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In this edition
This Week's Checklist
- Aspiring Superintendent's Program early-bird deadline is November 1st
- Register now for Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth
- Senate Youth Program Scholarships due September 29th
- Nominations for National Blue Ribbon Schools Program due October 20th
- Reimbursements for Career and Technical Education State Entitlements due May 17th
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Key Takeaways
- OAG releases Virginia Rules curriculum
- VDOE shares instructional resources to teach about 9/11
- Senate Youth Program Scholarships Announced
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CTE Federal Program Monitoring Details Shared
- Board-Approved CTE Industry Credentialing Resources Shared
- National Blue Ribbon Schools Nominations Open
- VSPMA Conference announced
- Lottery Funding Entitlements for CTE announced
- Title III, Part A Allocations Released
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⚠️ denotes articles with deadlines attached
🆕 denotes articles appearing for the first time this week
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News from Across the Commonwealth
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Elevating Educators
Our #ElevateEducatorsVA program is putting VDOE staff out in the schools to connect and help where we can for the start of the 2023-2024 school year.
Pictured:(1) Dr. Lisa Coons, visiting the first day at Prince George County; (2) Keith Claassen, VDOE School Quality Specialist, at Prince Edward County Elementary School; (3) Julie Grimes, VDOE Communications Specialist (R) with Quinn Quash in Chesterfield County
Gilder Lehrman 2023 Virginia History Teacher of the Year 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
The Gilder Lehrman 2023 Virginia History Teacher of the Year is Mr. Craig Blackman. He is a teacher at Indian River High School in Chesapeake. Each year, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History presents this award to teachers dedicated to teaching American history. Mr. Blackman receives a core archive of American history books and Gilder Lehrman educational materials. He becomes one of 53 finalists for the 2023 National History Teacher of the Year Award.
Congratulations Craig! #ElevateEducatorsVA
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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What an Exciting Week in Virginia!
Last week, I enjoyed visiting the student-centered CTE programming at the NECC Center in Washington County, seeing and innovative Spanish class in Abingdon High School, and speaking with superintendents and chamber leaders in SW Virginia. From our conversations, we established clear collaborative priorities focusing on #ElevatingEducators and #AttendanceMatters. As we continue to speak with business leaders across the state, we continue to ask our chambers to partner with us in recognizing our exceptional educators and supporting campaigns around attendance.
On Monday, Dr. Raley and I had the opportunity to collaboratively launch school with Dr. Pennycuff and her board member, Chris Johnson. Her staff demonstrated clear care, engagement and support of students on their first day back. The intentional culture will establish trusted adults for students to connect with as they start their school year.
We also talked about the work Prince George County is doing to staff their schools. They have created a ruby slipper signing day for students who have committed to “returning home” and teaching in their school division. Students get a “There is no place like home” T shirt to honor their commitment. The school division also pays paraprofessionals for student teaching if they commit to teaching within PGCS for three years. Finally, Dr. Pennycuff and her team talked about the excitement that iTeach is bringing to their school division and how this program will help their provisional teachers become fully licensed. We continue to have positive feedback from many of our school divisions about the resources that iTeach has provided.
We have a new set of #AttendancemattersVA graphics available here. Please feel free to use and adapt for your own school district. We love seeing school divisions making attendance matters campaigns their own. I have seen welding teachers, bus drivers, and superintendents getting involved. We appreciate all you do and know that if we can reduce absences, we will increase learning acceleration and help our students maximize the exceptional learning experiences teachers are providing for them every day.
Finally, I want to make sure everyone has a quick special education update. Dr. Bob Pasternack is working with VDOE to provide a state program evaluation and recommendation for special education. He is seeking feedback from school divisions to support VDOE’s continuous improvement of serving school districts.
Have a great end to your week!
Lisa
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New AttendanceMatters graphics are available for use from VDOE
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News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
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Celebrate Virginia Farm to School Programs this October 🆕 ⚠️
Audience: All
Contact: Bee Thorp, Lead Farm to School Specialist
VDOE Office of School Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SNP) encourages school divisions and community partners to celebrate Virginia farm to school events in October including:
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National Farm to School Month: Throughout October, celebrate and build connections between school nutrition programs, local farms, school gardens, and nutrition and agriculture education. For additional information on Virginia Farm to School initiatives, visit the VDOE-SNP Farm to School website.
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Virginia Farm to School Week from October 2–6, 2023: House Joint Resolution No. 692 (2015) designates the first full week in October as Virginia Farm to School Week. School divisions and community partners can celebrate in countless ways, including with seasonal foods featured on school menus, poster contests, farm tours, Standards of Learning-based lessons that feature Virginia Harvest of the Month crops, and the Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth.
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Crunch Heard ‘Round the Commonwealth on October 5, 2023: Virginians will make noise for farm to school programs by simultaneously taking a bite out of a fresh Virginia grown apple. To register for the event and download the free digital 2023 Crunch Toolkit and marketing materials, complete the Crunch Heard 'Round the Commonwealth Registration Form. Participants are encouraged to share their celebrations on social media and use the hashtags #VACrunch, #VAFarmtoSchool, and #ElevateEducatorsVA and tag @vdoesnp.
To learn more, please refer to the VDOE-SNP (Director) Memo #2023-2024-11, 2023, visit the VDOE-SNP Farm to School website.
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9/11 Resources and Materials 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
September 11th is recognized each year as Patriot Day to remember the lives lost at the World Trade Center, on Flight 93, and at the Pentagon. Patriot Day also honors the first responders, service members, and civil servants who were integral in rescue and recovery efforts - many of whom made the supreme sacrifice as a result. Many Virginia schools commemorate Patriot Day by flying the Freedom Flag, which is recognized as the Commonwealth’s official 9/11 flag of remembrance. The Freedom Flag Foundation encourages schools to conduct flag raising ceremonies that include the recitation of the 10 symbolic elements of the Freedom Flag.
All schools in the Commonwealth are encouraged to designate time during the week of September 11th for reflection and commemoration. There are resources available from the United States Department of Education and the Library of Congress that captures Americans during trying times and serves as a historical resource for future generations.
United States Senate Youth Program Scholarships 🆕 ⚠️
Audience: School Principals, Teachers; School Counselors
Contact: John Kimenhour, Virginia Rules Program Coordinator; Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
VDOE will select two student delegates to represent Virginia in the 62nd Annual United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) sponsored by the William Randolph Hearst Foundation. Each delegate will receive a $10,000 scholarship and an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C., for Washington Week March 2-9, 2024. Qualified public and private high school Juniors and Seniors may submit an application using the Online Student Application Portal. All completed applications must be submitted and timestamped by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, September 29, 2023. Additional resources are available on the VDOE website.
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Virginia Rules Curriculum from the Virginia Attorney General 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
The Virginia Office of the Attorney General, in collaboration with VDOE and other state agencies, is pleased to offer Virginia Rules—an engaging, state-specific, law-based education program that is completely free and accessible online. This program aims to educate students about Virginia's laws and equip them with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and adhere to the law. The program features 26 lessons, aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL), complete with presentations and handouts that can be utilized by students, parents, administrators, and Virginia Rules instructors.
For more information about Virginia Rules and to access the available resources, please visit the website linked above.
The photo featured above is Virginia's Attorney General, Jason S. Miyares.
Aspiring Superintendent’s Program 🆕 ⚠️
Audience: Executive Division Leaders
The Aspiring Superintendent’s Program (ASP) is a joint collaborative project from Virginia Tech’s Center for Organizational and Technological Advancement and the Virginia Tech School of Education, in partnership with the Virginia Association of School Superintendents. ASP is designed to help school leaders who aspire to become division superintendents to focus on developing relevant skills and knowledge required to succeed as a division superintendent. Individuals in the 2024 ASP cohort will participate in three seminars in January, March, and April 2024. Early registration to the program is November 1st. The final deadline to apply is December 15, 2023.
For more information about ASP, visit the ASP website where you can register.
Virginia Literacy Act Statewide Training Launches
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, Reading Specialists
Contact: Karin Little, Education Coordinator (email)
We are very excited in the VDOE to kick off our state-wide initiative EverybodyReadsVA to support our move to the Science of Reading and evidence-based practices across the Commonwealth!
As part of the Virginia Literacy Act, (VLA), all reading specialists are required to receive training in evidence-based literacy instruction (EBLI) aligned with science-based reading research (SBRR). In partnership with the VDOE, Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) is leading the design, development, and facilitation of a free statewide knowledge-based professional development training series for reading specialists.This training series will prepare reading specialists to support the implementation of the VLA. We have included an outline of this professional learning experience for you here so that we all know what is being taught to our Reading Specialists so we can all learn this work together and support our young people as they become better, stronger readers.
The training includes a two-day in-person institute, an online Canvas course and monthly virtual synchronous “Zoom” sessions facilitated by regional literacy coaches.
The two-day in-person institutes are taking place at the following locations and dates:
- Roanoke - Aug 17 and 18
- Charlottesville - Aug 21 and 22
- Fairfax - Aug 24 and 25
- Richmond - Aug 29 and 30
- Newport News - Sept 7 and 8
For more details, please refer to the following resources:
We look forward to taking this journey with you! This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Virginia Literacy Act Instructional Material Reviewers Needed!
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: VLA Team (email)
VDOE is seeking additional educators to serve on review teams in response to the high volume of applications from core, supplemental, and intervention literacy programs. Teachers, reading specialists, instructional coaches, administrators, division leaders, as well as retired educators are encouraged to apply. Reviewers will be trained to conduct curricular reviews using rubrics that align with the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA).
Superintendents are asked to share this opportunity with local principals and educators. Interested candidates may apply on the VLP website. Some educators may be asked to join review teams as early as August, while others will join in September or October. Reviewers will be paid a stipend for their efforts.
Please see the Reviewer Job Description to learn more about the review process and mandatory training. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Call for Proposals: Teacher Residency Programs
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Shawna LeBlond, Grants Manager
The Office of Teacher Education is pleased to call for proposals for a teacher residency partnership between university teacher preparation programs and hard-to-staff school divisions to help improve new teacher training and retention.
Full details about this year’s application process and submission details can be found in the Teacher Residency Programs Call for Proposals (DOCX). Interested applicants must apply by 4 p.m. on Monday, September 11, 2023. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Code of Virginia Amendment: Faculty Identification for Secondary Transition
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Marianne Moore, Special Education Coordinator Transition Planning and Services
Pursuant to SB 943 and HB 1554, passed by the 2023 Session of the General Assembly, the Code of Virginia has been amended by adding section §22.1.217.3, related to special education transition in public high schools. This amendment requires each public high school in the Commonwealth to publicly identify on its official website the faculty member responsible for special education transition planning and coordination. This amendment does not direct school divisions on how to make these assignments or specifications about planning and coordination.
VDOE Department of Special Populations developed the Faculty Member Identification Survey to collect each school division’s secondary transition faculty member identified on each high school website. Each Director of Special Education or designee is requested to complete the survey no later than September 29, 2023. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
New CTE Programs/Course Requests
Audience: Superintendents, Principals, CTE Directors
Contact: Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (email)
New CTE program/course approval requests that are dual enrolled and/or offered in conjunction with a college or university require an articulation agreement or letter of support with that college or university. Additionally, teachers/instructors employed by the college or university and designated to teach the CTE course are not required to possess a VDOE license and endorsement. School divisions can request approval of new CTE programs/courses throughout the year, but they must be approved prior to including any program/course-related budget items in the Perkins Local Plan and Budget Application. For questions regarding the CTE New Program/Course Application process, please contact the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education email (above) or by telephone at (804) 225-2051. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Gregory MacDougall, Science Specialist; Debra Delozier, Mathematics Specialist
VDOE is pleased to announce its participation in the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program. PAEMST recognizes exemplary STEM teachers in each state and the four jurisdictions of the United States. This year recognition will be given to teachers of elementary mathematics and elementary science (grades k-6).
Virginia can nominate up to three state finalists in both the science and mathematics categories for national consideration. National awardees receive a $10,000 personal award and participate in recognition events and other activities.
PAEMST nominations and applications are submitted electronically through the PAEMST website. Nominations can be made by students, parents, teachers, and administrators. Teachers may also self-nominate. The nomination form must be submitted electronically by January 8, 2024, and should be completed early to allow the teacher an appropriate amount of time to prepare an application that reflects exemplary teaching. All completed applications must be submitted electronically by February 6, 2024. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
Driver’s Education Update
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Vanessa Wigand, Health, Physical & Driver Education Coordinator
Pursuant to Senate Bill 78, (2022), Virginia Code § 22.1-205 was amended to require all state-approved public, private, and commercial driver training schools to add a 90-minute parent/student component to the classroom driver education curriculum. Following are links to the Partners for Safe Teen Driving 90-Minute Parent/Student curriculum and other instructional materials and the Parental Opt-Out Form for parents who do not live in planning district 8. In addition, the Driver Education Certificate of Completion (DEC-1 “green card”) was revised to reflect amendments to § 22.1-205, and the color of the certificate was changed from green to orange. Copies of the revised Driver Education Certificate of Completion (DEC-1 “Orange Cards”) and the 45-Hour Parent/Teen Guides will be shipped to schools in September. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
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Code of Virginia § 22.1-16.8 Regarding Sexually Explicit Material and Content
Audience: Superintendents
Contact: Office of Policy (email)
On August 4, 2022, the Virginia Department of Education published Model Policies Concerning Instructional Materials with Sexually Explicit Content pursuant to Va. Code § 22.1-16.8. These model policies include information guidance, procedures, and standards relating to:
- ensuring parental notification;
- directly identifying the specific instructional material and sexually explicit subjects; and
- permitting the parent of any student to review instructional material that includes sexually explicit content and provide, as an alternative, nonexplicit instructional material and related academic activities to any students whose parent so requests.
As provided in the Code, “Each school board shall adopt policies that are consistent but may be more comprehensive than the model policies developed by the Department...”.
This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
Recruitment Incentive for Public Education (RIPE) Funding Available
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Shawna LeBlond, Grants Manager
For the third consecutive year, funding is available to support recruitment efforts for school divisions hiring to fill instructional positions between August 15, 2023 and November 30, 2023. School divisions interested in this funding must submit a snapshot of their vacancy data as of August 15, 2023 via the Recruitment Incentive for Public Education (RIPE) application on the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal.
The RIPE vacancy data for school year 2023-2024 must be submitted between Monday, August 14, 2023 and Thursday, August 31, 2023.
The 2023-2024 RIPE document (DOCX) includes comprehensive details about the application process including eligibility and program requirements. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
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School Performance & Support
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Teacher Direct 🆕
Audience: Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Child Care Center Operators
Contact: Dr. Christine Harris, Director, Office of Humanities
Read All About It! TeacherDirect is designed to establish a direct line of communication with classroom teachers and educators from the VDOE. The goal of TeacherDirect is to share instructional resources created by staff, bring about awareness of VDOE news, professional development sessions, grant opportunities, and other information of special interest to educators. Learn more about this resource from Virginia teachers discussing the benefits of subscribing to TeacherDirect.
Sign up for your weekly TeacherDirect newsletter today!
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Career and Technical Education (CTE) Civil Rights Review Process 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: William Hatch, CTE Planning, Administration, and Accountability Coordinator
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) requires states to conduct CTE Civil Rights Reviews to determine if school divisions that offer CTE programs and receive federal financial assistance are meeting the requirements of civil rights laws and regulations. VDOE is required to conduct four reviews each school year, using a plan approved by the USED to identify school divisions in the current year of a six-year cyclical monitoring schedule (DOCX) for a review. Superintendents of identified school divisions will receive a notification letter by the end of August. VDOE will provide technical assistance throughout the review process.
Additional information about CTE Civil Rights and the review process can be found in the Guidelines and on the VDOE CTE webpage.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Federal Program Monitoring Process 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: William Hatch, CTE Planning, Administration, and Accountability Coordinator
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) requires states to conduct CTE Federal Program Monitoring Reviews to assess school divisions’ compliance with related CTE regulations and standards as well as state and federal laws. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is required to conduct seven reviews each school year, using a plan approved by the USED to identify school divisions in the current year of a six-year cyclical monitoring schedule (DOCX) for a review. Notification will be provided to local superintendents by late August if they will be reviewed this year.
School divisions are also required, according the six-year cyclical schedule, to conduct and submit to the VDOE a comprehensive CTE Federal Program Monitoring Review System Self-Assessment and develop a corrective action/program improvement plan to address any identified deficiencies and concerns. Additional information about CTE Federal Program Monitoring Review process can be found on the VDOE CTE webpage.
2023-2024 Board-Approved List of Industry Certification Examinations, State Professional Licensure Exams, and Occupational Competency Assessments 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Jane Brown, CTE Industry Credentialing Specialist
VDOE is pleased to announce the website posting of the 2023-2024 Board-Approved List of Industry Certification Examinations, State Professional Licensure Exams, and Occupational Competency Assessments (DOCX) pursuant to the Standard and Verified Units of Credit (8VAC20-131-110.C) of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.
United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools Program 🆕 ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Amy Siepka, Director, Office of Accountability
Schools in Virginia can be recognized through the U.S. Department of Education (USED) National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Program. The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program will recognize Exemplary High Performing Schools (based on 2022-2023 school year data) and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools (comparing 2018-2019 to 2022-2023 school year data). Virginia is permitted seven nominations across both recognition categories. If multiple schools meet the minimum requirements, final nomination selections are at the discretion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Minimum eligibility requirements for these recognitions can be found on the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program website.
School division staff are not required to determine whether a school meets all NBRS eligibility requirements before submitting a school name for consideration. Nominations should be submitted through this survey by Friday, October 20, 2023. Notifications of awards will be made by January 31, 2024.
2023 Virginia School Plant Management Association (VSPMA) Annual Conference 🆕
Audience: Superintendents; School Facility Directors
Contact: Debra Yap, VPSMA President, Dr. John Bailey, VSPMA Conference Planner
The Virginia School Plant Management Association (VSPMA) 15th Annual Conference will be held on October 1-4, 2023, in Midlothian, Virginia at the Doubletree by Hilton.
This year’s conference theme is Improvement, Innovation, and Inspiration: The Future Starts with Us. The conference will offer information on the latest innovations and industry trends to help facility professionals provide the best learning and instructional environments, and will feature learning sessions such as sustainability, Indoor Air Quality (IAQ), maintenance and repair, safety, custodial services, and pest management.
The conference fee includes organizational membership in VSPMA. Students from member school divisions are eligible to apply for VSPMA scholarships to assist in their post-high school education. The conference schedule and on-line registration forms are available on the VSPMA website.
2023 Collection Window for Gifted Annual Report
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Amanda Nevetral, Coordinator of Governor’s Schools and Gifted Programs
VDOE asks school divisions to submit yearly required information about its gifted education program by September 29, 2023.
The 2022-2023 annual report, Programs for the Gifted, will be collected through the Gifted Education application in the Virginia Department of Education's Single Sign-On for Web Systems (SSWS) portal.
Access to the Gifted Education application should be requested through the school division's SSWS account manager. After entering the data, each division coordinator must submit the report through SSWS for the division superintendent's electronic signature. The superintendent will need to provide an electronic signature to approve the report, with a final version submitted to the VDOE electronically by September 29, 2023.
After September 29, 2023, the 2022-2023 data will also be searchable by school division gifted education coordinators. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
2024 Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: VDOE Office of Strategic Analysis and Research (email) or Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (email)
The 2024 Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (VSS) will be administered to schools beginning January 15, 2024, and ending March 1, 2024. The survey administration reflects the continued partnership between the VDOE and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) to ensure the VSS meets both VDOE’s legislative requirement Item 135.G of the 2022 Acts of Appropriation and DCJS’s mandate as described in the Code of Virginia §22.1-279.8.B.
Any schools with regular education programs serving students in grades nine through twelve are required to administer the 2024 VSS. All schools meeting that criteria must invite all students in grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve, and all licensed staff (instructional and support personnel) to complete the survey. The survey may also be administered to non-licensed staff or to adults in other educational settings at the discretion of the school division. Schools are required to advise students’ parents and guardians of the survey at least 30 days before administration and provide them with the ability to opt their student out of the survey, as described in the Code of Virginia §22.1-79.3. Please see this supporting document for further information (DOCX). This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
2023-2024 Title IV, Part A, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Federal Program Coordinators
Contact: Marsha Granderson, Title IV Coordinator
The 2023-2024 Title IV, Part A, federal allocations (XLSX) for each school division are now available on the VDOE website. Allocations are based on the Title I formulas applied by the U.S. Department of Education, and reflect adjustments made by the Virginia Department of Education to account for state-level set-asides. Under section 4105(a) of the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, no school division may receive an allocation that is less than $10,000, and a ratable reduction process must be applied to ensure that the minimum award is at least $10,000.
Virginia Board of Health Regulations for the Immunization of School Children
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Tracy White, School Health Nurse Specialist
The Virginia Board of Health Regulations for the Immunization of School Children (12 VAC 5-110-90.F) require that each admitting official must, within 30 days of the beginning of each school year or entrance of a student, or by October 15 of each school year, file with the State Health Department through the school’s local health department, a report summarizing the immunization status of the students in that school as of the first day of school.
This report must contain the (1) number of students admitted to that school with documented proof of immunization; (2) number of students admitted with a medical or religious exemption; (3) number of students who have been conditionally admitted; and (4) number of students without records for kindergarten, seventh, and twelfth grades only. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) has provided Student Immunization Survey (SIS) Step-by-Step Instructions for schools to reference in order to complete this report accurately.
This report shall be filed using the web-enabled reporting system, Student Immunization Survey Site. The passwords for the upcoming school year will be sent via email to school nurse coordinators and the Virginia Council for Private Education. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
School Division Local Determinations for Special Education
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Jeff Phenicie, Executive Director of Data, Monitoring and General Supervision
VDOE Department of Special Populations acknowledges school division’s submission of data that was used in Virginia’s Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2021 State Performance Plan (SPP) and Annual Performance Report (APR) under Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). VDOE is required to make a determination for each school division based on its submitted data. The determination categories are as follows: Meets Requirements, Needs Assistance, Needs Intervention, and Needs Substantial Intervention. Each school division will receive a letter that includes their designation from the Department of Special Populations sent directly to their Superintendent and Director of Special Education. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Nominations for the 2023 Standards of Learning Special Test Forms Review Committee
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Office of Student Assessment (email)
VDOE is accepting nominations through Friday, September 8, 2023, for participation in the 2023 Standards of Learning (SOL) Special Test Forms Review Committee. This committee will be responsible for reviewing SOL test items on the braille and large-print test forms for students who are visually impaired. Committee nominees should be educators with expertise in the instruction of students with visual impairments and experience with the administration of braille and large-print test forms. This meeting will be held in-person in Richmond, Virginia on October 24-26, 2023.
All individuals who wish to serve on this committee, including those who have previously served, must submit an online application found in the Assessment Committee Application Processing System (ACAPS). The application will require a professional reference and school division approval. Completed applications are due to the Virginia Department of Education by Friday, September 8, 2023.
For additional information about this opportunity including committee members’ responsibilities and provisions for committee members, please see the 2023 Special Test Forms Review Committee Information Document for 2023 available online. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
Feedback Needed on Annual Local Mandate Assessments
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Office of Policy (email)
As required by § 15.2-2903 of the Code of Virginia and Executive Order 58 (2007), each year the Commission on Local Government asks state agencies to evaluate selected legislative mandates placed on localities for their efficacy and impact. This year, VDOE will be reviewing five mandates. Insight and feedback from local school divisions, educational stakeholders, and area experts are an essential part of the evaluation process. You can find more information for each mandate, including a brief description of the mandate, relevant statutory and regulatory citations, and history in the 2023 Catalog of State and Federal Mandates on Local Governments using the corresponding catalog number listed.
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Teacher License Required (SOE.DOE174)
- Self-Assessment and Action Planning for Inclusion Practices (SOE.DOE175)
- Student Achievement and Graduation Requirements (SOE.DOE176)
- Carbon Monoxide Detectors Required (SOE.DOE177)
- Participation in the Afterschool Meal Program (SOE.DOE178)
You may submit feedback regarding the estimated fiscal impact or the effectiveness or alternative means of accomplishing the goal of these mandates. Both the Local Fiscal Impact Comments Form and general feedback may be submitted via email to policy@doe.virginia.gov. All comments are due by August 31, 2023. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
Homebound Instruction Services Data Reporting
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Data Staff; Homebound Services Coordinator
Contact: Amy Edwards, Medicaid Specialist
The Homebound Instruction Services Data Reporting for school year 2022-2023 will be collected through the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal. The data requested will include each homebound teacher’s license number, hourly rate of payment, and number of hours worked. The license number of the teacher monitoring online homebound instruction will also be needed.
The window for submission of the reports opens on August 16, 2023, and ends on September 18, 2023. Please note that any data entered before the initiation date will be lost when the system opens. It is critical that school divisions meet the September 18, 2023 deadline for submissions to ensure timely reimbursements for fiscal year 2023 state funds. Individuals who will be entering data who do not have a current homebound password will need to obtain one by contacting the SSWS Account Manager designated for their respective school division. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
Appeal of Performance Level Designation for Accreditation Indicator
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Amy Siepka, Director, Office of Accountability
A local school board may appeal a performance level designation for a state accreditation indicator, as described in the Standards of Accreditation (SOA). Per the SOA, the Virginia Board of Education (Board) shall grant such appeals only in limited circumstances that warrant special consideration in designating performance levels.
The intent of this provision in the SOA is to provide potential relief to schools that have experienced a significant event impacting performance on an indicator. Such circumstances should be unusual, and appeals based on this section of the SOA should be rare.
Should a school division have a school that has been impacted by a significant event affecting an indicator used in the accreditation process, an appeals form (DOCX) should be completed and submitted by August 31, 2023, to accountability@doe.virginia.gov. This article first ran in edition #2023-06.
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Supporting Early Childhood Care & Education
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VQB5 Registration and Fall CLASS Observation Windows are now open!
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers
Contact:Lucy Mitzner, Quality Improvement Specialist (email)
VQB5 Registration opened on Tuesday, August 15th for the 2023-2024 year. Registration by October 1st is required for all publicly-funded early childhood programs, including all VPI, Head Start, Early Head Start, Early Childhood Special Education, Title One, and Child Care Subsidy programs. VQB5 Registration occurs within LinkB5 and is coordinated through the Ready Regions. Please access the resources below:
The Fall CLASS Observation Window also opened on August 15th and will close on December 22nd. Ready Regions also coordinate Local Observations. Additional details can be found in the resources below:
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Division Finance and Budgeting
Five Career and Technical Education State Entitlements 🆕 ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals; Finance Directors
Contact: William Hatch, CTE Planning, Administration, and Accountability Coordinator
The General Assembly continued state Lottery funding for the five Career and Technical Education (CTE) state entitlements for this fiscal year. Each of the five state entitlement links below includes a description with permitted uses, school division and CTE regional center allocations, and reimbursement forms.
Reimbursement requests must be submitted by May 17, 2024. Any unreimbursed school division and/or CTE regional center funds from the five state entitlement funds will be reallocated on May 21, 2024, to school divisions and regional CTE centers that have submitted approved reimbursement requests that exceed their initial SY 2023-2024 allocated amount.
2023-2024 Title III, Part A, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended 🆕
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Louise Marks, Title III Coordinator
The total amount of the allocation is available to school divisions as of July 1, 2023, through the reimbursement process. The procedures and forms for applying for Title III, Part A, were previously provided to school division program coordinators. Applications were due on July 1, 2023.
Additional information on EL and IY awards can be found on this supporting document.
Special Education Program Training: Students with Intensive Support Needs Application (SISNA)
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Cynithia Reid, Special Education Intensive Support Analyst
Superintendent’s Memo #116-23 regarding the 2023-2024 Students with Intensive Support Needs Application (SISNA) was emailed and published on the VDOE website on June 15, 2023. As noted in the memo, the SISNA is due by 5 p.m. on September 29, 2023. The VDOE Office of Special Education Finance and Budget is providing instructional information for completing the 2023-2024 SISNA. The application and guidance documents for school divisions are available by accessing the SISNA section in the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal. A SISNA submission training video is available for viewing at any time. Additional details regarding upcoming regional question and answer sessions will be sent directly to special education directors who are urged to participate. This article first ran in edition #2023-07.
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Career Opportunities at VDOE
The most recent job openings at VDOE include:
- Parent Engagement Specialist
- Data System Project Coordinator
- Survey Analyst
- Title I/IV Specialist
- Coordinator for Monitoring and General Supervision of IDEA
- Specialized Reading and Dyslexia Specialist
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