Growth Assessments
Fall 2021 Growth Assessments
Beginning with the 2021-2022 school year, students in Virginia public schools will take growth assessments in grades 3-8 reading and mathematics. Legislation passed in the 2021 Virginia General Assembly (HB2027
and SB1357) requires the new assessments to be completed by students in the fall and spring of 2021-2022 in grades 3-8 reading and mathematics to measure growth during the school year. Individual student score reports will be provided with details of how students performed on each test item, but the growth assessments do not include a passing/failing score. The focus on these assessments is on identifying what students have already learned as well as the skills they may need additional help with during this school year.
Full implementation of the legislation will occur in the 2022-2023 school year with assessments in these content areas and grade levels occurring three times during the year: fall, mid-year, and spring. The spring growth assessments will be the regularly occurring Standards of Learning tests.
The assessments students will take - in fall 2021 only - will be based on the previous grade level’s content. For example, a grade 4 student will take an assessment based on grade 3 content in the fall of 2021. The administration of assessments measuring content from the previous grade level in fall of 2021 is intended to assist in the identification of unfinished learning from 2020-2021 due to the pandemic as well as enable students to show growth during the current school year.
2021 - 2022 New Growth Assessments Video
Fall 2021 Growth Assessments Test Blueprints Summary
Much like the blueprint for a building, a test blueprint serves as a guide for test construction. The blueprint indicates the content areas that will be addressed by the test and the number of items that will be included by content area and for the test as a whole.
Fall 2021 Grades 3-8 Reading and Mathematics Growth Assessments Manuals
- Grades 3, 4, & 5 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document.
- Grades 6, 7 & 8 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document.
- Fall 2021 Examiner’s Resource Guide Grades 3-8 Reading and Mathematics Growth Assessments-This is a PDF document.
- Fall 2021 Test Implementation Manual: Non-Writing Standards of Learning Test Administration and Grades 3-8 Reading and Mathematics 2021-2022 Test Administration-This is a PDF document.
- Fall 2021 Addendum for the Grade 3, Grades 4 & 5, and Grades 6-8 Supplements to the Examiner’s Manuals-This is a PDF document.
- Supplement to the Grade 3 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document.
- Supplement to the Grades 4 & 5 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document.
- Supplement to the Grades 6, 7, & 8 Examiner’s Manual-This is a PDF document.
Resources for Assessment
- Computer Adaptive Testing – Includes informational videos and resources about computer adaptive testing (CAT)
- SOL Practice Items - The Practice Items are test items grouped by content area and grade level or course available for use by teachers, parents, and students in Virginia.
- Guided Practice Suggestions - The Guided Practice Suggestions are designed to be used in conjunction with the Practice Items. The Guided Practice Suggestions provide specific guided practice suggestions for teachers as they lead students through a practice item set. Following these suggestions will ensure that students are exposed to all of the different tools within TestNav, the different functionality features of technology-enhanced items (TEI), and common messages that may appear as students complete TEI.
TestNav Functionality Overview Grade 3 Reading and Mathematics Fall 2021 (YouTube) – The YouTube video is designed for teachers to use independently or with their students. Teachers may play the video and stop it while students practice certain test features and item functionality using the practice items.
Reading (2017)