FAIRFAX COUNTY, VA — While Fairfax County Public Schools saw little change in some subjects on the 2023-2024 Standards of Learning standardized tests, FCPS saw sharp declines in English writing and history scores.
Accordingly Data from the Virginia Department of Education As released Tuesday, the English reading pass rate for FCPS was 78 percent, unchanged from last year. The math pass rate was 76 percent, one point higher than last year. Only 28 percent of students passed English writing, nearly half of last year’s 57 percent, down from 78 percent in the 2021-2022 school year. In history/social science, FCPS students scored 41 percent, down from 62 percent in the previous school year. FCPS had a 73 percent science pass rate, up one point from last year.
With the exception of English Writing and History, FCPS pass rates were above the state average in all subjects. State averages were 73 percent in English Reading, 71 percent in Mathematics, 76 percent in English Writing, 65 percent in History/Social Science, and 68 percent in Science.
“We know that great things can happen when we purposefully fund and support public education,” Superintendent Aaron Spence said in a statement. “We still have a lot of work to do, but I am proud of everything our dedicated educators have accomplished to get us where we are today.”
Statewide, according to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s office, SOL results reflect the beginning of learning recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The overall math failure rate increased from 69 percent to 71 percent. The English reading failure rate remained unchanged at 73 percent.
“Today’s promising data shows that our students, teachers and schools are meeting our high expectations when they use proven approaches and tools,” said Virginia Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera. “We know what works. Every school in the Commonwealth must know and understand each student’s academic progress and abilities and provide tailored support and instruction that puts each student on the right path to success in life.”
According to the Virginia Department of Education, reading scores improved in 70 percent of school districts in third through eighth grades, 10.7 percent maintained their scores, and 19.1 percent experienced declines. In third through eighth grade math scores improved in 75 percent of school districts, 4.6 percent maintained their scores, and 19.8 percent experienced declines.
In high school, the math pass rate rose from 81 percent to 84 percent. However, the reading pass rate fell from 85 percent to 84 percent.
Most FCPS student subgroups made gains in reading and math. The reading pass rate for students with disabilities remained unchanged at 51 percent, and the math pass rate increased from 48 percent to 50 percent. The reading pass rate for students with economic needs increased slightly from 56 to 60 percent, and the math pass rate also increased from 55 percent to 56 percent. English learners showed improvement in math from 41 to 42 percent, but the reading pass rate remained unchanged at 31 percent.
“We are encouraged by the overall improvement in SOL scores across the division and will remain committed to meeting the individual needs of each student,” said Ashley Ellis, Chief Academic Officer at LCPS. “This includes providing targeted academic interventions and support systems for our English learners and students with disabilities. LCPS will remain focused on ensuring that every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Chronic absenteeism and other priorities of public education
In addition to the SOL results, the Virginia Department of Education provided an update on another statewide focus: chronic absenteeism. Youngkin’s office again emphasized the benefits of regular school attendance, noting that chronically absent students (those who attend less than 90 percent of the school year) score 19 percentage points lower in reading and 26 percentage points lower in math than other students.
Statewide, the rate of chronic school absenteeism fell from 19.3 percent to 16.1 percent, with 40,974 fewer students chronically absent last school year. According to an estimate by the Virginia Department of Education, Virginia’s K-12 students had 1,276,522 fewer days of absence overall, allowing for 8,935,654 more hours of instruction.
The state is implementing an All-in-VA initiative in the 2025-2026 school year to offset learning loss through intensive tutoring, longer tutoring hours, summer programs, and personalized supplemental math and reading resources. The initiative also focuses on reducing chronic absences with a Chronic Absenteeism Task Force, a Departmental Action Package, and other strategies.
The Virginia Department of Education is also accelerating implementation of the Virginia Literary Act in kindergarten and third grade to promote early literacy. The state initiative includes new instructional strategies for literacy and requires additional professional development for teachers.
