At a recent Newport News Public Schools School Board work meeting, the Department of Teaching and Learning presented preliminary results from the 2025–26 school year, highlighting SOL performance across grade levels, changes in school performance categories, and the division’s focus on strengthening Tier 1 instruction through its Teaching & Learning Framework as Virginia raises proficiency expectations.
The Department’s August 18, 2026 presentation to the Board reported gains across several areas, including elementary reading and mathematics, Grade 8 mathematics, high school Geometry and science, and high school history and social studies. The results showed that 30 of 37 schools, or 81%, were classified as On Track or Distinguished in the preliminary 2026–27 results, compared with 18 schools the previous year, while 13 schools moved to a higher performance category.
Elementary Gains Across Subjects
Elementary schools showed broad-based improvement, with 7 of 8 measured SOL areas increasing from 2024–25 to 2025–26. The strongest gains came in Grade 3 Reading and Math, each rising 7 points, while Grade 4 Virginia Studies increased 6 points, reflecting continued progress across multiple content areas.
Middle School Gains With Areas of Focus
Middle school results showed notable gains in Grade 6, with Reading improving 6 points and Math increasing 10 points. Grade 8 Math posted the largest gain at 16 points, while declines in Grade 7 Math and Grade 8 Reading and Science highlight areas where continued instructional focus is needed.
High School Gains in Math and Science
High school results showed particularly strong gains in Chemistry, where the pass rate increased 46 points, and Earth Science, which improved 13 points. Geometry also rose 7 points, while Algebra I, Algebra II, and Biology remained relatively stable, reinforcing the importance of sustaining gains while addressing individual areas of need.
Strong Gains in History
EOC Reading remained steady, increasing 1 point, while history and social studies results showed substantial improvement across multiple assessments. World History II increased 36 points and World Geography rose 33 points, with additional gains in World History I and Virginia & U.S. History demonstrating broad progress in these content areas.
Preparing for Higher Standards
Virginia is raising SOL proficiency expectations, with new benchmarks being phased in across Reading and Mathematics assessments. NNPS’s progress is encouraging, but the higher standards reinforce the need to strengthen instruction and ensure students are prepared to demonstrate deeper learning.
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