Virginia’s SOLs Are Changing: What Parents Should Know
For many years, families in Virginia have understood the Standards of Learning (SOLs) as a set of assessments students had to take for state purposes, but which wouldn’t affect their school grades at all. As of summer 2026, this may be changing. Virginia is in the middle of a reassessment of what SOLs should mean and what weight they should carry for students, schools, and families. This change is not only about the logistics of the test, but about how the state of Virginia defines proficiency and how much pressure should be placed on students and their performance.
What are SOLs?
The Virginia Standards of Learning, commonly called SOLs, are a list of standards that define the minimum expectations of what students should be able to do at the end of each grade or course. SOL tests measure students’ success in meeting the Board of Education’s expectations and are reviewed by Virginia classroom teachers to ensure that the tests are accurate and fair.
SOLs have a different purpose depending on students’ grade level. In grades 3-8, students take reading and math SOLs, plus some science and social studies tests. In high school, students take end-of-course SOLs in different subjects such as Algebra 1, Geometry, Biology, US History, and Reading.
Why do SOLs matter?
SOLs might not affect students’ school grades right now, but they are still important. For high school students SOLs are particularly important, as graduation requirements state that for a student to graduate with a Standard Diploma, they must earn a minimum of 22 standard credits and 5 verified credits, which are credits earned by successfully completing required courses and passing the associated end-of-course SOL tests (or other test approved by the Board of Education). Also, SOLs are sometimes used for course placement and academic planning.
For schools, SOLs matter a great deal too, as SOL scores affect school ratings, which can influence state funding decisions and public perception. These scores and participation are a major factor in how schools are rated by the School Performance and Support Framework (SPSF), which is the accountability system in Virginia.
What is changing?
There are two main ways in which SOLs are changing in Virginia:
The state is changing what “proficient” means. Cut scores define the minimum score a student must earn to be placed in a certain performance level: below basic, basic, proficient, and advanced. Students must place in the proficient or advanced level to show they have a strong understanding of the subject. The cut scores will be changing, and will be more aligned with the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) cut scores, which means Virginia will be using a nationally-recognized standard for its students. In practical terms, this means some students who previously would have been considered proficient may no longer meet the new proficiency threshold.
SOLs might be more important for students. House Bill 1957 was passed in 2025, and might bring some major changes in the 2026-2027 school year:
Scores will count at least 10% of a student’s final grade.
End-of-course tests will happen within the last two weeks of school.
If SOLs are being used for some students for verified course credit, the test will be given to all students enrolled in the course, even if they don’t need the verified credit.
The 0-600 scale would shift to a new 100-point scale.
Why is the state changing the SOL?
The current cut scores are based on old standards. New standards were approved in 2023 and 2024, and the new SOLs implemented in Spring 2025 are aligned to these more rigorous standards, but the cut scores have not been updated. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) states that the cut scores need to be updated to reflect the current expectations for proficiency.
Supporters of this change argue that higher cut scores create a clearer and more honest picture of student achievement, since if Virginia’s cut scores are lower compared to national benchmarks, students and families might get a misleading sense of how proficient they are.
FCPS’s concerns
Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) states that it supports rigorous standards, but is concerned that changing too many parts of the system at once (standards, cut scores, and accountability systems) might create unintended consequences to schools and students. They identify the following potential impacts:
Counting SOLs towards grades could increase pressure around single-day testing, penalize students whose parents refuse SOL participation, and affect students who are absent.
Restricting SOLs to the last two weeks of school might limit access to retakes, prevent some seniors from graduating with their peers, and affect multilingual students and students with disabilities that need multiple days to test.
Requiring all students in certain courses to take SOLs, even if they do not need verified credits, could increase the amount of standardized testing students are required to participate in.
Adopting a 100-point system could make it more difficult to distinguish between achievement levels.
What this means for families
The main takeaway for families is that SOL scores may become more consequential. They will not be the only measure of learning, but they may carry more weight in how students, schools, and achievement are evaluated.
As Virginia raises cut (minimum) scores, some students may find it harder to reach the proficient level. Families should pay attention not only to whether a student passes, but also to what the score suggests about readiness for future coursework.
A shorter two-week testing window could also increase pressure on students, especially those with test anxiety, accommodations, and language needs, as there will be limited retake opportunities. For parents, the most important response is awareness: know which SOLs your child is taking, understand how the results may be used, and consider targeted support if the scores reveal gaps.
