by AnnGardner Eubank
NORTHUMBERLAND—While the Standards of Learning (SOL) test results from the 2023-24 school year released in late August by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) highlighted slight and steady overall passing rate increases across the Commonwealth, as a district, Northumberland County underperformed.
Northumberland County Public Schools (NCPS) classes earned passing rates lower than the statewide average in all areas but one, and the district underperformed compared to its passing scores last year.
While NCPS scores dropped in English, history and science, SOL scores in mathematics increased from last year almost five points higher in the subject area than the state average.
Virginia’s pass rate for mathematics was 70.92%. NCPS earned a 74.96% pass rate, slightly higher than last year’s 73.92% pass rate.
With the state passing rate for English Reading at 72.92%, NCPS scored a pass rate of 70.82%, a .59% decrease from last school year’s pass rate in the subject area.
As a district, NCPS saw the biggest decline in scores in science….
