Last year, we launched a chronic absenteeism campaign that focused on five areas:  

• engaging families and ensuring they know the importance of attendance  
• expanding Breakfast after the Bell programs  
• ensuring that every child has a trusted adult at school 
• monitoring data and celebrating successes 
• reducing barriers to attendance such as transportation and mental health challenges.  

We also want to congratulate our schools who focused on partnering with NoKidHungry to ensure students had Breakfast After the Bell. Thanks to your combined efforts, an additional 25,000 breakfasts were served to students last year.  

As we start the school year, we encourage school divisions to take the time to focus on school and student safety. Make sure you are thoughtfully conducting and documenting all required fire and lockdown drills. Ensure you have met your threat assessment requirements, including appropriate staffing and training of threat assessment team members, in accordance with § 22.1-79.4.  Review your safety audits, update digital school maps, partner with your local law enforcement and emergency services agencies to review crisis plans and facilities security, and consult the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety website for additional resources.  In addition, please consider sharing this resource with families as part of the Virginia C.A.R.E.S. for School & Campus Safety Program. 

I also want to give a huge shout out to Roanoke County for inviting me to be a part of the groundbreaking ceremony for its new Roanoke County CTE Center, which will be a centralized center for innovative post-secondary readiness for all five high schools in the County. This facility is a strong step towards ensuring students are ready for their postsecondary hopes and dreams. I also had the wonderful opportunity to open an all-inclusive playground at Dare Elementary in York that allows children of all abilities to play together. We truly enjoyed watching the great joy this playground brought to children of all abilities this week. 

Thank you for everything you do to ensure every child matters, every day.  

- Lisa

Christina Berta to Serve as VDOE COO

The Virginia Department of Education has announced that Christina Berta will be rejoining VDOE as its Chief Operating Officer. Berta brings 22 years of public and school finance experience to the position. She most recently served as Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations for Hanover County Public Schools.   

Prior to her leadership with Hanover County Public Schools, Berta served as Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance for VDOE. She has also served as Chief Financial Officer for Chesterfield County Public Schools, Chief Financial Officer for Williamsburg-James City County Schools, and held leadership roles in financial services operations with Isle of Wight County Schools.  

Berta will be filling the role left by Kent Dickey, Deputy Superintendent of Operations, who is retiring from VDOE after nearly 34 years of service to the Department. 

One of Lexia’s implementation best practices is communicating and celebrating student literacy progress. See below for resources, tips, and fun ways to kickstart these routines for 2024–2025! 

• Check out the September ALL In Newsletter’s Motivation Station and Creativity Challenge. 
• Opt into UPDATED September Professional Learning to learn more about implementing the Lexia Blended Learning Model with fidelity and drive student progress. 
• Access quick tips and support resources at Lexia’s Virginia ALL In Landing Page. 
• For additional information or to get connected with your Lexia Success Manager, contact vatutoring@lexialearning.com

On September 17, 1787, the Founders signed the most influential document in American history: the United States Constitution. This document established the framework of the United States government and the rights and freedoms that “We the People” enjoy today. In commemoration of Constitution Day and Citizenship Day, schools are encouraged to provide educational programming and resources and materials about the U.S. Constitution. Visit the history and social science webpage for links to resources and materials to consider.  

Much like the annual event Read Across America, the VA250 Commission has created an initiative to celebrate Reading and the United States of America:  The Reading Revolution!  

The Reading Revolution encourages reading and also seeks to connect museums, public libraries, and communities to our elementary students.  October 14 – 18, 2024, leading up to Yorktown Victory Day (October 19th ), is the week designated for the Reading Revolution to encourage volunteers to read to students about the people and places during the Revolutionary era, freedom and democracy, the Constitution, or civic principles that founded this great nation.  This year, as we commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, we want to invite and encourage our parents and community members, museum educators and reenactors, students and staff of high schools, and higher education to take part in the Reading Revolution.  Visit the VA250 webpage for helpful tips to get your Reading Revolution started.  

The VDOE has revised and augmented its guidance regarding Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) participation, effective July 1, 2024. The purpose of the revision is to ensure Individualized Education Program (IEP) Teams are identifying the appropriate students for VAAP participation.  

The VDOE continues to support school divisions in improving the implementation of the VAAP participation guidelines, available on the VDOE’s Teacher Resources & Training for VAAP webpage. The goal is to ensure that the appropriate students are assessed using this alternate assessment.  

In order to provide assistance to ensure that the appropriate students are assessed using this alternate assessment, school and division administrators are encouraged to review the School Leaders Series on including Students with Disabilities in Assessments. Information in this series can be tailored to meet school division needs and continue to support IEP Teams in their decision-making process regarding assessments and preceding academic instruction to promote positive outcomes for students with disabilities. 

Register for the Three-Year VVAAS Trends in-person statewide sessions being held in Abington (Nov. 13-14), Chesterfield (Nov. 19-20*), Suffolk (Dec. 10-11), Myers Cave (Jan. 7-8, 2025), or Fairfax (Feb. 18-19, 2025). Day 1 of each event will be the full-day VVAAS Overview. Day 2 will be multiple application sessions. 

Chesterfield Day 2 (Nov 20) is a coaching conference and offer a more robust session selection provided by the EVAAS team, VDOE, and partnering divisions. This event focuses on using VVAAS effectively with school building level staff. 

The General Assembly appropriated state funding for fiscal year 2025 to support school divisions offering mentoring programs for new teachers with zero years of teaching experience and for new teachers entering the profession through the Career Switcher Program. The New Teachers Program Data Collection (NTPDC) will be used to collect data from school divisions on new teachers with zero years of teaching experience who qualify for the Mentor Teacher Program or Career Switcher Mentor Program. Please note this does NOT include teachers who are new to the division with previous years of experience. Funds for school divisions will be allocated on a per-teacher basis that will be determined based on the information submitted by each school division. The NTPDC must be completed by Friday, October 25, 2024, via the Single Sign-on for Web Services (SSWS) application.   

All mentoring programs should be informed and aligned with the Guidelines for Mentor Teacher Programs for Beginning and Experienced Teachers.   

Additional information on the Mentor Teacher Program and the Career Switcher Mentor Program is available here.  

The 2024-2025 Title I, Part A, and Title I, Part D, federal allocations for each school division, the Additional Required Special Terms and Conditions for Grant Awards or Cooperative Agreements, Terms of Grant Award for Title I, Part A, as well as the Terms of Grant Award for Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 are now available on the VDOE Title I, Part A, and Title I, Part D, websites.     

The final school division allocations are based on the Title I formulas applied by the U.S. Department of Education and reflect adjustments made by the Virginia Department of Education to account for state-level set-asides and funding allotted for services provided through the private school services bypass agreement, as applicable. As required in Section 1122(c) of ESEA, the variable hold-harmless provision was applied to the allocations.  

The amount of the Title I, Part A, allocation available through the reimbursement process as of July 1, 2024, is 42.00%, and the remaining 58.00% is available as of October 1, 2024. The total amount of the Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, allocation was available July 1, 2024 through the reimbursement process.  

The procedures and forms for submitting an application for Title I, Part A, and Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, were previously provided to school division program coordinators. Applications were due on July 1, 2024. 

Section 8524 of ESSA requires that each school division receiving federal ESSA funds certify in writing that it has no policy that prevents, or otherwise denies participation in, constitutionally protected prayer in public schools. Certification must be received by October 1. 

Section 8524 compliance is included in the general assurances for the ESEA program applications.  

A PDF of the signed cover page of the Title I, Part A, application (individual or consolidated) should be emailed when the program application is submitted, no later than October 1. The names of divisions that do not submit the signed cover page must be included in the certification report submitted to the U.S. Department of Education by November 1.  

Please email the signed cover page of the 2024 Title I, Part A, application to ESSA@doe.virginia.gov before Tuesday, October 1, 2024. 

The Office of Federal Programs has created a Title II-A Canvas page that provides divisions access to both federal and state resources. This tool that should be shared with any division personnel who supports the Title II-A grant and needs access to VDOE trainings and PowerPoints, handouts, documentation and forms, Frequently Asked Questions, and more.  

The directions on how to enroll in the Title II-A Canvas course are linked below and can be found on the Title II, Part A webpage. Please enroll as soon as possible to stay up to date with Title II-A resources.  

Title II-A Canvas Access Directions

If you have trouble accessing or need technical assistance regarding Canvas, please reach out to Allegra Brown via email at Allegra.Brown@doe.virginia.gov

During the 2024-2025 school year, the VDOE Title II team will provide technical assistance for division Title II coordinators on a variety of topics. Most sessions are designed especially for new coordinators with three years of experience or less. Participation in these sessions is optional, but advanced registration is required. Sessions will be delivered using a webinar format. 

Sessions will be recorded and session materials will be posted on the website following the completion of each session. Each one-hour session will begin at 2:00 pm. There will be Canvas coursework for each session and participants will earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits for completed modules. Session dates, details, and registration links can be found here: TII University Webinar Series Schedule and Registration. 

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs recognizes that local education agency and school staff are frequently asked to provide free and reduced meal eligibility information about individual students. SCNP Director’s Memo 2024-2025-17 provides specific guidance regarding the restrictions on the disclosure of a student’s free or reduced eligibility status, including the Agreement for Disclosure of Free and Reduced-Price Information used for each disclosure request and the Sharing of Information Form that allows parents to give consent for information to be shared.  

LEAs may disclose individual student information only to those persons, including organizations, specifically authorized by the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and 7 CFR 245.6 (2) and (f)-(k) to have access to children’s eligibility information. The disclosure of information for purposes other than establishing school meal eligibility is generally not permitted without parental consent. 

The division superintendent is responsible for maintaining confidentiality, preventing overt identification, and ensuring the student data system has a way of masking the eligibility status of students. Principals should have written procedures to handle inquiries, as eligibility information cannot be made available to all school personnel. There must be a legitimate “need to know” to provide a direct service or carry out an authorized activity. Access must be limited to the person directly responsible for the program or activity that requires the eligibility information.  

Thank you for your close attention to these federal disclosure requirements. Please note there are significant federal penalties for improper disclosure of this information that can include a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to one year, or both. 

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is pleased to recognize Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) for winning the Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Award for both Innovation in Nutrition Education and Innovation in Lunch.  

VBCPS earned these awards for their outstanding achievement in and innovative approaches to nutrition education and school meals. Specific achievements include the VBScratch program, which incorporates food truck taste tests, student advisory boards, and culinary clubs. Additionally, VBCPS organized a Family and Student Wellness Expo, featuring over 60 community wellness companies, and collaborated on STEAM Night which integrated nutrition into the curriculum. Congratulations to VBCPS on these achievements! 

The Healthy Meals Incentives Recognition Awards are part of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service’s (FNS) Healthy Meals Incentives Initiative which celebrates schools that make significant improvements in the nutritional quality of their meals, highlights innovative practices, and utilize strategies to enhance meal programs.  

Please visit the USDA FNS website to apply.  

Freedom Flags were flown at Andrew Lewis Middle in Salem Public Schools and Falling Branch Elementary School in Montgomery County Schools.  

Virginia Beach City Schools’ Green Run High School’s Navy JR-ROTC held a Patriot Day ceremony, raising the Freedom Flag and the American flag. 

Randolph-Henry High School in Charlotte County Schools held a moving ceremony by its flagpole to honor and remember the lives lost on 9/11. Organized by the History Department, this event provided an opportunity for reflection and commemoration for any classes who wished to participate. During the ceremony, staff members presented information about the events of 9/11 and shared the symbolism of the Freedom Flag before raising it. A solemn moment of reflection was observed while a student performed "Taps," and several staff members shared their personal memories of that fateful day. 

May we always remember those that were lost, remember those who lost loved ones, and remember the heroes who helped save so many others. 

For additional information about the Freedom Flag, please contact the Freedom Flag Foundation at education@freedomflagfoundation.org.