It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools.
The Standards of Learning is supportive of the [1] No Child Left Behind Act, which was signed into law by then-President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002.
Students are assessed in English and mathematics in grades 3-8 and upon completion of certain high school level courses.
Science and history SOL are administered in grades 4, 5, and 8 and at the end of completing high school courses in these respective subjects.
To graduate from high school, a student only needed to pass a sixth grade level test.
In 1998, the first year of SOL testing, only 2 percent of the Virginia Commonwealth's public schools met the standard for full accreditation.
However, complete results of all assessments in grades 3-8 and end-of-course tests for fall, spring, and summer may be found on the School Report Cards.
[4] The Virginia Department of Education has posted fact sheets detailing the timeline for changes, accreditation ratings, diploma requirements, and other documentation related to the SOL.
[7] A Lexile measure can be used to match readers with targeted text and monitor growth in reading ability.
The initial creation of the SOL caused extensive debate around both the validity of the tests and the administration of the process.