RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — The Virginia Department of Education has released assessment results for the 2022-23 school year.

According to the report, more than half of Virginia’s students from third grade to eighth grade failed or were at risk of failing their reading SOL (Standards of Learning) test. Nearly two-thirds of students in the same age range failed or were at risk of failing their math exams.

After the numbers were announced, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a new plan, called “ALL IN VA” to help address pandemic learning loss.

“It focuses on an effort to fundamentally change the direction of these numbers,” Youngkin said. 

The plan calls for local school districts to use 70% of the $418 million allocated to them in the amended budget to combat learning loss to fund free-of-cost, high-intensity tutoring programs.

“They will receive three to five hours a week of intensive tutoring — those students that are at risk — for 18 weeks,” Youngkin said. “Those who have failed, for the entire school year of 36 weeks.”

Youngkin said he wants 20% of the money to be used to expand the reach of the Virginia Literacy Act.

“Funding for reading specialists extending now beyond the third grade, all the way up until eighth grade,” he said.

In the same announcement, Yougnkin said he would be launching a task force aimed at curbing chronic absenteeism. A recent report shows that 20% of students in Virginia are considered chronically absent, meaning they miss at least 18 days (10%) of school a year.

Youngkin said one potential solution comes from Louisa County. 

“You miss a day of school, you have to make it up in the classroom with a teacher,” he said.