Decoding Virginia's SOL: A Teacher's Practical Guide to Reading and Using Standards

Understanding How Virginia's SOL Are Organized

Virginia's Standards of Learning are organized by grade level and subject area, which makes sense on the surface but can feel overwhelming once you dig in. Here's the structure: each SOL begins with a grade level and subject (like "1" for first grade), followed by a content strand number, then specific standard codes.

Let's use a real example: 1.17 is a first-grade music standard about responding to music with movement. The "1" tells you it's for first grade. The "17" identifies it as the 17th standard in the music strand for that grade. That's it. Once you understand that basic numbering system, every other SOL follows the same pattern.

What makes Virginia's system particularly useful is the lettered sub-standards. Standard 1.17 breaks down into five specific expectations: 1.17.a through 1.17.e. This breakdown is crucial—it's where the real instructional detail lives.

Reading a Standard Code: What Each Part Means

When you see 1.17.c, you're looking at:

• 1 = Grade level (first grade)
• 17 = The standard number within the music subject area
• c = A specific sub-skill or expectation within that standard

The sub-standards (a, b, c, d, e) are arranged progressively. They build on each other, moving from foundational skills to more complex demonstrations. In 1.17, students start by using locomotor and non-locomotor movements (1.17.a), then learn high and low pitches (1.17.b), then demonstrate expressive qualities like dynamics and tempo (1.17.c), perform dances (1.17.d), and finally dramatize songs, stories, and poems (1.17.e).

This progression matters for your planning. You shouldn't jump straight to 1.17.e expecting first-graders to dramatize complex stories if they haven't yet mastered basic movement vocabulary from 1.17.a.

Beyond the Code: What the Standard Actually Says

The code is just the label. The real content is in the standard description itself. For 1.17.c, "Demonstrate expressive qualities of music, including changes in dynamics and tempo," the language tells you exactly what students need to do.

Notice the verb: demonstrate. This isn't about understanding dynamics intellectually—students must show these qualities through movement or performance. That's your teaching direction right there.

The phrase "including changes in dynamics and tempo" doesn't mean "only" dynamics and tempo. It means these are the minimum examples you should include. You could add articulation, pitch changes, or emotional expression. This flexibility is intentional—it lets you differentiate while staying standards-aligned.

Using Standards for Actual Lesson Planning

Step 1: Identify Your Target Standard

Start with the grade level and subject you teach. If you're planning first-grade music, you'd look at all standards numbered 1.1 through 1.20 (or however many exist in your subject). Choose which standard or sub-standard you're teaching this week or unit.

Step 2: Unpack the Sub-Standards

Don't teach the entire standard at once. Break it into the lettered components. If you're teaching 1.17, you might spend a week on 1.17.a and 1.17.b before moving to 1.17.c. This sequencing ensures students have the foundational skills they need.

Step 3: Design Activities That Match the Verb

Standards use action verbs deliberately. Common ones in Virginia SOL include: demonstrate, identify, analyze, create, apply, and perform. Your activities must align with these verbs. If the standard says "demonstrate," students need to show the skill—not just talk about it or watch you do it.

For 1.17.c, students need to actually move with changes in dynamics and tempo, not listen to a lecture about what dynamics are.

Step 4: Create Assessments That Match the Standard

Once your standard is clear, assessment becomes straightforward. You're literally assessing what the standard asks. For 1.17.c, you might observe students during movement activities and record whether they change their movement when the music becomes loud/soft or fast/slow. That's your checklist right there.

One Practical Hack: Create a Standards Reference Sheet

Print out your grade level and subject standards. Highlight the sub-standards you're teaching this unit in one color. Add sticky notes with activity ideas next to each standard. This visual reference keeps you accountable to the standards without requiring constant document hunting.

Virginia's SOL are detailed because they're meant to guide instruction, not constrain it. They tell you what students must know and be able to do—the "how" is your professional expertise. Understanding their structure and language lets you use them as the planning tools they're designed to be.