisher 50.0000 74.2857 24.2857
Francis 28.5714 41.9753 13.4039

Note that Richmond started 27 points behind the statewide average, and then declined by 1.4 points while the statewide average improved 5.4 points.

For the Fifth Grade data, we'll leave out the raw data to save space.  Writing looks good (at least in comparison):

English does not (Note: "RLR" = Reading Literature Research):

And neither does math:

Turning to the high schools, the writing scores look pretty good, and biology shows a much-needed improvement but 'most everything else is an embarrassment (Note: "EOC" = End of Course):

This is a remarkable record of failure. 

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Last updated 02/24/02
Please send questions or comments to John Butcher