Letter to the Washington Post

Published in September 2000

Two thirds of Virginians favor continuing the SOL program

Yesterday's article on the Washington Post SOL survey had a decidedly negative spin. The headline could have just as easily been, "Two thirds of Virginians favor continuing the SOL program." The survey gave options of leaving the SOL test "as is," significantly changing them, ending the entire program or "don't know." The option of minor changes to the system was not provided. Consequently, if this was your belief, significantly changing the system was your most likely choice. Even so if you added those who would leave the program as is or change it, 67% would continue the program.

It was interesting for the article to open with a parent whose oldest child had not completed a year school, much less taken a single SOL test. The information on the SOLs that most parents have received is from articles such as yours, and from school officials and teachers. Much of this information has been very negative. So it is not surprising that you could find parents concerned about the system. However, recent results are demonstrating that the system is having its desired effects and is improving the academic programs in Virginian schools. Ms. Benning’s own article about Pine Spring Elementary revealed that their Stanford 9 scores in the 4th and 6th grades had increased significantly in addition to their SOL test scores. That dispels the myth of “teaching to the test” as the Stanford 9 test is not aligned to the SOLs. It is unfortunate that your article quoted numerous similar myths that are proliferated by those who wish to end accountability in the schools. Many of those myths are countered on the www.pass-sol.org web site.

As the parents of Virginia begin to see the results of the SOL system, the support for the program will swell. As they see that the excuses of test being too hard are grossly underestimating the capability of their children to learn and often revealing the soft bigotry of low expectations, they will demand that school systems conform to the curriculum standards. When their children can logically work through problems because they have facts (like what is 2 times 2) and problem solving skills that require an underlying basis of factual information, they will see that their older children were cheated of their one opportunity to learn in the public schools. Eventually even those who oppose accountability will not be able to deny the results. The SOLs are working.

Steve Hunt

Spokesperson

Parents and Students Supporting Standards of Learning

703-502-0633

Fairfax Station, VA