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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
A group of Campbell County Schools administrators, counselors, and teachers recently participated in the Educator Workforce Academy through the Lynchburg Regional Business Alliance. They completed tours of local businesses to gain insight into their hiring and skill-based needs to prepare students. In addition, they spoke with engineers, machinists, and security officers to grow their understanding of each career path.
Bus drivers in Hopewell City Schools bond beyond the wheel by sharing lunch with students who ride their bus! These moments of connection go beyond the road, turning every day into an opportunity to build lasting relationships.
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Superintendent's Message
Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
Dear Colleagues,
I am so honored to share the results of our hard work this week. On Tuesday, the Governor held a press conference and shared where we started with ALL In VA a year ago, where we are today, and where we need to go in the years ahead. Within the data snapshot on Tuesday, we discussed the hard work school divisions have been doing with high-intensity tutoring, and how you have extended time before and after school, redesigned summer programming, started school early, and participated in the free statewide resources- Zearn, Lexia and Ignite. Over 119 school divisions have signed up to use one or more of the state's free personalized resources in 2024-2025.
During the review of where we are, we shared the current data trends:
Statewide K-12 Chronic Absenteeism Reduction
- Virginia’s K-12 schools saw a 16% reduction in students who were chronically absent last year. The rate of chronic absenteeism fell to 16.1% in 2023-2024 from 19.3% in 2022-2023.
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40,974 fewer students were chronically absent in 2023-2024 than in 2022-2023.
- All K-12 students had 1,276,522 fewer absent days, which resulted in an increase of 8,935,654 hours of instruction.
- Reinforcing the importance of regular school attendance, chronically absent students performed 19 percentage points below their peers in reading and 26 percentage points below in math.
Statewide Grades 3-8 Reading SOL Results
- 70% of school divisions showed student improvement in Reading SOL scores (93 school divisions)
Statewide Grades 3-8 Math SOL Results
- 75% of school divisions showed student improvement in Math SOL scores (99 school divisions)
Statewide High School SOL Results
- In math, high school students raised their SOL pass results to 84% in 2023-2024 from 81% in 2022-2023, seeing increased pass rates on all 3 high school math end-of-course exams.
- In reading, high school students showed a slight decrease in SOL results with 84% of students passing in 2023-2024 versus 85% passing in 2022-2023.
- In science, high school students showed slight improvement in their SOL results rising to 71% in 2023-2024 from 70% in 2022-2023.
Most importantly, our students who were hit the hardest have shown the fastest gains. Economically disadvantaged students doubled the rate of growth of all students post-pandemic in reading growth; English learners’ rate of growth in reading was more than 6 times the rate of growth of all students in post pandemic reading growth; and students with disabilities’ rate of growth in math was 1.2 times the rate of growth of all students in math.
Each of us should take a moment to celebrate this important work and know that our efforts are starting to pay off for our students. However, we must continue the hard work. We have two additional years of ALL In funding, and we should continue our efforts to ensure the Virginia Literacy Act implementation accelerates our students’ reading performance, continue to support our students in mathematics, and ensure our student groups hardest hit by COVID 19 school closures continue to recover their learning loss.
As we took a progress check on Tuesday, we saw our hard work is paying off for our students, and we also saw that we have to dig in and continue the course -provide strong literacy and math instruction grounded in our new academic standards, support students with high-intensity tutoring and extended time, stress the importance of regular daily attendance, and take advantage of our free resources in math with Zearn, and literacy with Ignite and Lexia.
Thank you for all you do every day. It is making a difference.
Best,
Lisa
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Professional Development & Training
WIDA Professional Learning Opportunities for Virginia Educators
Article: 2024-33-326 Audience: Directors. School Principals, Teachers, Instructional Coaches Contact: Jo-el Cox, Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction, Jo-el.Cox@doe.virginia.gov
As a member of the WIDA Consortium, Virginia educators have access to free professional learning opportunities that support the instruction of Multilingual Learners (MLs), including English Learners (ELs). This year there are in-person and self-paced opportunities for classroom teachers who work with MLs, EL teachers, and instructional coaches. Division leaders and building administrators, please share these opportunities to support the learning of both experienced and new instructional staff as they support multilingual students in Virginia.
Writing with Multilingual Learners
These FREE, two day, in-person workshops designed for Virginia grade level teachers, English Language Development/Language Instruction Educational Program teachers, and instructional coaches will take place in Charlottesville, VA.
Participants will use the Teaching and Learning Cycle to design writing experiences that empower multilingual writers to produce successful academic writing and to communicate effectively for a variety of purposes and audiences.
September 23-24, 2024 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Elementary Grades
September 26-27, 2024 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Writing with Multilingual Learners in the Secondary Grades
Registration Link
WIDA Self-Paced Workshops
These interactive and engaging self-paced workshops offer Virginia K-12 educators the opportunity to work individually or with a professional learning community. Workshops are 1-4 hours beginning September 1, 2024, through August 31, 2025, with a variety of topics. Please share the WIDA Self-Paced Workshops flyer with all Pre-K-12 teachers and English Language Learning support personnel.
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Teaching & Learning
Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool
Article: 2024-33-321 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Division Science Leaders Contact: Laura Casdorph, Science Coordinator, Laura.Casdorph@doe.virginia.gov
The Environmental Literacy Indicator Tool (ELIT) is a federally directed effort to collect information from all public school divisions in the Mid-Atlantic region every two years to monitor the status of environmental literacy efforts at a division level. The results from the survey help the Chesapeake Bay Program Education Workgroup most effectively support local efforts to implement strategies that support students’ environmental literacy. This tool, the data collected, and related efforts supporting environmental education in the region are in direct support of the Environmental Literacy Goal and Outcomes of the new Chesapeake Bay Watershed Agreement (signed 6/19/2014).
We request that the appropriate division leader complete the ELIT by November 30, 2024. This will provide critical information about division-wide environmental literacy curriculum and planning activities in Virginia. Only one person per division should complete the ELIT. The best respondent is someone who works at the division-level and is most familiar with environmental education activities across the division. This could be a science curriculum coordinator, an environmental education coordinator, director of instruction, or similar positions. Teachers, principals, or staff from just one school or grade-range would have difficulty completing these questions.
Visit ELIT 2024 to access the ELIT questionnaire.
The ELIT takes an average of 60 minutes to complete, which includes the time to obtain needed information about division-wide activities. To provide accurate information or to identify the right staff person to complete the survey, please preview the survey on the PDF of ELIT Questions resource or Workbook of ELIT Questions (Word format) resource.
Viewing past responses will allow the completer to simply update any information changes since past ELIT surveys (2022, 2019, or 2017).
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School Performance & Support
Implementation of New Standards of Learning Reading Test Blueprints based on the 2024 English Standards of Learning
Article: 2024-33-318 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Instructional Supervisors/Literacy Coaches, Division Directors of Testing (DDOT and DDOT2) Contact: Office of Assessment, Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Board of Education adopted the 2024 English Standards of Learning in March 2024, and indicated that full implementation of the 2024 English Standards of Learning will occur in the 2024-2025 school year.
The reading assessments measuring an overlap across the 2024 English Standards of Learning and the 2017 English Standards of Learning will be administered for the first time in the spring 2025 test administration in grades 3-8 and end-of-course (EOC). To support preparation for implementation of the 2024 English Standards of Learning, the new reading test blueprints are available online.
Practice Opportunities for Students
Practice test questions, called Practice Items, will be available in fall 2024 for each reading test (grades 3-8 and EOC). These items will provide students an opportunity to become familiar with the types of test questions that will be administered as part of the new reading tests.
Practice items may be accessed online via the SOL Practice Items (All Subjects) webpage or the installable TestNav 8 application. See the TestNav 8 Technical Assistance document for information on system requirements and instructions for downloading the application. Guided Practice Suggestions will accompany the practice test questions to provide specific guidance for teachers or other adults to lead students through these items. School divisions will be notified when these practice items become available in fall 2024.
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School Finance
ISAEP Grant Funds for School Year 2024-2025
Article: 2024-33-319 Audience: Superintendents, Teachers, Division Finance Staff Contact: Dr. Heidi Silver-Pacuilla, Adult Education Director, Heidi.Silver-Pacuilla@doe.virginia.gov
The SY2024-2025 Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) state grant funds have been approved. The Supporting Document A, Allocation Chart, contains the final award amounts to school divisions. ISAEP grant funding is provided through Virginia Lottery proceeds which are available in January of each year. In order to receive the funds, school divisions must submit a grant application annually. Final allocations are determined based on the number of school divisions that apply for the funds.
For SY2024-2025, it is anticipated that the first ISAEP grant payments will be processed and delivered by January 31, 2025. Funds will be disbursed in automatic equal payments bimonthly through the Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) payment process. Requests for reimbursement are not required for this grant.
School divisions must maintain all financial support documentation and a record of all equipment purchased with ISAEP grant funds in accordance with the Library of Virginia Records Retention and Disposition Policies. Funds are to be used to augment the ISAEP program’s resources.
Title IV, Part A, Required Federal Reporting for FY2022
Article: 2024-33-322 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Title IV Division Coordinators Contact: Marsha Granderson, Title IV Coordinator, Marsha.Granderson@doe.virginia.gov
All school divisions, including those that transfer 100% of Title IV, Part A funds to another federal program, must report in the Title IV, Part A Submission application in Single Sign-On Web Systems (SSWS). The division superintendent or designee must electronically verify the report for final submission.
2024-2025 Active Learning Grant Pre-kindergarten through Grade 2 Request for Proposals
Article: 2024-33-325 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators Contact: Jennifer Vedder, Health Specialist, Jennifer.Vedder@doe.virginia.gov
The Active Learning Grant provides funding to school divisions to encourage and implement active learning for pre-kindergarten through Grade 2 students in various settings. The funds may be used to support the development and use of high-quality resources and professional development and to purchase of educational platforms integrating 2023 Mathematics and 2024 English Standards of Learning into movement-rich activities. The grant aims to enhance engagement and effectiveness in mathematics and literacy instruction while promoting physical and mental health alongside academic achievement. The application and additional information can be found at VDOE Physical Education. Proposals are due by September 30, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.
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Early Childhood & Learning
VQB5 Registration Now Open through October 1
Article: 2024-33-323 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Quality Improvement Specialist, Lucy.Mitzner@doe.virginia.gov
All publicly-funded early childhood programs programs that serve children ages birth to five, including public school VPI, Early Childhood Special Education, Head Start, and Title 1 programs, are required by state law to participate in VQB5 and must complete registration in the LinkB5 data portal between August 15 - October 1.
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Contact your Ready Region for VQB5 registration support and CLASS training.
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Recognitions
Patriot Day: Commemorating 9/11
![Freedom Flag illustration](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/VADOE/2024/08/10023527/5648220/screenshot-2024-08-22-at-10-44-45-am_crop.png) Article: 2024-33-320 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals Contact: Freedom Flag Foundation at Education@freedomflagfoundation.org
September 11, 2024, marks the 23rd anniversary of the most significant terrorist attack ever to occur on American soil. We recognize this date every year as Patriot Day to remember the lives lost at the World Trade Center, on Flight 93, and at the Pentagon (located in Arlington County, Virginia, making 9/11 a direct part of Virginia history). 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.
Schools are encouraged to designate time during the week of September 11 for reflection and remembrance. Many Virginia schools commemorate Patriot Day by flying the Freedom Flag, which is recognized as the Commonwealth’s official 9/11 flag of remembrance. Governor Glenn Youngkin will be displaying the Freedom Flag for the 7th consecutive year at the Executive Mansion, and major state institutions such as the Virginia War Memorial, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and the Virginia State Police are anticipated to display the Freedom Flag in commemorative events on 9/11. The Freedom Flag Foundation encourages schools to conduct flag raising ceremonies that include the recitation of the 10 symbolic elements of the Freedom Flag. There are also 9/11 teaching resources available from the United States Department of Education and the Library of Congress.
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Additional Information
2025 United States Senate Youth Program Scholarship Opportunities for High School Juniors and Seniors
Article: 2024-33-324 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, High School Counselors Contact: Christonya Brown, Coordinator of History and Social Science, Christonya.Brown@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE will select two student delegates to represent Virginia in the 63rd 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 the week of March 1-8, 2025, for Washington Week.
Students interested in applying will complete an application and submit two essay responses. Building administrators will be asked at a later time to certify the student’s application. The top candidates will be invited to interview with a panel of judges appointed by the VDOE and also take the Public Affairs examination prepared by the Hearst Foundation. Final selection will be based upon the student application, essay responses, examination results, outstanding academic performance, and demonstrated qualities of leadership and community service.
Detailed information about the program may be found on the VDOE USSYP website. There are very specific qualifications and expectations for candidates selected as delegates. VDOE strictly adheres to the USSYP program qualifications and expectations outlined by the Hearst Foundation.
Applications may be accessed and submitted online via the Online Student Application Portal. Applications and essays are due by 5 p.m. EST on Monday, September 30, 2024, through the application portal.
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