Opportunity to Comment on an Amendment to Virginia’s Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) State Plan
The Virginia Department of Education is seeking input on an amendment to its ESSA State Plan. The proposed changes are summarized below.
Mathematics Exemption
In 2018, Virginia applied and was approved for a waiver that would allow students below grade eight who are enrolled in advanced mathematics courses to take the end-of-course (EOC) Standards of Learning (SOL) test that is aligned with their mathematics course of study instead of the grade level SOL mathematics test for the grade in which they are enrolled. This flexibility was already granted to students in 8th grade as a part of the waivers included in ESSA. All students who take advantage of these flexibilities are required to take a higher level EOC mathematics test while enrolled in high school to meet assessment requirements under ESSA.
Virginia’s current Consolidated State Plan under ESSA indicates that these students must pass the Algebra I SOL test prior to 9th grade to be eligible to use the Geometry or Algebra II SOL test to meet federal assessment requirements in high school. This amendment proposes changing this language to allow students to use the Geometry or Algebra II SOL assessment taken in high school to fulfill the high school federal accountability requirements if the student took the Algebra I SOL test prior to 9th grade regardless of whether they passed.
Title I, Part C – Modify the objectives related to the Education of Migratory Children
The objectives for the Title I, Part C, program are updated periodically. The amendment directs the United States Department of Education (USED) to the Virginia Department of Education’s Title I, Part C, webpage as the current objectives are posted at this location.
Title IV, Part A – Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grant Addition of Acceptable Use
The amendment expands the list of state-level activities supported by Title IV, Part A funds to include support for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in identifying and addressing technology readiness needs, technology infrastructure and access, internet connectivity, data security, data privacy, and E-rate participation.
The Department welcomes comments on this amendment. Comments may be submitted electronically until Wednesday, October 14, 2020, to Accountability@doe.virginia.gov.
Questions regarding Virginia’s ESSA State Plan may also be submitted to Accountability@doe.virginia.gov.
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