Virginia students may soon face tougher academic benchmarks as the state aligns its performance levels with the higher standards of a national assessment.
Starting next month, the Virginia Board of Education will begin adjusting its cut scores — used to determine whether K-12 students are meeting proficiency levels — to better match the rigor of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
Student performance is typically categorized as “below basic,” “basic,” “proficient” or“advanced,” reflecting their knowledge and skills in core subjects.
Since 1998, Virginia has relied on its Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments to gauge proficiency in areas like reading and math. However, NAEP, a widely recognized national organization, has often been used to assess smaller student groups, such as fourth and eighth graders.
“The NAEP assessment provides a common benchmark that states can then use to look at the relative rigor of their own assessment cut scores,” said Lesley Muldoon, executive director of the National Assessment Governing Board, during a work session Wednesday.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration has frequently pointed to NAEP data to highlight what it calls the “honesty gap” — the disparity between state-level proficiency standards and the more stringent NAEP benchmarks.
Between 2017-2022, Virginia’s fourth-grade reading and math results showed a staggering 40-percentage-point gap between the state’s SOL and NAEP assessments. That disparity does not provide an “accurate picture of student performance,” said Em Cooper, deputy superintendent of teaching and learning, during Wednesday’s work session.
In response, the board has begun discussing plans to revise the cut scores — the threshold for determining student proficiency — in key subjects. The effort is a cornerstone of Youngkin’s broader push to “restore excellence in education,” which includes raising standards in core subjects, increasing transparency and accountability, and overhauling the state’s assessment system.
Youngkin has argued that Virginia’s current proficiency standards are the result of the previous Board of Education lowering cut scores and altering school accreditation standards.
However, Anne Holton, a former state education secretary and an appointee of former Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, defended the previous board’s approach. She noted that Virginia’s pass rates aligned with the NAEP’s “basic” achievement level, which reflects “partial mastery of the knowledge and skills that are fundamental for proficient work at a given grade,” according to NAEP.
The Youngkin administration, however, is pushing for Virginia to meet NAEP’s “proficient” standard — defined as a student demonstrating a deeper understanding of complex topics and the ability to apply them in real-world situations.
Board member Amber Northern, a Youngkin appointee, argued that achieving NAEP proficiency is linked to better long-term outcomes, including higher graduation rates and increased job earnings compared to students who score at the NAEP “basic” level.
“NAEP proficiency matters in terms of long-term outcomes for kids [and] I know this because I study it,” Northern said.
She dismissed political finger-pointing over the state’s current standards, urging the board to focus on the benefits of higher expectations.
“I don’t care about the politics, I don’t care about ‘well we did this, and we did this,’ … nobody knows why we are in the situation we’re in, we just know that we’re in it and we’re not about pointing fingers. What we’re about saying is, okay, this is what NAEP proficiency does for our kids, and we should actually have that as our goal to do right by them.”
But Holton pushed back, questioning whether realigning Virginia’s SOL to match NAEP would lead to actual student improvement. While she acknowledged that strong SOL and NAEP scores correlate with better outcomes, she argued that no research supports the idea that adjusting cut scores alone drives success.
“The research shows there’s no impact of realigning our cut scores,” Holton said. “We need our students to do well on the test, but where the line is is irrelevant.”
The process
Previously, cut score adjustments went through a multi-step review involving a standard-setting committee, an articulation committee, and the state superintendent before final recommendations were presented to the Board of Education.
On Wednesday, the Virginia Department of Education staff outlined the board’s new approach, which includes selecting and training committee members, assessment date, and ultimately making recommendations on cut scores.
Under the process proposal, committees will primarily consist of education experts, including teachers and instructional specialists, while the remainder will include community stakeholders such as parents and business leaders.
Educators applying to serve must complete an application demonstrating their understanding of grade level content and assessments. Community members will undergo a selection process led by the board and the governor’s office.
The committees are set to convene in late May once enough assessment data from the 2025 assessment cycle is available. Their proposed cut scores will go before the board for an initial review in June, with a final decision expected in July.
On Thursday, the board will vote on the proposed review process. If approved, the updated performance standards will not take effect until spring 2026.
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Last summer, the city of Richmond made waves by announcing a $3 million dollar check for its residents to spend as they see fit. Now, the city is handing the reins over to its people, inviting everyone 14 years and older to vote on how that money should be allocated. From April 1 to 15, Richmonders can head to pop-up events around the city or log on to cast their votes for the projects they want to see funded in what the city has dubbed “The People’s Budget.”
Ideas on the table range from improvements to bus routes, tree plantings in underserved areas, and sidewalk enhancements for pedestrian safety, to more region-specific projects, like a “Welcome to Southside” sign at entry points to Richmond’s 8th City Council district, or better trail access to the James River in the 5th District.
Instead of just picking one project, the process uses ranked choice voting, allowing participants to express preference for several initiatives. The People’s Budget initiative, which was led by former city councilor and mayoral candidate Andreas Addison, started with other pop-up events and online solicitation to gather input from residents across the city.
As for the $3 million, it’s being divided across the city with a focus on equity. Isaac Samuels, lead organizer of the People’s Budget, explained that Districts 1, 2 and 4 will each get $200,000, while Districts 3, 5 and 7 will receive $300,000 each, and Districts 6, 8 and 9 will be allocated $500,000. The goal of this varied distribution is to direct funding to areas that have historically been underinvested in, ensuring that all of Richmond’s neighborhoods benefit.
Richmond’s Southside, home to many historically Black neighborhoods, has long faced challenges rooted in systemic inequality. Less tree canopy in these areas leads to higher ground temperatures during hot months, and a history of discriminatory housing policies has contributed to lower home values.
In the 1930s, appraisers marked Black-populated neighborhoods nationwide in red, labeling them “hazardous” for home loans. The lasting impact of these racist practices is still evident today, with each negative appraisal continuing to affect future evaluations and resulting in less local government investment in public infrastructure.
“This is a big milestone for us,” Samuels said.
After months of outreach and community engagement, Samuels is thrilled to reach the voting phase, knowing the projects selected will soon become a reality. With voting ending on April 15, he expects the results to be available by April 21.
From there, the implementation of winning proposals will vary based on which city departments are involved and the procedural steps leading up to any development work.
“We will be tracking it basically like a Domino’s Pizza Tracker on our website, noting every different step that we’re taking,” Samuels said.
Ranked choice voting
Ranked choice voting gives Richmond residents a better shot at seeing their favorite projects come to life. If their top choice doesn’t get enough votes, their other picks may still make the cut, giving them a greater sense of influence over the outcome.
This voting method has gained traction in Virginia in recent years. Former state delegate Sally Hudson carried legislation that was signed into law in 2020, allowing localities to adopt ranked choice voting for city council and board of supervisor elections. Arlington was the first to use it in 2023, and Charlottesville is set to implement it this year.
Richmond nearly became the first locality to adopt it in 2022, but city councilors were still unsure and ultimately voted it down. A major concern was that the law couldn’t be applied to school boards or citywide elections contests like Richmond’s mayor, who, unlike most Virginia localities, is separately elected instead of being a member of the city council.
This year, a bill from Sen. Saddam Salim, D-Fairfax, aimed to expand ranked choice voting, but it was recently vetoed by Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Youngkin, who used ranked choice voting to secure his victory in the 2021 Republican gubernatorial convention, explained in his veto that more data was needed before expanding the method.
He said doing so at this stage “risks institutionalizing a system that has yet to prove its effectiveness in broader elections.”
However, Hudson, now executive director of Ranked Choice Virginia, argues that Youngkin is overlooking “the growing body of evidence” showing successful ranked choice voting trials.
Arlington has already used it in several elections, and Falls Church and Loudoun county are also considering adopting it. Both Hudson and UpVote Virginia executive director Liz White have pointed to expanding use of ranked choice voting nationwide.
“I definitely see an increase in just people being familiar with it. I think that that, for us, is the biggest measure of progress,” White said. “The more people use it, the more people know about it, the more they like it.”
While more local elections are still waiting for the ability to use this method, White is thrilled to see it applied in Richmond’s People’s Budget.
“There’s more nuance to (residents’) votes and they can provide so much more information with their vote,” White said. “I think that’s really cool.”
To vote online in the People’s Budget, click here. For more details on in-person voting, click here.
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Virginia Mercury is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Virginia Mercury maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Samantha Willis for questions: info@virginiamercury.com.
www.youtube.com – NBC4 Washington – 2025-03-31 20:12:16
SUMMARY: Schools are facing financial struggles after the U.S. Department of Education declined to reimburse COVID-19 relief funds, impacting programs designed to address pandemic-related learning loss. These funds were allocated for initiatives like tutoring, teacher hiring, and school upgrades. Maryland leaders were shocked to learn the government would not reimburse some of these expenditures, which could leave schools without up to $418 million. A study revealed U.S. students are behind in reading and math. Maryland officials are halting further spending while considering legal action, and DC is reviewing the impact on federal grants. Schools may apply for extensions with proof of need.
School officials around the country are figuring out how to pay their bills after the Department of Education announced it won’t pay out hundreds of millions of dollars in promised COVID-19 relief funds. News4’s Aimee Cho reports.
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www.thecentersquare.com – By Shirleen Guerra | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-03-31 11:32:00
(The Center Square) – A group of federal lawmakers wants to make sure government agencies don’t relocate without first analyzing the impact on workers, taxpayers, and agency missions.
The COST of Relocations Act, introduced by Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Va., and Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., would require federal agencies to submit a cost-benefit analysis to Congress before moving their offices.
The goal is to prevent sudden relocations that could disrupt operations or result in staff losses.
The proposal comes as a response to past agency moves under the Trump administration, including the relocation of two U.S. Department of Agriculture offices from Washington, D.C., to Kansas City, Mo.
A government watchdog later found that those moves caused a major drop in staffing and productivity.
“We must stop the Trump administration’s politically motivated attempts to waste taxpayer dollars by unnecessarily moving federal agencies,” said Subramanyam in a statement.
“Our bill ensures that before any agency is moved, we can protect the American people by doing a thorough analysis based on logic, the best interest of taxpayers, and the agency’s mission,” he said. “These decisions should be based on what’s best for the American people, not political retribution.”
The Government Accountability Office reported that in 2018, USDA relocations led to the loss of over a third of the agency’s permanent full-time staff and a sharp decline in institutional experience. The report said productivity also dropped, with key reports delayed and grants taking longer to process.
“Across government, federal agencies and the civil servants who power them provide essential services for Americans across the country,” Van Hollen said. “Abruptly uprooting those agencies for political reasons not only endangers their critical missions, it’s also a waste of taxpayer dollars. This bill ensures that big decisions like these are made thoughtfully and driven by the best interests of the American people and their tax dollars.”
The legislation would require future cost-benefit reviews to include both quantitative data and qualitative impacts, like employee attrition and the agency’s ability to carry out its mission. These results would be made public and reviewed by the agency’s inspector general.
