I agree that SOLs dumb down what is taught in order for the slower kids to be able to pass SOL tests. It is highly frustrating. One of our sons benefited greatly from having an old-fashioned teacher who made sure he learned the SOL facts, but she also forced him to WRITE, WRITE, and WRITE some more. Unfortunately, she retired last year. She was very tough on our son, but he knew she had his best interests at heart. The SOLs are so easy for him, but the things he really needs to know to succeed later in life are the things she taught him. She was so fed up with teaching SOLs.
I could go on and on about SOL lowest-common-denominator teaching. Gifted children are not having their needs met. They are better off segregated from the LCD.
Amen. That is exactly what they had been doing in my daughter's school, and she had several teachers such as you describe your son having. Unfotunately, and this makes no sense whatsoever, but the district put the kabosh on the moving around of the brighter kids to meet their needs.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but I truly believe that the continued increase of this particular school's SOLs because of this policy is why the district killed it - they need a school at the bottom of the barrel and they've picked the one my daughter attends.
SOL? Standards of Learning? Looks like the schools are saying that they are S**t Out of Luck.