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This Week's To Do's
This Week’s Articles
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News from Across the Commonwealth
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Craig Reynolds, Region 2 Teacher of the Year, has worked with his community, local businesses, and churches to recruit retirees to volunteer in his school. Their role is to work with students who, as he says, might “fly under the radar” to support their literacy and math skills. The volunteers aim to reinforce the skills that students are learning in the classroom as well as build connections with them in order to help keep them engaged and excited about school. #ElevateEducators |
Vivian Rivera-Maysonet was selected as the 2024 Bilingual Teacher of the Year by the National Association for Bilingual Education. She is the fourth-grade Spanish dual language immersion teacher at Elizabeth Scott Elementary in Chesterfield County. Congratulations to Vivian!
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Collaborative planning provides educators the opportunity to work together to plan for high quality instruction with the goal of improving student learning and achievement. When done well, leaders create the place and space for teachers to share best practices, design and discern the effectiveness of intervention, and provide an avenue for professional growth. I had the pleasure of visiting Arlington’s Alice West Elementary School, where Principal Jennifer Gildea is has created protected collaborative planning time for her teams. I was excited to learn that Alice West teachers have twice a week time to plan, discuss, and create lessons with reading specialists, special and advance learning teachers, and ESL teachers as part of this inclusive model. I was very impressed by the professional conversations focused on instruction!
The collaborative approach allows for teachers to engage with each other as well as providing families with important instructional information. When parents, teachers, and schools partner in meaningful ways, students are more likely to experience improved outcomes. I would encourage you to visit our parent engagement resource page for opportunities to elevate parent engagement and the Virginia PTA to be an active part of the school every month. These resources provide suggestions for engaging families to be part of the school community, support EL learners and military families who are becoming acclimated to the school, improve attendance by creating a welcoming environment and much more!
-Lisa
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 News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
Virginia Literacy Updates
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov
Based on the feedback received from superintendents and local instructional leaders during the recent Literacy Network Implementation meetings, VDOE has released an extensive update on literacy planning for division leaders to use as a guide while creating their division literacy plans, planning for future training, and assessing their school division’s needs around full implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act.
Additionally, to assist divisions in the creating of their literacy plans, VDOE has created an updated instructional document intended to provide division level guidance and support.
Required by the VLA and as a best practice, school divisions should have a well-articulated Division Literacy Plan that can be shared with stakeholders and assist in communicating implementation expectations across all schools. The literacy plan is designed to improve early literacy outcomes for students in pre-kindergarten through grade eight by requiring school divisions to address how the local school board will align the following with evidence-based literacy instruction practices aligned with science-based reading research.
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School Performance & Support
2023–2024 Governor’s Scorecard on Nutrition and Physical Activity Awards
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Katy Harbin, Nutrition and Wellness Specialist, Katy.Harbin@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023–2024 (Fall Cycle) Governor’s Scorecard on Nutrition and Physical Activity awards. The Governor’s Scorecard recognizes schools that promote a culture of health and wellness through food quality, participation in meal programs, health and physical education, and physical activity. Schools are encouraged to highlight their wellness initiatives on the scorecard utilizing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child model.
This cycle’s bronze award winner was Diamond Springs Elementary School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Buckingham County Prekindergarten Center, Buckingham County Public Schools and Brookwood Elementary School, Virginia Beach City Public Schools both received participation awards.
School Health Profiles Survey
Audience: Superintendents
Contact: Freda Williams, Virginia Department of Health’s Survey Coordinator, Freda.Williams@vdh.virginia.gov; or Joseph Wharff, Director of Behavioral Health and Wellness, VDOE, Joseph.Wharff@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE and the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) work collaboratively to improve students’ health and educational outcomes in the Commonwealth. This spring (February-May), approximately 376 randomly selected schools will participate in the VDH School Health Profiles Survey. This survey is conducted every two years and reflects the status of school health education practices, policies, and activities. The survey does not involve student participation. In the next few weeks, principals or assistant principals of selected schools will receive an email notification from the VDH, including a survey link for the principal and lead health educator.
The data and information obtained from these surveys provide a mechanism to improve the quality and delivery of health education and services to school students.
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Division Finance and Budgeting
Additional Information Regarding School Year 2022-2023 Excess Balance Letters and Guidance
Audience: Superintendents
Contact: Courtney Jones, SCNP Operations Supervisor, Courtney.Jones@doe.virginia.gov
On February 5, 2024, notifications were sent to division superintendents if their school food authority (SFA) had ended the school year (SY) 2022–2023 with an excess balance in the nonprofit food service account. The Code of Federal Regulations 7 §210.14 requires SFAs to maintain a NPSFSA and limit net cash resources to an amount that does not exceed three months average expenditures. If the account exceeds three months average expenditures, SFAs must develop a plan to utilize the funds.
Pandemic-related waivers allocated additional funds for SFAs to provide meals to all children and offered increased federal reimbursement rates leading to many SFAs having a SY 2022–2023 excess balance. The requirement to develop an excess balance plan, while regulatory, is not punitive. SFAs must develop a plan for these funds. The funds do not need to be expended in the current year for longer range projects.
Strategies to utilize funds include equipment to improve efficiency and scratch-cooking, professional development to recruit and retain skilled staff, and increasing the use of locally grown foods. For example, a strategy to utilize these funds could include revising job qualifications to elevate school nutrition positions from a cook to a chef.
A portion of the excess balance may have already been spent during SY 2023–2024 by addressing the financial impact of rising program costs and maintaining regulatory compliance. Of note, excess balance funds cannot not be used to fund other division initiatives. Indirect cost assessment must follow the VDOE direct cost guidance.
Revision to the RFP for 21st Century Community Learning Centers Competitive Grant Program
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Title IV and 21st Century Community Learning Centers Division Coordinators
Contact: Marsha Granderson, Title IV Coordinator, Marsha.Granderson@doe.virginia.gov
On February 15, 2024, the Virginia Department of Education released the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Competitive Grants. An update has been made to the application information regarding the awarding of priority points. To serve as many elementary school aged children as possible, priority points will be awarded to any school that has elementary in its title, regardless the grade configuration, including (K-6 and K-7). This replaces the previous guidance that only grades K-5 would receive the priority points.
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