Arlington Public Schools students recorded increases in four of five broad academic categories in the Virginia Department of Education’s 2025-26 Standards of Learning exams (SOLs).
The school system reported overall increases in reading, history/social sciences, mathematics and science pass rates, with a decline in the writing category.
“The results give us important information about where our instructional strategies are making a difference and where we need to continue strengthening our work,” said Gerald Mann, the school system’s chief academic officer.
The school system as a whole saw these results for the 2025-26 school year:
- Reading: An 80% pass rate, up 1 point from the preceding year
- Writing: 87%, down 2 points
- History/social sciences: 81%, up 3 points
- Mathematics: 81%, up 2 points
- Science: 77%, up 2 points
In each category, APS results exceeded the statewide pass rate by margins ranging from six to 11 percentage points.
“We will continue using these results to identify trends, provide targeted support and build on effective practices so that every student has access to strong, rigorous learning experiences,” Mann said.
Statewide, the Virginia Department of Education reported “incremental” year-over-year gains in SOL pass rates, with increases of 3.2 percentage points in history/social sciences and a 0.4 percentage point improvement in both math and reading.
The statewide pass rate in science declined 0.2 percentage points.
“We know there is still work ahead to ensure every child develops the knowledge and skills needed to be successful anywhere, but this growth demonstrates that our schools are moving in the right direction,” said Jenna Conway, Virginia’s Superintendent of Public Instruction.
