Virginia Growth Assessment Score Reports

Understand your child's growth and performance on state assessments

Reporting Results for VGA Tests

Most students in grades 3-8 take a Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) test for reading and mathematics in the Fall and again in Winter. When the results for all students' VGA tests are returned to Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), the division shares this information with families. 

What Information Does the Report Include?

The VGA score report provides a FCPS cover letter and two Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) report pages for each test subject: the “Parent Report” and “Student Detail by Question”  Full text and printable translations of the cover letter with sample VDOE report pages are found below.

FULL TEXT - VGA Score Report Cover Letter

VIRGINIA GROWTH ASSESSMENT (VGA) SCORE REPORT COVER LETTER

Dear Parent/Guardian:

This letter introduces you to your student’s Virginia Growth Assessment (VGA) reports from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). It provides background about VGA tests, describes the two types of report pages enclosed, and offers suggestions for how you can help your student’s learning. Translated content for this cover letter and enclosed reports is available on the VGA Score Reports webpage (http://www.fcps.edu/node/43938). All reports are from the most recent VGA testing window: __________________.

Background on VGA Tests

VGA reading and mathematics tests measure knowledge and skills within state content standards. State law requires schools to give fall and winter VGA tests to students who will take grade 3-8 Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in the spring. For fall tests in September-October, VGA items mostly test content from the previous grade level course. For winter tests in December-January, VGA items mostly test current course content, including skills not yet taught. School staff use VGA results together with other available data to create a more complete picture of your student’s academic performance.

What You Will See in Parent Report Pages

You will find a Parent Report from the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) for each VGA test your student took this window: mathematics and/or reading. This report shows your student’s most recent VGA scores and the change over time. 

What You Will See in Student Detail by Question Pages

You will find a Student Detail by Question (SDBQ) for each VGA test your student took this window: mathematics and/or reading. The SDBQ lists the specific items your student saw on the recent test. 

How You Can Help Your Student’s Learning

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) seeks to partner with families to foster every student’s learning potential. The following steps offer questions and resources for families to consider.  

STEP NUMBER 1 -- Talk to your student’s teachers to learn more about ways you can give support from home. Here are some questions you may want to ask:

  • Is my student on grade level in all classes?
  • With what skills does my student need more support?
  • How can I support these skills from home?
  • Are there other classroom assessments of which I should be aware that will help me understand my student’s progress?

STEP NUMBER 2 -- Access free resources available for you and your student to use at home. Here are some suggestions: 

SAMPLE - "Parent Report" Content

STUDENT NAME

State Testing Identifier: XXXXXXXXXX

Grade: X

School: XXXX – SCHOOL NAME

Division: XXX – DIVISION NAME

Parent Report

VDOE logo
 (subjecticon).

Growth Assessment YEAR

SUBJECT

WINDOW
Question iconWhat is this report?
This report shows your child's performance on the Virginia Growth Assessments. This report, combined with teacher input, classroom work, report cards, and the Student Detail by Question reports, gives families and teachers a more complete picture of student progress. You can use these results to help identify where your child is doing well and where additional support may be needed.

Your child's academic progress at this point in the school year   

Question iconThe chart below shows your child's score on two of the three growth assessments your child will take over the course of this school year. These scores can be used to understand if your child is learning the content and skills expected in the Virginia Standards of Learning. If the growth assessment score is staying the same or decreasing, it may be helpful to ask the teacher if your child needs more support in this subject area.
VDOE sample winter VGA graph

Fall

Winter

Spring

Based on your child's score on each Growth Assessment shown above, your child:

needs additional support.

triangle- needs additional support symbol

is at risk.

diamond- is at risk symbol

is generally well prepared.

circle- is generally well prepared symbol
(range low) - (range high)(range low) - (range high)(range low) and above

SAMPLE - "Student Detail by Question" (SDBQ) Content

STUDENT NAME

State Testing Identifier: XXXXXXXXXX

Grade: X

School: XXXX – SCHOOL NAME

Division: XXX – DIVISION NAME

Student Detail by Question

Virginia Assessment Program logo

 Gr X

SUBJECT

TEST NAME

.
Vertical Scaled Score: (Current Score)

Test Administration Date: TEST DATE

.
The item descriptor, SOL measured, and level of difficulty for each test question presented to the student during this GRADE LEVEL SUBJECT test are grouped by reporting category and shown below.
..
H
Item difficulty level is high.check mark symbolStudent answered item correctly.Indicates the test item was administered in a section of the test where the students were not provided with a calculator.
M
Item difficulty level is medium. x symbolStudent answered item incorrectly or did not provide a response..
L
Item difficulty level is low. .

 

Reporting Category

REPORTING CATEGORY NAME

                                                                                                                          .
Item Difficulty  
H   M LItem Descriptor and SOL Measured                              . 
x symbol  ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
 x symbol ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
check mark symbol  ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
 check mark symbol ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
  check mark symbolITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 

Reporting Category

REPORTING CATEGORY NAME

                                                                                                                          .
Item Difficulty  
H   M LItem Descriptor and SOL Measured                              . 
x symbol  ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
 x symbol ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
check mark symbol  ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
 check mark symbol ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 
 check mark symbol ITEM DESCRIPTION (STANDARD) 

PRINTABLE PDF Translations - VGA Score Report

Reports are currently in the process of being updated for Winter 2023 results. Updates are posted as they become available. 

How Are Scores Reported to Families?

When a student takes a VGA test, families receive a score report within 4-6 weeks of the close of the window. Most families receive reports through the Student Information System (SIS) ParentVUE

  • Families with ParentVUE accounts access the cover letter and report pages in the ParentVUE Documents section
  • Families without a ParentVUE account receive the cover letter and report pages via U.S. Mail. 

Why doesn’t FCPS use the state parent portal for VGA score reports?

FCPS streamlines families’ access to student academic information through our division’s SIS ParentVUE. By providing academic records all within this system, families have fewer logins to keep track of and can view information for all of their children in the same session. Beginning with Winter 2023 reports, FCPS is posting VGA score reports for direct parent/guardian access within SIS ParentVUE. 

FCPS does not use the state parent portal because of accessibility limitations and our division effort to streamline parent reporting through SIS secure access whenever possible.

Understanding VGA Results

The VDOE provides information about how VGA scores can be used. The questions and answers below offer guidance based on the information available from VDOE at this time. Updates are made as VDOE releases additional information about the use of VGA data. 

What can the VGA tell me about my student’s readiness for grade level standards?

The VDOE provided proficiency bands for Fall and Winter 2023 VGA outcomes. These bands suggest the student’s general readiness to access the current course content standards. VDOE defines the level of support students scoring in each band may need support throughout the school year.  

  • Below Expectation / Needs Additional Support:  Student needs additional support with prior knowledge and foundational skills as new content is introduced throughout the year. Effective support should include individualized and small group instruction.

  • Approaching Expectation / Is At Risk: Student is at risk for needing additional support with some prior knowledge and skills as new content is introduced throughout the year. Effective support may occur through individualized, small group, and whole group instruction.

  • Meets Expectation / Is Generally Well Prepared: Student is generally well prepared for new grade level content this year.

Fall & Winter 2023 - Mathematics VGA Proficiency Bands for Instruction & Support

VDOE Fall/Winter proficiency bands for math VGA tests

Fall & Winter 2023 - Reading VGA Proficiency Bands for Instruction & Support

VDOE Fall/Winter proficiency bands for reading VGA tests

How can I learn more about my student’s strengths and areas of need?

The VGA score report letter includes a copy of the Student Detail by Question (SDBQ) report from VDOE for each VGA test your student took in the most recent testing window. A sample of the SDBQ is provided in the letter content above. 

SDBQ pages give details about your student’s responses for VGA test items, organized by SOL reporting category. The SDBQ describes each item your student saw on the most recent test and indicates the standard it measured. For example, 6.2B means the item measured skills found in sixth grade standard 2, part B. You can find more information about the grade level standards on the VDOE webpages for mathematics and English (reading). 

The SDBQ starts with any items your student answered incorrectly or left blank (coded with a “X”) followed by all the items your student answered correctly (coded with a check mark). Within these two groups, items are listed in order of difficulty: 

  • H = high difficulty
  • M = medium difficulty
  • L = low difficulty
Sample layout of SDBQ X and check for difficulty levels

Keep in mind that each VGA test reflects performance on a single day and should be used alongside other available data for a more complete picture of academic performance and needs. Talking to the student's teacher is the best way to learn more about how the student is progressing in reading and mathematics.

The VDOE resource, Overview of the SDBQ Report, provides additional information about this report.  

Is my student’s performance “on track” to meet end-of-year expectations?

There are no “passing” or “failing” scores for VGA tests. Due to the test design, it is not possible to say with certainty whether a student’s fall or winter VGA performance is “on track” for end-of-year expectations, as measured by SOL tests. However, information from the VDOE suggests that: 

  • Ranges I-IV shown in the tables below roughly align to "not proficient" end-of-year performance; 
  • Range V roughly aligns to "low proficient" end-of-year performance; 
  • Ranges VI-VIII roughly align to "proficient" end-of-year performance.  

Mathematics Vertical Scaled Score Ranges by Test Level

math vertical scaled score ranges

Reading Vertical Scaled Score Ranges by Test Level

reading vertical scaled score ranges

What supports can I expect for my student based on VGA results?

It is important to remember that the VGA is just one data point to use when considering a student’s readiness to access curriculum standards for their current courses. FCPS applies a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework as school teams make decisions about students' instruction, support, intervention, and tutoring needs, as applicable. 

School teams review multiple data sources to create a more complete picture each student's academic performance. Examples of data sources that go into support decisions include performance on:

  • Fall academic screeners (iReady reading/math in elementary school; Math Inventory and Reading Inventory in middle school)
  • Fall and Winter VGA tests
  • Previous Spring SOL tests
  • Classroom assessments and assignments

If your student is identified to receive intervention or tutoring based on the school team's review, your student's school will share information with you about their needs, supports, and progress. For more information about your current student’s learning progress in reading and mathematics, please talk to your student’s teacher.

Please note that High Intensity Tutoring through the All In Virginia Initiative is not currently available in every school because the VDOE's High Intensity Tutoring allocations vary by division. You can find current information about Tutoring Options in FCPS on our webpage. 

How are VGA vertical scaled scores used to measure student growth?

The Virginia Board of Education has approved use of fall VGA results in grade 3 only to measure growth within the Standards of Accreditation (SOA). In grade 3, a student's fall VGA vertical scaled score is compared to their spring SOL vertical scaled score. If the spring score falls within a higher range than the fall score, then the student is determined to have made growth. For grades 4-8, SOA growth is measured using vertical scaled scores from the prior year and current year SOL tests, without reference to VGA performance. 

The VDOE has not yet provided guidance on how to measure growth in relation to students' learning of knowledge and skills for the content standards within the school year.

Family Resources to Support Student Learning

FCPS and VDOE offer resources that parents and caregivers can access when thinking about VGA performance and next steps. 

Questions to Ask Your Student’s Teachers

Talking to your student’s teachers can help you learn more about ways you can give support from home. Here are some possible questions you may want to ask:

  • Is my student on grade level in all classes?
  • With what skills does my student need more support?
  • How can I support these skills from home?
  • Are there other classroom assessments of which I should be aware that will help me understand my student’s progress?

VDOE Resources for Parent/Caregiver Conversations

The following resources are provided by VDOE and are currently available in English only. 

VDOE Questions to Ask Your Student’s Teacher About Math

header for VDOE resource - questions to ask your teacher about math

VDOE Questions to Ask Your Student’s Teacher About Reading

header for VDOE resource- questions to ask your teacher about reading

VDOE Parent-Teacher Planning Tool

header for VDOE resource- parent-teacher planning tool

Content Learning Resources

FCPS Learning Resources

FCPS provides digital resources to support at home for elementary and middle school students.  

You can also find current information about Tutoring Options in FCPS

VDOE Learning Resources

The VDOE webpage highlights free online resources to help caregivers support their students in the VGA content areas.

WHERE CAN FAMLIES FIND RESULTS FOR SOL TESTS, INCLUDING SOA GROWTH INFORMATION?

Standards of Learning (SOL) Score Reports

WHERE CAN FAMLIES FIND MULTI-YEAR SOL PERFORMANCE FOR TESTS FROM 2021-22 AND EARLIER?

VVAAS Student Assessment Summary