Virginia students showed a marked improvement in math and reading during the 2024-2025 school year, following the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on student learning.
State officials joined Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin to announce improvements in the Standards of Learning test results, which this year required mastery of 30% to 40% more content to pass.
“For the last three and a half years, we have undertaken an effort to transform education in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and to end the era of lowered expectations,” Youngkin said. “This year, we significantly increased the rigor of our tests and expanded the content that students are expected to master.”
Youngkin added that scores in reading and math have improved significantly in grades 3-8, which were targeted as part of the state’s ALL In Virginia campaign.
Before the campaign, a presentation by the Virginia Department of Education spotlighted how the state pushed parents out of their child’s learning, had some of the lowest in-person learning time in the nation, was one of the last states to reopen schools after the pandemic, and had no accountability for test results.
“Virginia’s students are excellent, and they deserve an education system that meets their excellence and helps them succeed,” Youngkin said. “Today’s results are encouraging. While there remains much work ahead to fully close our ‘honesty gap,’ we see that as we continue on our great path of raising expectations and strengthening standards, Virginia’s amazing kids will continue to grow.”
Secretary of Education Aimee Rogstad Guidera said the improved test results, alongside the best-in-nation reduction in chronic absenteeism is a testament to the power of high expectations.
“Virginia now has more rigorous standards, a stronger assessment system that provides more useful information, and a more effective system to support student improvement based on what the data tells us,” Rogstad Guidera said. “When we use data as a flashlight to guide improvement, we can help every Virginia student navigate the path towards success.”
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Emily Anne Gullickson said the results are encouraging.
“From Virginia’s comprehensive policy levers enabling innovation and seat time flexibility, to expanding use of high-quality instructional materials and rethinking use of space and time to work for students, Virginia is moving forward together to get the job done on behalf of these kids,” Gullickson said.
Since its inception, All In VA has invested more than $418 million in school divisions to reduce absenteeism, accelerate the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act, and institutes intensive tutoring to address Covid-related learning loss.
