By Andrea Genovese Soares (May 21, 2003)

If it’s May, it must be testing time. Hundreds of Masonites are involved in literally thousands of tests this week as the state-mandated Standards of Learning (SOL) tests get underway and the International Baccalaureate (IB) tests wind down. 

In fact, students’ daily schedules have been altered this week to accommodate the SOL tests that begin at 7:45 each morning, while the IB tests, that have been going on for the past three weeks, will conclude this Friday.

By Friday, 193 IB students will have sat for 1,030 papers (exams) administered by the International Baccalaureate and these do not include the visual and theater arts IB classes that don’t conduct exams, but do have end-of-course exhibitions or performances.

In addition, about 3,000 SOL tests will have been completed by Friday morning May 30 and will be sent in for scoring by the state.

The IB tests are high stakes exams. They constitute a significant portion of the student’s final IB grade for each subject along with other internally and externally assessed components that have been conducted throughout the year or two that the course was in session.

The student’s final IB score, which ranges from 1 to 7, is very important. If it is a 5, 6 or 7, most American Universities will award college credit and, according to Mason’s IB coordinator Brian Dickson, can save students up to $350 for each credit earned.

Dickson reports that "the IB exams have gone more smoothly than ever. Students have been sick, but they have stuck with it, have come in and completed the exams and I’m proud of them because we can’t change the times of the exams."

While the SOL exams "have always been important" according to guidance director April Marr, they take on more significance now as this is the first year since the SOL’s have been in effect that students’ pass rates count not only for their graduation status, but also for the school’s accreditation.

"Beginning with the class of 2004 (this year’s juniors who are heavily involved in the tests) students will have to pass SOL tests in order to earn a diploma in Virginia. For the standard diploma, students will be required to pass nine SOL tests and their associated courses. If a student does not pass the required number of SOL tests, s/he will not earn a diploma. Thus the SOL’s are now considered to be very ‘high stakes’ tests," explained Marr. In addition, she pointed out that "to be fully accredited, a school’s students must achieve pass rates of 70 percent or above in all four content areas (English, mathematics, social studies, and science). Schools that do not achieve this accreditation status may be taken over and controlled by the state. All of the schools I Falls Church are fully accredited."

Marr is confident that George Mason will continue to earn high scores due to a "very high-achieving student body and a strong faculty committed to quality teaching." Last year, passing rates were very high: English (95%), Math (91%) and social studies (92%). "The Mason faculty is always developing strategies to address areas of weakness in our academic programs and to help students find success on the SOL tests," said Marr. 

Results just reported from the state this week for George Mason students who took certain SOL tests several weeks ago, also show high pass rates.

For students who do not pass the tests, Marr reports that, "we will provide remediation opportunities for the students who need extra help to pass these tests."