Vertical Scaled Score Interpretation for Growth Assessments

Growth Assessments are computer adaptive tests, shorter than the Standards of Learning tests, that were developed in grades 3-8 reading and mathematics as a result of legislation passed in the 2021 Virginia General Assembly. The growth assessments consist of test items that measure the Standards of Learning, have been reviewed by Virginia teachers, tried out with Virginia students, and accepted for use on the growth assessments.

Beginning with the second year of implementation (2022-2023) and beyond, the legislation requires that the grades 3-8 reading and mathematics growth assessments be administered to students once in the fall and once in the winter (mid-year) during the school year. In addition to the growth assessments, the SOL tests for grade 3-8 reading and mathematics will continue to be administered

The score report that results from completing the Growth Assessments is called the Student Detail By Question Report or SDBQ Report. This report details how students performed on the growth assessments, including which questions they answered correctly, a general description of the content of the question, and the difficulty of the questions they were asked. School divisions provide the SDBQ Report to families. Please contact your child’s school if you have not received their SDBQ report.

» Overview of the SDBQ Report (PDF)

Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) have curriculum frameworks available for the core content subject areas. These frameworks provide the standards, descriptions of what the standards look like in practice, and tie the standards to essential knowledge and skills for students. These documents will help parents better understand the SDBQ report available from growth testing. 

» ACPS curriculum resources

Meeting with your child’s teacher for a parent/teacher conference can be one way to discuss what your child is learning and how their performance on the growth assessments matches their classroom performance. Parents and teachers can look at the students SDBQ report to see areas of strength and room for continued growth. The State has provided guidance on how parents can read and understand the SDBQ report for the growth assessments. 

» Reading your student’s SDBQ Report

The number of questions varies on each assessment, and how those questions are divided among the standards is test-dependent. The State has provided test blueprints that show the expected number of questions per standard/strand of the SOLs.