T.C. Williams Falls in Reading, Writing but Improves in Math SOLs

By Sharon McLoone

T.C. Williams High School dropped in its Standards of Learning test results in reading and writing and many of the sciences, but made progress in math scores during the 2012-2013 school year. 

The statewide pass rates for high school reading for the 2012-2013 school year was 89 compared to 84 for 2011-2012. However, Alexandria’s public high school garnered an 85 compared to the prior year’s 91.

In writing, T.C. Williams fell from a 93 to an 82 compared to the 2012-2013 state average of high school writing at 87 from the prior school year’s 93. 

Chemistry fell 88 to 72 year-over-year at T.C. and Earth Science dropped 84 to 69.

Bright spots include World History I, which bumped up from 76 in 2011-2012 to 87 in 2012-2013.

T.C. Williams reflects a statewide trend in math improvement. For example, Algebra II moved up from 62 to 73 at Alexandria’s only public high school.

The English and Science SOL tests taken by students in 2012-2013 reflect the increased rigor of revised standards adopted by the state Board of Education in 2010, according to the state's education department.

State accreditation and federal accountability reports will be released next month, along with updated school and division report cards, according to the department.

“Even with three-year averaging mitigating the impact of the new tests, we will see some schools slip from Fully Accredited to Accredited with Warning,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Patricia Wright said in a news release announcing Virginia’s SOL results.