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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted many, if not all education systems worldwide. In Virginia, recent data indicates that the Standards of Learning (SOL) test scores have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. For example, in the 2023-24 academic year, Virginia’s statewide pass rates were 76% in reading/writing and 71% in math compared to that of the 2018-19 academic year when pass rates were close to 80% for all subjects.
What’s especially worrying is that there were groups of students who were already facing difficulties with the SOL’s before COVID-19, primarily English Language Learners (ELLs). Their highest pass rate for the 2018-19 academic year was for the math SOL, which was 57%. Other subjects, such as reading and writing, had pass rates of 33% and 19% respectively, the lowest of any subgroup in the entire state.
The growing ELL population, which has seen a 26% increase between 2010-11 and 2019-20, faces striking academic achievement gaps, a trend that has worsened since the pandemic. According to a 2022 report by The Commonwealth Institute, Virginia’s supplementary funding for ELLs (13.5%) is only one-third of that of the national average (39%).
As the population of ELL students continues to grow, board members must consider the unique challenges that ELL students face when considering their state-wide testing protocols and methodology. Despite state proposals for enhanced learning opportunities to support ELLs, the actual commitment for providing for these students remains incredibly inconsistent. A brief period of reprieve for ELLs was considered, when a new bill was proposed in the Virginia General Assembly.
House Bill 1679, which was passed by the House of Delegates on Feb. 4 by a vote of 51-49, would have required the Virginia Board of Education to prioritize incorporating SOLs in the commonly spoken native languages within the commonwealth, ensuring that ELLs would be able to take these standardized tests in a language they were fluent in. This bill alone would have fixed a lot of long-standing issues for ELLs with the SOLs.
Students would finally be able to take a test that can test their understanding of the subject matter, rather than testing for their understanding of the English language. This bright light for the future of ELLs unfortunately did not last long. On Feb.
13, HB1679 was passed by indefinitely in the Senate Committee on Education and Health on a 15-0 vote, killing the bill. If this legislation had passed and been effective, the Virginia Board of Education would have finally started to fulfill its promises to uphold and upkeep the priorities listed in the board’s Comprehensive Plan 2024-2029 . With this new inspiring and promising bill being effectively thrown in the trash, however, it seems Virginia has no intent in genuine support for learning loss recovery, especially those in disadvantaged subgroups.
Sign up for Viewpoints, an opinion newsletter To address learning loss recovery from COVID-19, the board must start to embrace this model in considering the needs for all students, especially the most vulnerable. Stakeholders, including parents, educators and other Virginia residents, are encouraged to advocate for ELLs, as it is apparent that the state seems to think that additional support for these students is not warranted. Anyone can submit comments at any time for the board to review.
Board members must start to incorporate and establish comprehensive measures in order for ELLs to finally be able to prosper. Virginia’s promise to ensure an education system for all students is beginning to fall on deaf ears. If something is not done soon, there may be a point of no return for ELLs.
Conner Clark is an undergraduate student at William & Mary in Williamsburg. After graduating, he plans to teach at a Virginia public high school and foster a learning environment suitable for all students..
