(The Center Square) – Virginia’s latest Standards of Learning tests, or SOLs, show students rising to the challenge, posting better scores in math and reading even though this year’s exams required students to know 30% to 40% more of the material to pass.
The Virginia Department of Education reported that reading pass rates this year ranged from 66.7% to 73.0% for grades 3–8, while math ranged from 64.2% to 72.4%.
In 2021–2022, 73% of students passed reading and 66% passed math, according to state data.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin said the results reflect his administration’s effort to raise expectations in schools. “We challenged our students, and they answered the call,” Youngkin said in a statement, adding that more work is needed to fully close the “honesty gap.”
According to numbers shared at the briefing, more than 55,000 middle school students in grades 6–8 took an end-of-course exam in Algebra I, Geometry or Algebra II during 2024–2025, with pass rates topping 94%. At the high school level, 112,139 students enrolled in at least one AP, IB, or Cambridge course, up from about 101,800 three years ago.
Another 53,107 students earned college credit through dual enrollment, compared with 45,915 in 2021–2022, according to documents.
State data also show gains across student groups. Math pass rates rose for economically disadvantaged students from 58% to 60% and for English learners from 42% to 45%. Results for students with disabilities held steady at 45%.
As previously reported by The Center Square, Virginia has also seen a steady decline in chronic absenteeism. The rate fell to 14.8% in 2024–2025, down from 20% two years ago, one of the sharpest drops in the nation.
“Today’s test results, along with the best-in-nation reduction in chronic absenteeism, are a testament to the power of high expectations,” said Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera.
“Virginia now has more rigorous standards, a stronger assessment system that provides more useful information, and a more effective system to support student improvement based on what the data tells us. When we use data as a flashlight to guide improvement, we can help every Virginia student navigate the path towards success,” Guidera added.
