Teaching, Learning & Assessment » K-12 Standards & Instruction » Science

Assessment Resources

Print
Share & Bookmark, Press Enter to show all options, press Tab go to next option
Font Size: + -

News & Announcements

Review of the 2018 Science Standards of Learning

On December 11, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education approved the 2025 Expanded High School Science Standards of Learning on final review. The 2025 Expanded High School Science Standards of Learning describe the Commonwealth’s expectations for student learning and achievement in eleven high school science courses that are approved by the Board but do not have current academic standards. This includes Environmental Science, Biology II: Anatomy and Physiology, Biology II: Ecology, Biology II: Genetics, Biology II: Advanced Survey of Biology Topics, Earth Science II: Astronomy, Earth Science II: Geology, Earth Science II: Oceanography, Earth Science II: Advanced Survey of Earth Science Topics, Chemistry II: Advanced Survey of Chemistry Topics; Physics II: Advanced Survey of Physics Topics. The expansion of the standards to include these eleven new courses will provide for access and rigorous expectations and opportunities across the Commonwealth in all Board-approved science courses. The 2018 Science Standards of Learning for Kindergarten - Physics remain unchanged in content and practices. Science instructional guides are being developed to support the Standards and will include structures to increase specificity and provide clarity about performance expectations of the Standards.

Science Assessment Resources 

  • TestNav8 – Practice items that provide examples of the content, integrated science and engineering practices, and new question formats that reflect the expectations in the 2018 Science Standards of Learning (SOL).
  • Released SOL Tests – Released SOL tests in all subjects.
  • 2018 Science SOL Test Blueprints – In preparation for implementation of the new assessments measuring the 2018 Science Standards of Learning, new science test blueprints have been developed for the grade 5 science, grade 8 science, and EOC Biology SOL tests. It is important to note that science assessments developed using the new blueprints will be administered for the first time in the spring 2023 SOL test administration.
  • Ancillary Test Materials– Students are permitted to use a Periodic Table of Elements on the EOC Chemistry test. These test manipulatives are included with your secure shipments for paper/pencil testing. For online testing, the following manipulatives are available on the toolbar in TestNav™. Please be sure to refer to the paper/pencil manuals and/or the online testing manuals for more information on test manipulatives.

Performance Assessment

Performance assessment measures subject-matter proficiency, requires students to apply the content and skills they have learned, and should present opportunities for students to demonstrate acquisition of the “Five C’s” – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship – described in the Board of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate. 

As students learn new skills and content, they should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery through the use of performance tasks. Both summative and formative performance assessments allow teachers and students alike to identify content that has been mastered, misconceptions, and gaps in learning. The evidence gained through performance assessment may be used to guide future classroom instruction.

VDOE Sample Performance Assessments

The VDOE, in collaboration with division partners, have developed and implemented aligned performance assessments for third grade.  In addition, sample performance assessments have also been developed to support other grade levels.  These samples, aligned to the 2018 Science Standards of Learning, may be used by divisions to meet expectations outlined in the Guidelines for Local Alternative Assessments (Superintendent's Memo 214-21).

Common Rubrics

The VDOE Common Rubrics serve as tools for teachers and divisions to utilize when tracking growth over time as students apply the scientific and engineering practices and build towards science conceptual understanding.  These rubrics reflect grade level bands; divisions and teachers should consider appropriate milestones and goals for student performance as they progress within an academic year and over each rubrics grade span.  In addition, teachers should consider the practices that are being addressed in any specific performance assessment to determine which rows of the rubric should be used in scoring student work.  

No one performance assessment is expected to utilize every row of the VDOE common rubric; instead, multiple opportunities should be given for students to build and demonstrate mastery of each of the different scientific and engineering practices included in the VDOE Common Rubric.