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This Week's To Do's
This Week’s Articles
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News from Across the Commonwealth
Lab Schools Making a Difference for Virginia Students
Virginia Lab Schools provide an environment for students to learn in innovative and creative ways. Here is some of the great work happening at Code RVA, Virginia's first lab school!
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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I am thrilled that Virginia continues making progress toward becoming the national leader in lab school development. Public schools, colleges and universities, and industry partners have responded to the call for lab school proposals with a wide range of ideas and program focus. Most recently, the Board of Education approved the application for James Madison University’s Lab School for Innovation and Career Exploration in partnership with Blue Ridge Community College and Rockingham County Public Schools. This exciting new partnership will cultivate innovation and provide career exposure to students, and joins other approved programs from Germanna Community College, University of Mary Washington, and Virginia Commonwealth University. These partnerships help expand learning opportunities for students and educators, reshape teacher training, and broaden the future of education in Virginia. We’re very proud of the work being done with students at our first lab school, CodeRVA with VCU, and we have shared some of their achievements in the Highlights above.
I am also very thankful for the commitment of our Special Education Workgroup over the past few months as they have conducted a careful review and analysis of the external reports on special education the department received last year. Using their review as well as their extensive experience in special education as a guide, the Workgroup has formed priorities to develop a special education roadmap for Virginia. Helping define priorities and workflow related to serving students with disabilities in the Commonwealth, the workgroup identified teacher retention and recruitment, inclusion, high-quality instruction, parental engagement, post-secondary transition, and monitoring as top areas of focus. As the Workgroup continues moving forward, the department is working from the Roadmap to develop an implementation plan to help support school divisions beginning in the 2024-2025 school year. The Workgroup, along with the State Special Education Advisory Committee, is helping move the commonwealth forward on serving our students.
-Lisa
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 News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
VDOE Literacy Network Implementation Series Underway
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Jill Nogueras, K-12 English Coordinator, Jill.Nogueras@doe.virginia.gov
VDOE’s Literacy Network Implementation Series is designed to support Division leaders in developing and implementing effective strategies to achieve the goals of the Virginia Literacy Act and increase literacy outcomes for students across Virginia.
Session #1 will review the process for leading impactful systems-level change to improve literacy outcomes for all of Virginia’s students. Participants will explore the Division Literacy Plan, deepen their understanding of the components of a coherent literacy strategy, and can develop and/or refine their school division literacy vision while planning to share and invest all stakeholders in this vision.
Division Teams of up to seven people should be formed and should include the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction or CAO/Director of Instruction, Division Level Literacy Lead (supervisor/coordinator/director), and Principal(s) who can help carry the message back to the Division. Teams should also invite a Director of Special Education, Director of Multilingual Learning/ESL or special populations, or Reading Specialist(s). Participants will receive professional development points for attending the three-hour long sessions.
Regional session will be held:
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Region 7: March 7 at 9:30 a.m. held at Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, Grand Hall 1 Partnership Cir, Abingdon.
Application Window Open for the Science Standards Revision Committees
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Laura Casdorph, Science Coordinator, Laura.Casdorph@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE is seeking nominations for individuals who are qualified and available to serve on the Science Standards Revision Committee to review the K-12 Science Standards of Learning during the summer of 2024. Nominees should be teachers, principals, administrators, content specialists, reading specialists, or other educators who have expertise with the content area and current standards. Individuals who wish to serve on a committee to review the K-12 Science Standards of Learning must submit an application using the SOL Teacher Committee Application Form by Friday, March 29, 2024.
Nominations for the 2024 Standards of Learning Special Test Forms Review Committee
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Reading and Math Supervisors
Contact: Office of Student Assessment, Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education is accepting nominations through Friday, March 22, 2024, for participation in the 2024 Standards of Learning (SOL) Special Test Forms Review Committee. The Special Test Forms Review 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 Richmond, Virginia and convene twice during 2024 as follows: Session 1: July 23-25, 2024, and Session 2: October 15-18, 2024.
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). Approximately twelve members will be selected. The application will require a professional reference and school division approval. Completed applications are due to the Virginia Department of Education by Friday, March 22, 2024. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all required parts of the application are complete by this date.
VA Council on Women’s 13th Annual STEAM-H Essay Contest
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: women@governor.virginia.gov
The VA Council on Women’s 13th Annual STEAM-H Essay Contest, supported by Governor Glenn Youngkin and First Lady Suzanne Youngkin, focuses on supporting female Virginia high school seniors by providing financial scholarships to youth across the Commonwealth. The VCW is a volunteer, governor appointed council whose statutory purpose is to help women reach their full potential and maximize their contributions as wage earners and citizens to the Commonwealth and society. Over the past twelve years, the VCW has awarded more than $185,000 in scholarships to deserving students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, Computer Arts, Math, and Healthcare.
The Virginia Council on Women will provide one merit-based and one need-based scholarship to female high school seniors in each of the five geographic regions across the Commonwealth through a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Healthcare (STEAM-H) essay contest. This year, merit-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay submitted, and the need-based scholarships will be awarded based on the quality of the essay and the individual's self-identified financial need. Award amounts may vary and are determined by the Council annually.
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School Performance & Support
National School Social Work Week
Audience: Superintendents, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Alexandra Javna, School Social Work Specialist, Alex.Javna@doe.virginia.gov
Please join the Virginia Department of Education in celebrating Virginia School Social Workers during the week of March 3-9, 2024. National School Social Work Week is a dedicated time to acknowledge the exceptional contributions of School Social Workers in enhancing the well-being of our students, families, and communities. School Social Workers leverage student, school, and community data to devise comprehensive plans that extend beyond the school environment, reaching families, communities, and division personnel. As integral members of our school teams, School Social Workers contribute to strategic plans, advocating and collaborating on issues ranging from attendance and dropout prevention to mental health and community violence. The School Social Work Association of America has shared informational materials, activity ideas, and communication tools that highlight the significance of school social work. Additional information on key roles that school social workers play can be found on the VDOE School Social Work Services webpage.
National Nutrition Month®, National School Breakfast Week, and Virginia School Breakfast Awardees
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Katy Harbin, Nutrition and Wellness Specialist, Katy.Harbin@doe.virginia.gov
Schools and community nutrition program sponsors are encouraged to celebrate National Nutrition Month®, National School Breakfast Week (NSBW), and the 2024 Virginia School Breakfast Award winners this March!
March is National Nutrition Month® and this year's theme, Beyond the Table, addresses the farm-to-fork aspect of nutrition, from food production and distribution to navigating grocery stores and farmers markets.
NSBW is March 4-8, 2024, and this year's theme, Surf’s Up with School Breakfast, celebrates the importance of a nutritious school breakfast in fueling students for success. Studies show that students who eat school breakfast are more likely to reach higher levels of achievement in reading and math, score higher on standardized tests, have better concentration and memory, and maintain a healthy weight.
During NSBW, the Virginia Breakfast Club will recognize schools for excellence in prioritizing the nutritional quality of school breakfast and serving more scratch-cooked local foods. The winners of the 2024 Virginia School Breakfast Award are:
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Brooke Point High School, Stafford County Public Schools
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Frederick Douglass Elementary School, Loudoun County Public Schools
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Larkspur Middle School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools
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Norview High School, Norfolk Public Schools
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Prince Edward County Elementary School, Prince Edward County Public Schools
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Rappahannock County High School, Rappahannock County Public Schools
Please join us in congratulating the winners of the 2024 Virginia Breakfast Club Award for their innovation and promotion of school breakfast all year long.
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Supporting Our Parents
Reading Together, A Webinar for Families
Audience: School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff, Parents
Contact: Office of Parental Engagement, parents@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education is excited to celebrate Family Reading Month in March. Join the Virginia Department of Education & Virginia PTA for a Reading Together. A webinar designed for families to learn about best practices in reading instruction, the event also covers how families can support their student through all stages of learning to read and improving reading comprehension.
The webinar will take place on Wednesday, March 13th from 7-8pm. Registration is required to participate and is open to the public.
The Virginia PTA has generously provided Family Reading Night Activities to use during this month of celebration.
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Division Finance and Budgeting
Federal Pandemic Relief Programs Annual Reporting Requirements and Due Dates
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Federal Pandemic Relief Coordinators; Finance Directors
Contact: Carol Sylvester, Director, Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs, Carol.Sylvester@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education is required to submit annual reports on behalf of all ESSER and GEER funds subgrantees each spring. Since several required school division-specific data elements are not available at the state level, we are seeking additional data elements from subgrantees. School divisions will receive division-specific Excel files to review and complete. In order to meet reporting deadlines established by the United States Department of Education (USED), the completed GEER file will be due by March 28, 2024, and the completed ESSER file will be due by May 1, 2024. Completed files should be emailed to vdoefederalrelief@doe.virginia.gov.
The VDOE will offer two webinars to provide an overview of the reporting requirements for the ESSER and GEER programs. School division personnel who will complete the annual reports are strongly encouraged to attend the webinars. The webinars will be recorded to provide access for school division staff who are unavailable during the presentations.
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GEER Annual Reporting Requirements Webinar
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ESSER Annual Reporting Requirements Webinar
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