The VDOE Team has had an amazing week collaborating with principals from across the Commonwealth at the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals (VAESP) Conference and the Annual Virginia Middle and High School Principals Conference (VASSP). We appreciated the opportunity to share successes and discuss the vision for Virginia’s children going forward. We appreciate the hard work and dedication that school leaders provide day in and day out, and it was powerful to discuss ongoing attendance needs, next steps in VLA and math implementation, as well as the ongoing work with the performance and support framework development. Thank you for your questions, collaboration, and feedback.  

During conversations at both principal conferences this week, we heard enthusiasm for offering weekly VLA office hours. Literacy Office Hours will be weekly on Wednesdays from 9:30-10 a.m. through August 30 and move to bi-weekly on September 11 from 9:30-10 a.m. Please look for detailed information and see the recent memo for updated literacy information.  

In addition to the principal conferences this week, we continue to lead trainings across the state during our Summer of Support. This week, we had 20 Title I elementary schools working on early literacy at a weeklong institute, 262 educators at Math and Literacy symposiums, over 550 attendees at our Content Training Academies held at JMU, and through each of these experiences, educators have been growing their capacity and their vision for daily high-quality learning experiences. We know many of you are also attending partner trainings such as the principal literacy training held by UVA. I am humbled by the commitment Virginia educators make, and I am thankful to be spending our summer with so many of you. 

In addition, this Tuesday our senior leadership team visited the Newport News Apprentice School. The team had the opportunity to tour an active redesign of an aircraft carrier and saw apprentices welding, building electrical systems, working on communications systems, and doing precision machinery work. The post-high school apprenticeship program currently provides over 750 graduates with extensive training, an associate’s degree, and a long-term career worth over $300,000 at no cost to the student. The team also witnessed the innovative pre-apprenticeship opportunities being piloted in Hampton Roads and is excited to explore how these primarily virtual partnership ideas could be expanded across the Commonwealth.  

As many of you are taking time to recharge, reflect, and reimagine the next school year, I want to thank you for all you do for the students we serve every day. 

-Lisa 

ALL In with Lexia: 3 Ways to LEVEL UP Your Lexia Implementation this Summer!

Article: 2024-26-236
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov

ALL In with Lexia: 3 ways to LEVEL UP your Lexia implementation this summer! Lexia® is a partner with the Virginia Department of Education helping fulfill the Commonwealth’s priority to accelerate literacy growth for students in grades 3-8 through the ALL In Tutoring Initiative and the Learning Acceleration Grant funding. 109 Virginia school divisions have committed to using Lexia, including 46 divisions that are using Lexia for summer programming. See below for a variety of professional learning sessions and resources for parents that Lexia has to offer. 

1. New to Lexia or looking for a refresh? Attend an UPDATED Core5 or PowerUp professional learning session to learn more about and prepare for implementing in your setting. 

1. Seeking to inform family partnerships surrounding student literacy growth? Share these Lexia information sessions with families. 

1. Need support with rostering or the VATutoring code? Opt into the next Open Office Hours with a Lexia Success Engineer on July 3 from 2-3 p.m. EST (Zoom Link Here) or check out resources here. 

Looking for more information or have any questions? Visit the Lexia webpage or contact Lexia at vatutoring@lexialearning.com.

Division literacy plans are due to the Virginia Department of Education on Monday, July 1, 2024.  Plans are to be submitted via email at the following address: vla@doe.virginia.gov. The VDOE requires that all local superintendents certify that the information reported in their division literacy plan is accurate.   

Developed by a cross-functional school division team, including the superintendent, the plan should address all aspects of the required legislation, as well as the vision of the school division. In the March Virginia Literacy Update, VDOE released a Division Literacy Plan (DLP) Template-Version 2 which is an editable Word document. Divisions may choose to use either Version 1 or 2 to develop plans. Divisions should follow the guidance provided in the Instructions for Completion of the Division Literacy Plan document to create a thorough and comprehensive division literacy plan. Each division literacy plan will be reviewed, and feedback/approval will be provided by August 1, 2024.  Divisions will be able to submit updates to the division literacy plan by December 6, 2024.   

Additional information and resources can be found on the VDOE's Virginia Literacy Act webpage.

The Virginia Department of Education is proud to announce the adoption of a comprehensive model policy aimed at enhancing internet safety for students and teachers across the Commonwealth. This initiative aligns with Virginia Code § 22.1-24.1 and reflects our commitment to safeguarding children in the digital age. 

The Internet Safety Advisory Council, established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, has developed a Model Policy Concerning Internet Safety. This policy empowers local school boards to better support the internet safety of all students and educators within their divisions. It addresses critical aspects, including screen time, digital citizenship, safe and responsible use of social media, privacy protection, copyright laws, and communication with responsible adults.

As part of this initiative, the VDOE has launched an instructional resource hub. Educators can find valuable materials, lesson plans, and best practices for promoting internet safety. The hub will serve as a central repository, connecting teachers and families with effective strategies to navigate the digital landscape. 

As required by the Standards of Accreditation, schools with Level Two School Quality indicators must be monitored by the division. Schools with Level Three School Quality Indicators must undergo monitoring by the Office of School Quality in conjunction with the division on a regular basis.  

Per the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESEA section 1111(d)(2)(B)) local educational agencies (LEAs) with schools identified as comprehensive, targeted, or additional targeted support and improvement are required to monitor the implementation of the evidence-based interventions (EBIs) within the school’s approved School Improvement Grant (SIG) application and the impact on the progress made by the school(s) towards improving student performance. 

To certify the completion of monitoring during the 2023-2024 school year, the Office of School Quality is requesting verification of monitoring for designated schools by division superintendents. The monitoring certification form should be signed and returned no later than July 12, 2024.  

Monitoring certification forms for schools with Level Two and/or Level Three School Quality Indicators and federally designated schools identified for comprehensive, targeted, and/or additional targeted support and improvement should have been received by division superintendents and OSQ division contacts. 

Questions regarding these requirements may be directed to osq@doe.virginia.gov. 

The 2024 Appropriation Act includes funding in Fiscal Year 2025 for planning grant and start-up grants to school divisions interested in establishing or implementing extended school year or year-round school programs to improve student achievement. Instructions and applications are available at the Virginia Department of Education’s website. 

All school divisions applying for either a planning grant or a start-up grant must submit a completed application by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 2, 2024. 

Priority will be given to schools based on need, relative to the state accreditation ratings or similar federal designations. Applications must include evidence of commitment to pursue implementation in the subsequent 2025-2026 school year. 

School divisions may apply for a planning grant of no more than $50,000 each for the division or individual schools to pursue the creation of new extended school year or year-round school programs. 

School divisions may apply for annual start-up grants of up to $300,000 per extended school year or year-round school, which may be awarded for a period of up to two years after the initial implementation year to implement new extended year or year-round school programs. The per school amount may be up to $400,000 depending on the accreditation status. Grant funds awarded may be spent over two years. Past recipients of start-up grant funds must reapply for additional start-up grant funds each fiscal year. 

Recipients of either a planning grant or start-up grant must provide a 20% local match to the amount awarded in the state grant. However, the local match requirement does not apply for school divisions with schools that are in an Accredited with Conditions status and are rated at Level Three in two or more Academic Achievement for All Students school quality indicators or in a Denied Accreditation status. 

Foster Care Data Collection

Article: 2024-26-241
Audience: Superintendents, School Finance Staff
Contact: Ed Lanza, Director of Budget, Edward.Lanza@doe.virginia.gov

The 2024-2025 School Security Equipment Grants (SGEM) will be awarded on a competitive basis and school divisions are eligible to receive grant awards up to $250,000. SEGM grant information is located at VDOE's Security Equipment Grants webpage. Grant applications must be submitted to VDOE between July 1, 2024, and August 1, 2024.  School divisions must purchase all funded security equipment within six months of the notification of the grant award or by March 1, 2025.

To support the installation of school security equipment during the summer months and expedite the spend-down of these funds, school divisions and regional programs may apply for grants reimbursements for school security equipment expenditures made on or after May 16, 2024. Such projects must otherwise meet all existing program guidelines and only approved projects will be reimbursed.

For a school division to receive a grant, a local match of 25%  of the grant amount is required. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is authorized to reduce the local match for school divisions with a composite index of local ability-to-pay less than 0.2000, including any such school division participating in a regional vocational center, special education center, alternative education center, or academic year Governor's School. The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind is exempt from the match requirement. 

Awarded grant funds will be maintained and disbursed from accounts administered by the State Non-Arbitrage Program (SNAP) under the Virginia Public School Authority. Upon approval of a reimbursement request, a written certification will be sent to SNAP to complete reimbursement payment within 30 days.

Division superintendents are required to certify that insurance providing the required coverage for all vehicles to be used in transporting school children and school personnel has been obtained during the period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025. Pursuant to Section 22.1-191, Code of Virginia, such insurance shall be secured, certified, and submitted to the Superintendent of Public Instruction on or before August 16, 2024. 

Compliance with these requirements is mandatory before any state school funds can be distributed (see Sections 22.1-190, 191 and 197, Code of Virginia). The VDOE urges you to initiate the procurement process in time to finalize the necessary insurance contract by the end of July 2024. Please ensure that the contract contains the coverage required for all days schools are operated during the entire 2024-2025 school year. 

Insurance certification instructions can be found at: Pupil Transportation Data Collection | Virginia Department of Education. 

The Superintendent of Public Instruction annually surveys all local school divisions to identify critical shortages of school bus drivers by geographic area and by individual school division. 

This data will be used to identify school divisions or geographic areas with critical shortages of school bus drivers, thus permitting any school bus driver hired by a local school board in any area or division in which a critical shortage of school bus drivers has been identified to elect to continue to receive a service retirement allowance during such employment if the driver meets certain other conditions.  

Please note that the Virginia Retirement System has also issued additional guidelines regarding the school bus driver critical shortage provision in the Code. 

A survey form to meet this requirement will be emailed to school division transportation directors which must be completed and returned to the Virginia Department of Education by August 16, 2024.