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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
Colonial Elementary in Botetourt County Schools welcomed teachers on the first day who are alums of the school! They are all grown up and have come back to serve their elementary school! |
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![Group of Colonial Elementary School teachers](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/VADOE/2024/08/10063788/picture1829_original.jpg) |
![Group of students stacking cups](https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/VADOE/2024/08/10063805/picture2829_original.jpg) |
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Seventh graders in Rappahannock Public Schools started the new school year off with a cool cup stacking activity in the STEAM Lab! Students were tasked with successfully placing cups using only string and rubber bands. As the challenge progressed, they were instructed to complete it with more difficult scenarios such as with one hand behind their backs or using only non-verbal communication. This fun exercise promoted teamwork and communication among the middle school students. |
This summer, Colonial Beach Public Schools launched the CBPS Book Van! The book van is an effort to encourage the love of reading and foster the Colonial Beach "Drifter Pride" throughout the community all year long by giving away books that students and families can take home. The CBPS book van will travel to events throughout the year in Colonial Beach to support family engagement and literacy both in and outside of the classroom by providing a variety of books free of charge to students and families that attend the events. Colonial Beach Public Schools is ALL IN!
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Superintendent's Message
Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
As we head into Labor Day weekend, it is my pleasure to welcome you fully back to a new and exciting school year! The beginning of the school year is filled with hope, and it is my favorite time of year.
I want to thank you for your hard work over the summer. With our Summer of Support this year, we had thousands of teachers, principals, and educators join with VDOE and our partners to dedicate over 100,000 hours to training and professional development. We appreciate the time you have spent investing in preparing for this new year and its new opportunities.
This week, almost 100 school divisions reported their updated start of school year vacancy rates. While in July the static vacancy rate was 4.7%, the start of school year (as of August 26, 2024) has dropped to a start of school vacancy rate of 3.4%. This represents a 1.3% decrease from a month ago and an overall .5% improvement from the teacher vacancy rate reported last October 1, 2023. Congratulations on your incredibly hard work to ensure that every Virginia child has a high-quality educator in their K-12 classroom. Thirty school divisions have zero to one vacancy, and 64 divisions have a vacancy rate under 2 percent. As school divisions continue to work to fill vacancies, please see the new local eligibility license opportunity that was finalized in the board meeting yesterday. Additional licensure programs can be found on our website here.
I want to highlight that the EO33 cell phone free education draft guidelines are currently posted for public comment. We have received over 1500 comments on the draft guidance and are impressed with this much feedback. Your input on these guidelines is crucial, and I encourage you to review the draft guidance and provide your feedback by September 15, 2024. As we have talked to educators, school leaders, and community members, we have repeatedly heard that cell phone free education changes are already improving school environments this school year and that students are more focused on learning than before.
As we begin this new school year, I encourage you all to embrace the opportunities ahead and stay engaged and connected with VDOE. Thank you for your continued support and dedication to the students, educators, and families in your school community. Let’s make this school year the best one yet!
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Upcoming Events
Fireside Chat with the First Lady of Virginia and Author and Researcher Dr. Jonathan Haidt – Live Broadcast for Virginia’s Schools
Article: 2024-34-341 Audience: Superintendents Contact: Lindsay Russo, Communications Coordinator, Lindsay.Russo@doe.virginia.gov
The First Lady of Virginia Suzanne S. Youngkin invites communities across the Commonwealth to join in a fireside chat with award-winning social psychologist, author, and researcher Dr. Jonathan Haidt.
On the evening of September 19, the First Lady and Dr. Haidt will convene a fireside chat to discuss the findings of Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation and how it informs our communities and schools in limiting social media and cell phone use to help restore childhood and play. The event will be broadcast live to all schools who sign up.
Participating schools can use the chat as an opportunity to facilitate community conversations with parents, educators, students, and families to create best practices for the use of cell phones and social media both in and out of school. Each school will receive a facilitator’s guide to the event, including materials and technical guidance.
A Superintendents Email was sent containing additional details and a form to submit the schools that are planning to host an event on September 19. Superintendents/a division point of contact are responsible for submitting the names of schools interested in signing up and hosting an event.
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ALL In VA
ALL In with Lexia: Getting Started with SUCCESS in 2024–2025!
Article: 2024-34-339 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov
As divisions begin the new year with Lexia, there are a range of supports available to division and school teams that align with the recommended VDOE and Lexia fall timeline for success. See below for resources to inform your next steps including updated September professional learning options.
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Is the division looking for quick tips for back-to-school success? Check out the Lexia August ALL In Newsletter and Resources.
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Does the division need support with rostering or the VATUTOR24 code? Connect with your Lexia success engineer or attend upcoming open office hours. Additional resources and office hours information are linked here.
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Is the division or school seeking professional learning to learn more about and prepare for implementing in your setting? Access flexible options linked here (September dates updated) or connect with your Lexia success manager to discuss scheduling division-specific professional learning as part of our partnership.
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Literacy
August Virginia Literacy Act Updates Vol. 2
Article: 2024-34-338 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact:Jill Nogueras, Associate Director of K-12 English & Literacy Jill.Nogueras@doe.virginia.gov
To support school divisions as they continue to implement the VLA, VDOE has released an extensive update on the Virginia Literacy Act. In this edition of the Literacy Update, division’s literacy leaders will be able to access the updated spreadsheet to enroll teachers and reading specialists in the required Canvas courses. Further details and instructions are in the Professional Development section of the update.
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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 literacy staff and principals.
Division Literacy Plan Postings
Article: 2024-34-337 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction at the Virginia Department of Education, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov
Per the Virginia Literacy Act, each local school board shall post, maintain, and update as necessary on each school board’s website a copy of its divisionwide literacy plan and the job description and contact information for any reading specialist or dyslexia specialist employed by such school division pursuant to subsection G of § 22.1-253.13:2.
The Virginia Department of Education will be posting each Division Literacy Plan on the VDOE website. The Department will utilize the link as provided on each submitted Division Literacy Plan. If you need to update and/or share the link where the information will be housed, please contact vla@doe.virginia.gov.
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Teaching & Learning
One-Year Local Eligibility License Now Available to School Divisions from SB 142
Article: 2024-34-336 Audience: Superintendents, Directors Contact: Dr. Bryan Jackson, Director of Licensure, Bryan.Jackson@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Board of Education has ensured divisions have a pathway to issue the newly passed One-Year Local Eligibility License. Each school board is authorized, upon recommendation of the division superintendent or the school board leadership, and in accordance with the criteria set forth in , to issue a that is only valid within the issuing school division to any individual who:
(i) received a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education,
(ii) has experience or training in a subject or content area as the school board and division superintendent may deem appropriate for the applicable teaching position or endorsement area, and
(iii) is not seeking to provide instruction in special education or eligible for collegiate professional or postgraduate professional licensure.
The Department of Teacher Education and Licensure Virginia Department of Education PO Box 2120 Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120
Virginia Museum of History & Culture Civics Ambassador Corps
Article: 2024-34-335 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, vdoe.hss@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC) is looking for Virginia middle school teachers who are passionate about teaching civics and economics to promote an understanding of America’s democratic processes and principles in their classroom. The VMHC is forming a Civics Ambassador Corps comprised of civics classroom teachers to help pilot and promote Civics Connects, a first-of-its kind, comprehensive education program that supports the teaching of Virginia Standards of Learning for civics and economics in the middle grades.
The VMHC is seeking civics ambassadors from each of Virginia’s Superintendent’s Regions.
Expectations: Each Civics Ambassador will attend a welcome/onboarding session (online), pilot the use of Civics Connects resources with at least one section of students, collect data via Civics Connects tools, report to VMHC throughout the year as well as provide three specific reports (intake, midterm, final), conduct at least one Civics Connects workshop as a professional development/continuing education opportunity for other education professionals at the school or division level, and attend a year-end review session (online).
Qualifications: Successful candidates are current Virginia middle school civics, government, social studies, or history teachers with at least three years of experience and a B.S. or B.A. in education, history, or a related field.
Honorarium: This year-long role includes a $5,000 honorarium. For consideration, please submit a résumé and cover letter (or nomination) to: Caroline Legros, Manager of Civics Education, John Marshall Center for Constitutional History & Civics, clegros@virginiahistory.org.
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School Performance & Support
Technical Assistance for Divisions That Have Schools That Did Not Meet 95% Participation on State Assessments
Article: 2024-34-343 Audience: Superintendents, Directors of Testing, Assessment, Accountability, and School Improvement, School Principals Contact: Mark Jennings, Director of Accountability, Accountability@doe.virginia.gov
The Office of Accountability and the Office of School Quality will be conducting a technical assistance webinar for divisions and schools with student assessment participation rates below 95% for all students and/or a student reporting group based on 2023-2024 assessment year data. The webinar will have two components:
- a review of federal participation requirements and resources available to divisions; and
- the subsequent actions for divisions and schools that did not reach 95% participation on state assessments, as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA).
Divisions with schools that did not meet the 95% assessment expectation will be notified and should share this information with appropriate division and school leaders who assist schools in developing plans. School division staff are encouraged to participate as a group, if possible, allowing for a cross-functional understanding of federal participation policy.
Two sessions will be offered: Tuesday, September 12, at 10 a.m., and Thursday, September 17 at 2 p.m. Each session has two parts with Part I having an intended audience for assessment and accountability leaders, and Part II intended for School Improvement leaders or those responsible for supporting the development of the plan to address not meeting this expectation. More information and registration are included in the division notification.
The SLSCR (Student Longitudinal Schedule and Course Record) Query Tool is Available in SSWS
Article: 2024-34-334 Audience: Superintendents, School Principals, SSWS Administrators, Foster Care Liaisons, School Counselors, Registrars Contact: Office of Strategic Analysis and Research, Research@doe.virginia.gov
We are excited to announce that the Student Longitudinal Schedule and Course Record (SLSCR) Query Tool is now available through the Virginia Department of Education's Single Sign-on Web Systems (SSWS). This tool was developed by VDOE to assist schools in making informed decisions about the most appropriate educational placements and enrollment for students in foster care.
For children and youth in foster care, a change in foster home placement often leads to a change in school placement. The process of determining what services are in the student’s best interest can be hindered by incomplete, delayed, or unavailable longitudinal educational records. Decision-makers frequently have to reply on informal sources, such as the student, to make critical decisions regarding grade level, course placement, and necessary support services. This reliance on incomplete information can lead to further educational instability.
SLSCR centralizes all relevant student-level longitudinal data, enabling data-informed decisions regarding enrollment and placement. The tool draws from major data collections that VDOE gathers from the school divisions throughout the school year, including the Student Record Collection, Master Schedule Collection, December 1 Child Count, SOL assessments, and the Student Behavior and Administrative Response (SABR) data collection.
To gain access to this application, please coordinate with your division's SSWS administrator. A brief webinar is available to provide an overview of the access process and the functionality of SLSCR.
2024 Fall Master Schedule Collection
Article: 2024-34-342 Audience: Superintendents, Data Managers Contact: Dana Hannifan, Education Data Specialist, Dana.Ratcliffe@doe.virginia.gov
To comply with state and federal reporting requirements, school divisions and regional centers are required to annually submit transcript-like data via the Fall Master Schedule Collection. The Fall Master Schedule Collection opens September 16, 2024. A successful submission is due no later than November 13, 2024. Superintendents must electronically approve the verifications no later than December 13, 2024. For complete details about this requirement, access our 2024-2025 Fall Master Schedule Collection Guide.
New Guidance on Administering the WIDA Screener to Students Who Are Blind/Visually Impaired or Deaf/Hard of Hearing
Article: 2024-34-333 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Title III Coordinators Contact: Jo-el Cox, Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction, Jo-el.Cox@doe.virginia.gov, Title III Specialist, Jessica.Saunders@doe.virginia.gov, or Office of Assessment - Student_Assessment@doe.virginia.gov
The WIDA Screener is one of the tools used in Virginia to identify students for English Learner services. Students who are blind or visually impaired or who are deaf or hard of hearing may take the screener with appropriate accessibility and accommodations.
A new guidance document is available to provide WIDA’s recommendations for IEP/504 Plan teams to consider when administering WIDA Screener to a student who is blind or visually impaired (BVI), or who is deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). It includes general administration guidance, specific considerations for students who are BVI or DHH and a short list of resources for more information. This resource can be found in the WIDA Secure Portal when filtering resources by Accessibility and Accommodations or any screener assessment.
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School Finance
Completing the Annual School Report – Best Practices Video
Article: 2024-34-332 Audience: Superintendents, Finance Directors Contact: Ed Lanza, Director of Budget, Edward.Lanza@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE Budget Office has produced a 15-minute best practices video to assist school divisions with the submission of the Annual School Report (ASR). The focus of the video is primarily the format and content of the submission files, and activities necessary to make accurate data submissions. The video can be found on the VDOE Budget & Grants Management website and is also linked within the ASR application in the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) site. The target audience for the video is new finance directors but can also serve as a refresher for more experienced finance staff. The video is not intended as a substitute for the ASR instruction manual.
2024-2025 Federal Program Monitoring for Certain Programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as Amended as Amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
Article: 2024-34-344 Audience: Superintendents, Federal Program Coordinators for Title I, Part A; Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D, Subpart 1; Title III, Title V, Part B, Subpart 2 Contact: Tiffany Frierson, Title I Coordinator, Tiffany.Frierson@doe.virginia.gov and Nicki Saunders, Title III Specialist, Nicki.Saunders@doe.virginia.gov
The Office of ESEA Programs is offering technical assistance to school divisions in preparation for federal program monitoring for the 2024-2025 academic year for the following programs: Title I, Part A, Improving Basic Programs; Title I, Part C, Education of Migratory Children; Title I, Part D, Subpart 1, Neglected and Delinquent Youth; Title V, Part B, Subpart 2, Rural and Low-Income Programs; and Title III, Part A, Language Instruction for English Learners and Immigrant Students.
Program specific webinars will be held according to the schedule below. School division federal program coordinators are encouraged to participate in the program-specific webinars, as applicable. The specialists for Title I, Part C; Title I, Part D; and Title V, Part B, Subpart 2, will contact the school divisions being monitored this year to set up individual conference calls. School division federal program coordinators will be provided access to the monitoring documents on the Federal Program Monitoring website before the scheduled webinar dates.
The full five-year monitoring schedule is available on the Federal Program Monitoring webpage, please refer to Year Five (2024-2025).
Event – Please Register Beforehand
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Wednesday, September 11, 2024
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Thursday, September 12, 2024
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School Nutrition & Operations
School Year 2024–2025 Calendar of Requirements and Events for School and Community Nutrition Programs
Article: 2024-34-331 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Non-teaching staff Contact: School Nutrition Programs, SchoolNutritionPrograms@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) has published the school year 2024-2025 calendar to provide school and community nutrition program sponsors important dates for mandatory deadlines, training opportunities, events, and activities.
Important deadlines will also be distributed through SCNP Director’s Memos and in the Scoop monthly newsletter. The VDOE-SCNP recommends distributing the calendar to any necessary personnel to ensure compliance with program requirements.
The calendar is available in Attachment A of SCNP Memo No. 2024-2025-14 on the VDOE-SCNP website.
Guidance for School Year 2024-2025 Meal Claims for Reimbursement for School and Community Nutrition Programs
Article: 2024-34-330 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Child Care Center Operators, Non-teaching staff Contact: SNP Policy Mailbox, SNPpolicy@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs has provided detailed information on meal claims for reimbursement for school year 2024–2025 in SCNP Director’s Memo No. 2024-2025-13 available on the VDOE-SCNP website.
Meal claims for reimbursement shall be submitted to the VDOE-SCNP no later than 60 calendar days following the last day of the full month covered by the claim. Claims cannot be submitted prior to the first day of following month of operation. All program sponsors are encouraged to make every effort to submit claims within 30 days of the last day of the previous month and certify that the claim for reimbursement contains actual data supported by documentation. The VDOE-SCNP reviews this documentation during program monitoring reviews and if the claim cannot be supported by the documentation, the claim will be disallowed and reimbursements already paid will be recovered. All records supporting claims must be retained and available for review for at least three years plus the current federal fiscal year.
Guidelines for revisions to a claim, months with less than 10 operating days, claims submitted after the 60 day period, including compliant and noncompliant requests, are detailed in SCNP Director’s Memo No. 2024-2025-13 along with the Request for Claim Submission After the 60-Day Deadline found in Attachment A of that memo.
School Year 2024-2025 Breakfast after the Bell Reimbursement Awards and Reporting Requirements
Article: 2024-34-329 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Public School Nutrition Program Administrators Contact: SNP Policy Mailbox, SNPpolicy@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is awarding Breakfast after the Bell (BaB) per meal reimbursements to 334 schools. The list of BaB funded schools may be found on the VDOE-SCNP website in Attachment A of SCNP Director’s Memo No. 2024-2025-11.
BaB reimbursements will be paid after BaB funded schools submit their monthly claims into the SNPWeb application. The BaB reimbursement will be calculated and paid for School Breakfast Program (SBP) meals claimed from August 2024 through May 2025, or until all funding is dispersed, whichever comes first. More information on the BaB payment process and BaB reporting requirements is found in SCNP Director’s Memo 2024-2025-11.
All recipient school division superintendents can expect a survey sent by the VDOE Office of Strategic Analysis and Research in spring 2025 to evaluate the educational impact of the models implemented. Funded schools that do not meet the reporting requirements are subject to exclusion from funding in the following year.
Join the Virginia Breakfast Club
Article: 2024-34-328 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Non-teaching staff Contact: Katy Harbin, SCNP Nutrition and Wellness Specialist at Katy.Harbin@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs (VDOE-SCNP) is seeking school and community partners to join the Virginia Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club is a collaborative network of nutrition professionals and food access advocates from nonprofits, government agencies, and school divisions dedicated to enhancing school breakfast programs.
This year, the Breakfast Club will not only discuss but actively develop and produce valuable resources and tools for school divisions related to enhancing school breakfast programs. Member involvement will be crucial for the successful development and launch of these tools. Please see SCNP Director’s Memo No. 2024-2025-12 for more background on the Virginia Breakfast Club.
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Recognitions
Nominations: 2026 Mary V. Bicouvaris Teacher of the Year Program - Due February 3
Article: 2024-34-340 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators Contact: Christine Harris, Executive Director of Educator Partnerships, TeacheroftheYear@doe.virginia.gov
To honor Virginia teachers who represent the best in teaching in the Commonwealth and across the nation, all public school divisions and accredited nonpublic schools are invited to participate in the 2026 Mary V. Bicouvaris Virginia Teacher of the Year program and nominate one teacher for state-level recognition. Completed applications must be submitted by Monday, February 3 at 4 p.m. using the 2026 Teacher of the Year Application.
This honor is open to all exceptionally skilled and dedicated teachers in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, including school librarians, school counselors, technology specialists, math specialists, and reading specialists, who hold a current renewable Virginia teaching license in the assigned teaching area. Additional criteria also applies. Please see the VDOE Educator Awards and Recognition web page for details, directions, and the online application. Send questions to TeacheroftheYear@doe.virginia.gov
September is National Suicide Prevention Month
Article: 2024-34-327 Audience: School Counselors, School Psychologists, School Social Workers Contact: Joseph Wharff, Director, Joseph.Wharff@doe.virginia.gov
Throughout the year, but particularly in September, we focus on the collective role we all play in suicide prevention. School communities can take this opportunity to highlight the significance of suicide and the importance of reducing the stigma of reaching out for help, knowing how to talk to others about suicidal thoughts, and understanding what resources are available for those in need. While each school division has their own policies that address suicide response, schools are encouraged to use the Suicide Prevention Guidelines for Virginia Public Schools to inform those policies and to implement best practices for preventing suicide, intervening when a student is at suicide risk, and responding to and managing the crisis response after a suicide.
For suicide prevention resources created for Virginia schools, please visit Suicide Prevention Webpages from the following agencies and organizations:
Patriot Day: Commemorating 9/11
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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