Raising Expectations in Virginia K-12 Education

Cut Scores

What is a cut score?  

Cut scores define the minimum score a student must achieve to reach a performance level on an assessment. The Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments use cut scores to place students into performance levels. Scoring at the proficient or advanced levels means that the student has demonstrated a strong understanding of core subject matter content and skills. The new cut scores are statistically equivalent to the National Assessment for Educational Progress (NAEP) proficient cuts, providing Virginia with a nationally recognized benchmark of excellence and ensuring that student performance is measured in alignment with the highest national standard.  

Why are cut scores changing?  

SOL assessments are aligned to state standards, which define what students are expected to learn. Cut scores help us know if students are meeting learning expectations. The current scores are based on old standards from 2016 (mathematics) and 2017 (English). Since new content standards were approved in 2023 and 2024, and new SOL assessments fully aligned to the new more rigorous standards were implemented in Spring 2025, cut scores need to be updated to reflect current expectations for proficiency and beyond. 

How are cut scores decided? 

Cut scores were established through a standard setting process with a committee of subject matter experts. The goal of the Virginia SOL Standard Setting Committee was to recommend performance level cut scores for Grades 3-8 Mathematics, Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Grades 3-8 Reading, and End of Course (EOC) Reading to the Virginia State Board of Education. The Board determines the final cut scores and policy modifications. 

The Virginia Department of Education is currently gathering input from stakeholders on a multi-year phase-in implementation plan that will be voted on at the Board’s October 23, 2025, business meeting. 

Background & History

Over the past two years, Virginia has adopted more rigorous academic standards in mathematics (2023) and reading (2024) to reflect deeper conceptual understanding, critical thinking, and real-world application. To measure whether students meet these higher expectations, Standards of Learning assessments and test questions in both mathematics and English were fully revised to align with the more rigorous academic standards and placed greater emphasis on higher-order thinking and integrating multiple skills. However, the previous proficiency cut scores were set at levels that many experts and stakeholders argued no longer matched the expectations embedded in the more rigorous standards.  

The next step to raise expectations was to approve new cut scores. Cut scores define the minimum score a student must achieve to reach a performance level on an assessment. By modifying cut scores, the Board ensures that “proficient” reflects the skills and knowledge students need to be ready for success in college, career-ready, or in military pathways after high school.  

The concept of an “honesty gap”, or the divergence between how students perform on state assessments versus on national benchmarks, has grown increasingly salient. If state proficiency is too lenient, it risks overstating student readiness and underserving those who need intervention and support. To address this, the Board initiated a standard-setting process, including standard-setting committees and public input, to recommend higher proficiency cut scores that better align with deeper learning and national norms. This vote finalizes that shift.  

Importantly, Virginia’s updated accountability system, the School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF), has received federal approval, allowing the Commonwealth to move forward with improved student performance metrics, split accreditation and accountability systems, and targeted support to schools needing intensive support.  

The Virginia Department of Education will present a final multi-year phase-in implementation plan at the Board’s October 23, 2025, business meeting after receiving input from stakeholders.  

Resources

• Explanation of Cut Scores: Overview of cut scores, how they are established and approved
• Recommended Cut Scores for Phased-In Models: Overview of recommended multiyear phased-in models for full implementation of cut score revisions to maximize student success while raising expectations for all students
• Summary of Analyses between Virginia Standards of Learning and NAEP Framework: Overview of alignment between the 2023 and 2024 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL) and the 2026 NAEP Framework for Proficient and Advanced Levels  
  • Summary of Analysis between 2024 Virginia English Standards of Learning and 2026 NAEP Framework
  • Summary of Analysis between 2023 Virginia Math Standards of Learning and 2026 NAEP Framework