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SOL Innovation Committee

SOL Innovation Committee

The Office of the Secretary of Education is pleased to announce new members of the Committee, which will serve 2 and 3 year terms beginning July 1, 2018. Thank you to everyone who applied for and nominated candidates for the Committee!

Read the full text of the release here

History of the Committee

The Standards of Learning Innovation Committee was created by HB 930 in the 2014 legislative session. The purpose of the Committee is to provide the Board of Education and General Assembly with suggestions on changes to the SOL assessments, authentic individual student growth measures, alignment between the Standards of Learning and assessment, and ideas on innovative teaching in the classroom. 

Read the Governor's original press release announcing the SOL Innovation Committee here.

Committee Recommendations

In October 2017, the SOL Innovation Committee approved a comprehensive set of recommendations that were developed by the High School Redesign Subcommittee and the Assessment Subcommittee. 

The full report, with those recommendations, is available here.

Recommendations on High School Assessments from the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee: A Report in Response to H.B. 525 (2016)
Submitted to the Virginia Board of Education by Dr. Stewart D. Roberson, Chair, on behalf of the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee February 20, 2017

On October 29, 2015, the Committee unanimously approved their second round of recommendations. For more information, you can read the Committee’s Executive Summary and full report. These new recommendations build on the Committee’s 2014 interim recommendations; available here: 2014 Executive Summary and full report

To send feedback to the Committee, or to sign up for email updates on the Committee, please contact us here

SOL Committee Members

  • Dr. Donna Alexander, Vice President of Instruction and Student Development, Rappahannock Community College
  • Dr. Robert Benson, Superintendent, King George County Schools
  • Dr. Valerie Bowman, Pediatrician, Bon Secours Developmental and Special Needs Pediatrics
  • Michael Davidson, Principal, Smyth County Public Schools
  • Pamela Davis, Elementary School Principal, Bristol Virginia Public Schools 
  • Dr. Francisco Durán, Chief Academic Officer, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Laura Feichtinger McGrath, ESL Coordinator, Harrisonburg City Public Schools
  • Jim Gallagher, Supervisor of Student Services, Amherst County Public Schools
  • Linda Grubba, School Counselor, Campbell County Public Schools
  • Heather Hurley, Personalized Learning Supervisor, Arlington Public Schools
  • Linda Hyslop, Member, Hopewell City School Board
  • Keesha Jackson-Muir, Elementary School Principal, Fairfax County Public Schools
  • Jim Livingston, Teacher, Prince William County Public Schools
  • Dr. Laurie McCullough, Executive Director, Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development
  • Dr. Pat Murphy, Superintendent, Arlington Public Schools
  • Ting-Yi Oei, Retired teacher and administrator, Fairfax and Loudoun County Public Schools
  • Dalia Palchik, Member, Fairfax County School Board
  • Dr. Jennifer Parish, Superintendent, Poquoson City Public Schools
  • Todd Putney, Vice President of Human Resources, Medical Facilities of America
  • Dr. Stewart Roberson, Chair, SOL Innovation Committee and Chief Executive Officer, Moseley Architects
  • Charles Ronco, Teacher, Prince William County Schools
  • Bobby Shockley, Assistant Principal, Richmond Public Schools
  • Gary Simms Sr., Senior Technology Strategy Consultant, Wells Fargo
  • Zuzana Steen, Academic and Community Relations Manager, Micron Technology
  • Melany Stowe, Assistant Director of Academics and Communications, New College Institute
  • Nancy Sweat, Executive Director, PK-12 Curriculum and Development, Newport News Public Schools
  • Delegate Jeion Ward, Retired teacher and President, Hampton Federation of Teachers


Members of the Virginia House of Delegates:

  • Delegate David Bulova
  • Delegate Glenn R. Davis, Jr.
  • Delegate Roxann Robinson
  • Delegate Steven Landes


Members of Senate of Virginia:

  • Senator Stephen D. Newman
  • Senator Ryan McDougle
  • Senator Jeremy McPike


Ex Officio Members:

  • Atif Qarni, Secretary of Education 
  • Dan Gecker, President of the Board of Education
  • Dr. James Lane, Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction