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Beginning in September 2021, State legislation required the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to implement new growth assessments, the Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA), for grades 3-8 in reading and math. Starting in 2022-23, students in grades 3-8 take the VGA in fall and winter. Middle school students enrolled in Algebra I, Geometry, or Algebra II do not participate in the mathematics VGA. The purpose of these assessments is to measure student growth and progress in reading and mathematics content standards.
There is no “passing” or “failing” outcome for the VGA. Results will:
- provide a starting point to measure growth and will offer information about areas of strength and areas for growth in reading and mathematics.
- be used to help school staff plan for instruction and academic supports.
2023 VGA
- For the Fall 2023 VGA, students in grades 4 – 8 were assessed on content from the previous grade level. Students in grade 3 were assessed on current grade level standards, and they are not expected to demonstrated knowledge of standards not yet taught.
- The Winter 2024 VGA assessed students based on current grade level content.
The following resources will guide you in understanding your student’s Virginia Growth Assessment reports.
Understanding VGA Results
VGA Reading & Math Parent Report 2023 - NEW!
On January 17, 2024, VDOE announced the release of the Parent
Report covering the results of this year’s Winter Virginia Growth Assessments (VGA). The report is designed to provide detailed information to parents regarding their student’s performance on the Fall VGA compared to the Winter VGA and later Spring SOL 2024. The report provides easy-to-read performance graphics along with resources families/caregivers can use at home, empowering parents and students to understand academic performance, set goals together, and track progress over time. The Parent Report also clearly informs parents/caregivers if their student’s test scores indicate a need for additional support, is considered at-risk of falling behind, or if the student is generally well prepared at this point in the school year.
An example of the new Parent Report as well as additional resources for parents can be found on the Parent & Caregiver Resources for Assessments webpage on the VDOE website.
Parent reports will be shared with families via ParentVUE approximately two weeks after the testing window closes on February 2, 2024.
For detailed information, the following VDOE webinar and slide deck on the new Parent VGA Report may be shared with APS staff:
- Winter VGA Parent Report – YouTube Link
- Winter VGA Parent Report – Slide Deck
Vertical Scaled Scores 2023
Vertical Scaled Scores Reading & Mathematics Grades 3 – 8 2023
The vertical scored represents where a student’s score lies when compared to all other Virginia students in the same grade who participated in the growth assessment. VDOE has selected quartile ranges to provide this comparative feedback. VDOE emphasizes the standard level information should be the primary focus for parents, guardians, students, and teachers over the vertical scaled scored. These quartiles are only applicable to the Fall 2023 Growth Assessments; VDOE will soon publish the new quartiles for the Winter 2024 Growth Assessment.
Student Detail by Question 2022
VDOE Overview of the Student Detail By Question (SDBQ) Report
This document provides a general overview of the Student Detail by Question (SDBQ) Report. This report shows the SOL strands that students were tested on and whether they answered the test item correctly. Additionally, the level of difficulty (H=high difficulty, M=medium difficulty, L=low difficulty) of the test item is identified.
VDOE Standards of Learning (SOL) SDBQ Overview (YouTube)
This is a short video that explains the information contained in a student’s SDBQ Report.