After years of delays, the proposed additional delay sets up a likely strong push for another delay in 2 years by powerful lobbying groups for those who work in the K-12 system…at the expense of Virginia students and parents
As a supporter of Governor Abigail Spanberger, I’ve been impressed by much of the new administration’s promises on the campaign trail and in their first day executive order on higher expectations for Virginia’s public schools.
The administration’s upcoming presentation to the Virginia Board of Education on the Assessment and Accountability Roadmap attempts to confirm this commitment. The presentation lays out their administration’s policy plans in detail, with multiple strong accountability elements and repeatedly affirms a commitment to higher expectations.
Unfortunately, the same presentation’s proposal to delay any increase in the minimum thresholds for “passing” state English and Math standardized tests (“cut scores”) by two more years does the exact opposite. Instead, they propose changing the 4-year gradual cut score hikes scheduled to begin this fall into a single large increase in Fall 2028-2029 to coincide with implementation of accountability changes and new assessments. One can see the “stakeholder” voices—school administrators and teachers associations—almost certainly arguing in a couple years that it’s “too much at once” and lobbying for yet another delay or another long phase-in.
Source: Virginia Department of Education, June 2026
Virginia’s cut scores have embarrassingly remained the lowest in the nation for years, and this proposed move extends that embarrassing distinction even further. In the best-case scenario, the proposal is a politically naïve concession to the powerful K-12 lobby. In the worst-case scenario, it is a policy giveaway to those who are employed by and administer the public school system and their powerful lobbyists. In either case, Virginia students and families will pay the price if such proposal is enacted by the Board in August.
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