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New State Growth Assessments to Measure Student Recovery and Progress
Read all about the new state growth assessments! Students in grades 3-8 this fall will be the first to take new growth assessments to determine baselines for measuring individual academic progress in reading and mathematics during the school year. The new tests are mandated by legislation (House Bill 2027 and Senate Bill 1357) approved by the 2021 General Assembly. For 2021-2022, the legislation calls for the administration of fall growth assessments in reading and math, in addition to the end-of-year Standards of Learning tests students will take next spring. For this year only, the fall growth assessments are based on content from the previous grade level to assist in the identification of unfinished learning from 2020-2021 due to the pandemic. More information on the new fall growth assessments is available on the VDOE Growth Assessments web page.
VDOE 2021 K-12 SOL Conferences in English Language Arts Resources
Materials from the 2021 K-12 SOL Conferences in English Language Arts are now available! K-12 SOL Conferences in English Language Arts utilize a train-the-trainer model to provide professional development that focuses on continued implementation of engaging instruction that aligns to the 2017 Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework. Check out this amazing work today!
Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning Now Available
The Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL) are now available on the VDOE VAAP webpage on the VDOE website. The VESOL are the content standards for reading, mathematics, and science for eligible students with significant cognitive disabilities in grades 3-8 and high school who will participate in the VAAP beginning in 2021-2022. Instructional resources to support classroom instruction of the VESOL are available at TTAC Online.
DMV Driven to Protect Initiative
Virginia DMV’s Driven to Protect Initiative and VDOE have virtual learning modules that give a first-hand look at how technology could be a valuable new tool in the fight against drunk driving and how engineers develop and test that technology. This content is available now on Virtual Virginia for educators to earn continuing education credits, and it will be rolled out to Virginia students in the fall. Check it out today!
National Hispanic Heritage Month – September 15 to October 15
National Hispanic Heritage Month traditionally honors the cultures and contributions of both Hispanic and Latino Americans as we celebrate heritage rooted in all Latin American countries. During this month and throughout the year, the National Park Service and partners share history, heritage, and accomplishments of Hispanic and Latino Americans of past and present.
XchangeNet Professional Learning Opportunities
Business executives, CTE Directors, work-based learning coordinators, teachers, and administrators are invited to participate in XchangeNet, a virtual, statewide network hosted by Virginia Ed Strategies and VDOE. Regular opportunities for professional learning, sharing of ideas and resources related to talent pipeline development will be offered. The kickoff event will be held on September 30 at 3:30 p.m. and include an interactive Q&A with Dr. Martin Van Der Werf, Associate Director of Editorial & Postsecondary Policy for Georgetown University's Center for Education & Workforce. The presentation is based on the report, Workplace Basics: Competencies Employers Want. Register in advance for the webinar.
North TIER Online Professional Development Offerings
Registration for the fall session runs now through September 17. Courses begin September 20. Courses cost $55/member and $100/non-member for 30 recertification hours. Optional graduate credit is offered through Colorado State University. See North TIER for additional information.
Virginia Department of Transportation STEM Outreach
VDOT invites students and teachers to explore the variety of careers through transportation-themed lessons and hands-on activities. See VDOT to find out about available resources, lessons, competitions, and STEM kits.
VASTS and VESSS STEM Student Opportunity
The Virginia Aerospace Science and Technology Scholars and Virginia Earth System Science Scholars are interactive online STEM learning experiences for 11th and 12th-grade students, highlighted by a seven-day residential summer academy at NASA Langley Research Center. Students selected to participate in the program are immersed in NASA-related research through interaction with scientists, engineers and technologists. Application are due October 24.
Write-to-Learn Conference
The annual SVWP Write-to-Learn Conference is being offered to all K-university instructors online again this fall, running asynchronously from September 18 - October 3. The conference is centered on Culturally Responsive Teaching with keynote Diane Staehr-Fenner, author of Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners.
Latest News and Guidance for the 2021-2022 School Year!
The health and safety of Virginia students and school staff is our top priority as the 2021-2022 school year begins, and many students return to in-person learning. VDOE and the Virginia Department of Health are working to ensure our schools and communities have the most up-to-date information and resources to keep students and staff safe. For the latest news see COVID-19 & Virginia Schools.
2022 Virginia Environmental Film Contest
The contest is open to Virginia residents with films based on environmental topics pertaining to Virginia. Prizes are awarded in two categories: students 12 and under, and 13-18. Films of all formats, genres, and lengths will be considered. Deadline for submission is November 15.
National Writing Project's College, Career, and Community Writers Program: An Introduction to Teaching Argument Writing
C3WP provides teachers with instructional resources and formative assessment tools for the teaching of evidence-based argument writing. Join two veteran teacher consultants as they model interactive argument writing lessons: Handley High School's Crystal Gage's creating Lincoln-Douglas style debate speeches and Clarke County reading specialist Donna Michael's "I Believe I Can Teach Argument Writing." Discover how to create your own lessons for argument writing in middle and high school classes. Cost is $10.
Virginia Space Coast Scholars
VSCS is a program for High School Sophomores focusing on the science, engineering, and technology integral to current missions at NASA Wallops Flight Facility. This dynamic, free program is designed to inspire students who possess technical and/or scientific interests and are motivated to learn about the many different opportunities that NASA offers. Explore today!
National Geographic Professional Development Opportunities
National Geographic is offering a suite of free professional development opportunities including project-based learning, the Geo-Inquiry Process, Teaching Global Climate Change in Your Classroom, Mapping as a Visualization and Communication Tool in Your Classroom, and more. Explore today!
NASA TechRise Student Challenge
School student teams are invited to join NASA in its mission to advance space exploration and enhance our knowledge of Earth. Student teams in sixth to 12th-grade at a U.S. public, private, or charter school, brainstorm and design an experiment or test an apparatus that could be selected to make a suborbital flight aboard a high altitude balloon or rocket.
Professional Learning Sessions
The VCU School of Education is offering a variety of professional learning opportunities in the 2021-22 academic year! All sessions will be conducted via Zoom and will include a personal/professional assessment as well as a microcredential at completion. Registration is now open for Becoming an Antiracist Educator, Globalization in Higher Education, and Strategies to Promote a Culturally Diverse PK12 Teaching Workforce series.
Training Opportunity: Re-enrollment–Beyond the Basics
The Regulations Governing the Re-enrollment of Students Committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, 8 VAC 20-660-10 et. seq., presents the procedures for re-enrollment of students into the public schools when they have been in the custody of the juvenile justice system and receiving instruction through local and regional detention centers and the Department of Juvenile Justice. To assist school divisions in satisfying the requirements of the regulations, VDOE will offer a webinar on September 8. See Superintendent's Memo 232-21 for details.
Nominations for the 2021 SOL Special Test Forms Review Committee
VDOE is accepting nominations through September 17, for participation in the 2021 Standards of Learning (SOL) Special Test Forms Review Committee. All individuals who wish to serve on this committee, including those who have previously served, must submit an online application found on the Assessment Committee Application Processing System. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all required parts of the application are complete. Superintendent's Memo 223-21 has more information and application details.
CHOICE Initiative
Virginia Ed Strategies is recruiting 100 math, science, computer science, and CTE teachers for the first year of the CHOICE initiative. The initiative seeks to build sustainable teacher effectiveness through teacher-directed selection of professional learning experiences within a virtual professional learning community.
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