cut score lowering in VA

[PAVURSOL@aol.com]

At the VA Board of Education meeting yesterday, the Board decided to change 
the cut scores for the 8th grade reading and math SOL tests for those students 
who are going for the Modified Standard Diploma.  This diploma is only offered 
to kids who have IEPs.  You can see more specific info about this diploma on 
the Department of Educaton's website at 
http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/ForStudents/diploma-modified-std.pdf

They adoped a scaled cut score of 299 for reading (the cut score is currently 
400) and 360 for math (the current cut score is 400).  This will be applied 
retroactively.  These cut scores are based the scaled scores and equate to 
roughly 25 out of 60 questions in math and between 12 and 15 out of 42 on the 
reading test.  

While they still didn't follow preferred practice in setting cut scores, this 
round of cut score setting is better than the practice they followed in 
setting cut scores originally.

The Board also set cut scores for the new 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th 
grade history tests.  These scores (except for 8th grade, there are forty 
questions on each test) are 
3rd grade:   profic.  27, advanced 35
VA Studies (4th gr):  profic. 25, advanced 35
US Hist. to 1877 (5th grade): profic. 25, advanced 36
US Hist. 1877- Present(6th grade)-: profic. 23, advanced 34
Civics & Econ. (7th grade): profic. 21, advanced 34
8th grade (60 items, vs. 40 for all others, I think): proficient 26, advanced 
43
Because these are new tests, I can't compare the cut scores over time.  I 
will, however, remind you that the history cut scores were lowered in 2001 
(though not applied retroactively), thus increasing the pass rate. You can read more 
about that at our website (http://www.solreform.com/historyscores.htm)

Mickey