AYP 2009: Post's Take on Virginia Scores

Va. Test Scores Climb, But More Schools Miss Targets

More Virginia schools fell short of academic benchmarks in the past school year even though passing rates on state reading and math tests continued to climb, according to results made public Thursday morning.

The data show that 525 schools, or 28 percent of the statewide total, failed to make adequate progress under federal education law in the 2008-09 school year. In the previous year, 479 schools -- or 26 percent -- fell short.

At the same time, the percentage of students who met or exceeded the state standard for proficiency in reading and math rose in the annual spring tests. Eighty-nine percent passed Virginia's Standards of Learning English reading tests, up from 87 percent the year before. And 86 percent passed the SOL math tests, up from 84 percent the year before.