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News from Across the Commonwealth
Quin'niah, a senior at Prince Edward County High in Prince Edward County Schools, recently interviewed Dr. Johnson, PECPS superintendent, for a class assignment. During the interview, she asked Dr. Johnson a series of questions about her role as a superintendent. What a fun way to learn and practice communication and social skills! |
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Students at Samuel W. Tucker Elementary in Alexandria City Schools created affirmations and/or growth mindset statements to prepare for SOLs and for Mental Health Awareness Month! |
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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As each of us close the end of the school year, I want to thank you for everything that you do to support teaching and learning in your communities and making schools a safe and engaging place for Virginia’s students. This week, I have had great joy watching students receive graduation awards. It is truly an honor to see the hard work we all do pay off in the joy and hope of this year’s graduates.
At the Military Signing Day event held this Friday at the Virginia War Memorial, VDOE along with school division staff and families, will honor students for their commitment to the United States Armed Forces. I am so proud of their commitment to their future and our country. I was equally proud of the graduating students at John I. Burton High School in Norton celebrating their Senior Awards Day, in which over one-third of the students graduated with an associate's degree. At the Scott County Career and Technical Center, graduating students were celebrated for their achievements. These CTE programs are designed to ensure our high school students are ready for their futures.
I am truly thankful for each educator who plays a part in ensuring our students not only walk across the stage with a diploma but are also ready for life after high school. #ElevateEducatorsVA
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News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
May Virginia Literacy Act Updates
Article: 2024-20-182
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov
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New Legislation
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Instructional Materials
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Use of VALLSS and Student Reading Plans
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Professional Development
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Planning
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Frequently Asked Questions from the Field
Superintendents are asked to share these resources with key staff.
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School Performance & Support
Clever SSO Implementation Webinar
Article: 2024-20-180
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Technology Directors, VVAAS Technical Lead
Contact: Morri Pace, VVAAS Coordinator, VDOE_SSO@doe.virginia.gov
Virginia Visualization and Analytics Solution, VVAAS, is a state-wide data analytics and reporting tool that supports Virginia school divisions. The web-based tool is expected to be updated with data from the 2023-24 school year this fall. To create secure, user-friendly access and allow for division account autonomy, VVAAS will be using a Single-Sign-On (SSO) and Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) login method. The VDOE along with their technical partners will begin the migration of divisions to the new log on process over the coming months.
The onboarding process will require steps for each division’s technical lead to take on division-internal systems as well as coordinated communication with the SSO support specialist. We have completed testing for Clever and are ready to onboard divisions choosing to use Clever SSO. The VDOE will be hosting a webinar to explain the details of Clever implementation on May 30. Technical leads will need to review the documents included below and attend the webinar (a recording will be posted in Canvas).
The VDOE will continue to test and pilot Google and ClassLink and then move to the other SSO options used within the divisions. As each SSO option becomes available, a Supt’s Newsletter and Canvas announcement will be posted two weeks prior to the Implementation Webinar. If you would like to see the new VVAAS roles for SSO, view the Generic: VVAAS SSO SAML attributes and roles Document.
Self, Health, and Relationship Education Consideration Guidelines
Article: 2024-20-177
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Samantha Gregory, Coordinator of Specially Designed Behavior Intervention and Improvement, Samantha.Gregory@doe.virginia.gov
Under previous legislation, the VDOE was required to develop guidelines for Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams to provide information and context for IEP Team consideration related to the critical topics identified (§22.1-217.03). As required by Senate Bill 60 from the 2024 Virginia General Assembly, these guidelines are now posted and available to each school board on the VDOE IEP & Instruction webpage.
The VDOE has also developed and made available the Self, Health, and Relationship Education (SHaRE) Consideration Guide. This guide is available to assist school divisions and IEP Teams in facilitating and documenting discussions regarding a student’s strengths, needs, and potential support and instructional strategies related to this legislation.
For school divisions utilizing Virginia IEP, an additional question will be added in June 2024 within the IEP template providing a prompt for IEP Team consideration and a place to document a summary of the IEP Team’s discussion. School divisions not utilizing Virginia IEP are encouraged to develop procedures that ensure consideration of age-appropriate and developmentally appropriate instruction related to this legislation is documented within their local IEP system.
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Supporting Early Childhood Care & Education
Early Childhood Programs: VQB5 Spring Local CLASS Observation Window – 2 Weeks Left!
Article: 2024-20-179
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Quality Improvement Specialist, VQB5@doe.virginia.gov
The VQB5 spring local CLASS observation window for participating early childhood programs ends on May 31. Site administrators must make sure that all local CLASS observation scores are entered and verified in LinkB5 by May 31, 2024.
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Division Finance and Budgeting
VPSA Series XXIV Education Technology Notes and Series XII School Security Equipment Grants
Article: 2024-20-178
Audience: School Division Finance Directors
Contact: Ed Lanza, Director of Budget, Edward.Lanza@doe.virginia.gov
Proceeds from the Virginia Public School Authority (VPSA) Educational Technology Notes Series XXIV and School Security Equipment Grants Series XII are available to school divisions. The goal of the educational technology grant program is to improve the instructional, remedial, and testing capabilities of the Standards of Learning (SOL) in school divisions and to increase the number of schools achieving full accreditation. Proceeds of the Series XXIV notes are provided to:
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Establish a computer-based instructional and testing system for the SOL.
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Develop an internet-ready local area network (LAN) capability and high-speed internet connectivity at high schools, followed by middle schools, and then in elementary schools.
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Establish a 5-to-1 student computer ratio for high schools, followed by middle schools, and then in elementary schools.
There are a limited number of business days between the closing date and the end of FY 2024 on June 28, 2024. To ensure sufficient time to process the school division reimbursement requests that need to be received by June 28, 2024, such reimbursement requests must be received by the VDOE electronically within the VPSARP application in the SSWS portal by June 27, 2024. Please note that Series XIX proceeds will expire on June 30, 2024, and available balances should also be claimed by June 28, 2024.
In addition to the grants provided to support the SOL Web-based Technology Initiative, $12 million is provided for Series XII of the School Security Equipment Grants. Proceeds of these notes will be used to help offset the related local costs associated with the purchase of appropriate security equipment that will improve and help ensure the safety of students attending public schools in Virginia. Guidelines for the program and the Series XII application form to apply for this competitive grant funding are available on the VDOE website at:
Email requests for technical assistance about the Series XXIV reimbursement process to VPSA@doe.virginia.gov. If you have questions relating to qualifying technology equipment (i.e., hardware, software) that may be purchased from the VPSA note proceeds, please call Calypso Gilstrap, Associate Director for Education Technology and Classroom Innovation, at (804) 750-8708.
Student Slots in Regional Alternative Education Program
Article: 2024-20-181
Audience: Superintendents, Non-teaching staff
Contact: Sofia McDaniel, Senior Policy Analyst, Department of Strategic Innovation Sofia.Mcdaniel@doe.virginia.gov
The recently enacted Fiscal Year 2025 state budget continues provisions for reallocating unused student slots in regional alternative education programs.
Each year, the General Assembly appropriates funding for 1,800 slots for regional alternative education programs across the Commonwealth. In the past, and for the approved Fiscal Year 2025 budget, this statewide pool has been divided among local school divisions by VDOE according to each divisions local composite index. These slot allocations have been historically communicated to school divisions in the Direct Aid Calculation Tool. In the past, VDOE has solicited feedback from local school divisions through an annual slot survey to determine actual need. This survey has typically taken place in May or June of every year.
Beginning with Fiscal Year 2025 allocations, VDOE was required to conduct a biennial application process to determine slot allocations for the regional alternative education programs for the 2024-2026 biennium. That initial data collection was conducted during winter and spring of 2023 in advance of the 2024-2026 re-benchmarking process. Each school division, or the fiscal agent for each regional program, was required to apply for the desired number of student slots from the statewide total number of slots funded in the state formula. This was a new requirement in the allocation process.
In previous years, this survey has been sent to every regional alternative education coordinator in the state via Superintendent’s memo. Coordinators have been tasked with asking divisions in their region to determine actual need. Similar to the allocation of seats for the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), slot surveys have been reviewed by VDOE and unused slots have been equitably reallocated based on requests from the survey and the local composite index.
This year, it is our goal to provide greater transparency to this process for local leaders and to ensure that all of the budgeted 1,800 slots are fully utilized. Again this year, VDOE will ask regional alternative education programs to complete a survey like they have in the past on slot usage for the upcoming 2024-2025 school year. This survey will be shared in the May 23 edition of the Virginia Education Update.
To provide more insight on the current slot assignment and slot reallocation process, including opportunities for potential revisions for the 2025-2026 school year and any associated state-wide budgetary impact, VDOE will be hosting a webinar and feedback session on Wednesday, May 29 at 1:30 pm. Registration is currently open. We invite superintendents, division instructional leaders, and regional alternative education coordinators to learn more about this current process and provide feedback for potential future improvements in this process for 2025-2026.
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