All, 

I want to thank each and every one of you for the tremendous outpouring of support and offers of help for our colleagues in Southwest Virginia. I am tremendously blessed to work with such an incredible group of leaders. The hurdles they are overcoming in their communities are overwhelming and they have opened shelters, cleared roadways for families, delivered food, and ensured that they can start to return to school. I am incredibly proud of their resiliency and the focus on children, families and community. 

I also want to thank those who attended the Region 8 Superintendent’s Conference for important conversations about attendance, school support, and family communications. We are dedicated to support you in the upcoming weeks.  

As today we mark the Head of the Year in the Jewish tradition as well as approach the anniversary of the attacks of October 7, my team has included student safety resources for schools and families.  These timely resources aim to protect children and youth from harassment stemming from anti-religious and ethnic-based bigotry, and I hope that you will share them with your students and families. 

Finally, as we enter October, I want to give a shout out to all our school leaders for Principal Appreciation Month. Your job is forever evolving, and we appreciate your hard work in delivering a high-quality education to your students every day. 

Thank you for all you do to support our students.  

In appreciation, 

Lisa

With that goal in mind, VDOE again this year offers student safety resources for schools and families to help protect children and youth from harassment caused by anti-religious and ethnic-based bigotry. The considerations explored in this document, as well as the examples of antisemitism in public life, may help students, families, and schools better understand the threat posed by anti-religious bigotry in contemporary society and develop ways to address and combat this insidious prejudice against our fellow Virginians. 

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, newly approved supplemental and intervention guides and materials are included for division planning purposes.  

• Instructional Materials    
• Use of VALLSS and Student Reading Plans    
• Professional Development    
• Planning    
• Frequently Asked Questions from the Field     

The VDOE will highlight examples of strong components from Division Literacy Plans submitted July 1 during a webinar on October 15 from 10 -11 a.m. This webinar will support divisions’ reflections on their own plans and help divisions prepare for the December 6 resubmission.   

A Zoom link will be sent to division instructional leaders who have been designated as such in SSWS to register for the webinar. Division leaders will need to register to attend this session.   

Division literacy leaders can reach out to vla@doe.virginia.gov for more information on registration.  

• New division literacy leaders need to contact the school division Educational Registry Application (ERA) manager for the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) platform to update the literacy contact information.   

In partnership, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and members of Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) will host webinars to support divisions in the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act as related to gifted populations and English Learners. Webinars will be hosted following the schedule below: 

• VDOE Virginia Literacy Act and Gifted Education Webinar on October 29, 9:30 a.m.-10:00 am. 

• VDOE English Learners and the Virginia Literacy Act Webinar on October 29, 1:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m. 

A Zoom link will be sent to division instructional leaders (literacy, gifted, and EL coordinators) who have been designated as such in SSWS to register for the webinar.  Division leaders will need to register to attend these sessions.   

Division leaders can reach out to vla@doe.virginia.gov for more information on registration.  

• New division literacy, gifted, or EL leaders will need to contact the school division Educational Registry Application (ERA) manager for the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) platform to update contact information.   

World language instruction is an important part of Virginia’s efforts to provide challenging educational programs in its public schools and to prepare students to compete in global society. Knowledge and skills that students acquire in world language classes reinforce and expand learning in other subject areas. 

School divisions are encouraged to offer world language instruction beginning in the elementary grades. At the middle and secondary levels, the World Language Standards of Learning set reasonable targets and expectations for what students should know and be able to do by the end of each course offered for a standard unit of credit. Schools are encouraged to provide instruction that exceeds prescribed standards in order to meet the needs of all students. 

The Virginia Department of Education is offering grants to support the teaching of critical languages in public schools. Eligible school divisions can apply for funding to offer courses in one or more of the languages currently identified as critical by the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)scholarship program.  Priority will be given to proposals that involve collaboration between multiple divisions. 

School divisions may apply for new or continued funding through the online application portal beginning October 1, 2024. The deadline for divisions to submit completed applications is October 31, 2024. Funding decisions from the competitive grant application process will be announced by December 15, 2024. Additional information, including a Frequently Asked Questions section, is available on the NSLI page of the VDOE World Language website. 

1. Save as a PDF using the following convention: <full division name> Local Plan Fall 2024.pdf.
2. Email to kevin.carr@doe.virginia.gov, Specialist for Governor’s Schools and Gifted Programs, by October 17, 2024. 

The Office of Accountability is excited to offer a technical assistance webinar to share information and build understanding on the federal identification process used to identify schools in fall of 2024. The webinars will be on Thursday, October 10, at 1:00 p.m. and Tuesday, October 15 at 10:00 a.m.  

This optional webinar will address the following topics: 

• Federal Identification Process for Targeted Support & Improvement Schools 
• Available Data Reports and Resources 

Registration information for the webinar has been distributed to division leaders registered under Accountability in the Educational Registry Application within the Single-Sign-On Web Systems (SSWS).  

In Special Session I 2024, the General Assembly appropriated funds in FY25 and FY26 to support economically disadvantaged students in public high schools taking Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Cambridge Exams. Families who qualify for free and reduced lunch benefits are eligible for a fee reduction and should encumber only $20 in exam fees per exam taken. For                                                                 students attending a school participating in the Community Eligibility Program, eligibility will be determined by the school division using the family’s income.  

School divisions are responsible for providing eligible students and parents with notification of this financial assistance at the time of course enrollment and exam registration. VDOE’s Office of Parental Engagement has created a flyer for school division use. 

To receive funding, school divisions should appoint a person of contact to complete the FY 2025 AP-IB-Cambridge Funding Form by December 6, 2024. School divisions will submit the anticipated number of AP, IB, or Cambridge exam registrations for students eligible for the fee reduction. Students can receive the fee reduction for more than one exam, pending availability of funding. VDOE will communicate funding allocated to each division through a grant award notification. Financial assistance provided by College Board, IB, and Cambridge will be factored into reimbursement amounts. Divisions will receive funding in February 2025.  

In June 2025, POCs will be asked to submit the actual number of completed AP, IB, or Cambridge exams by eligible students after testing windows have closed. Unused funds should be returned to the Virginia Department of Education by August 1, 2025.  

To assist school divisions with the fee reduction program, a technical support document is available for reference. 

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education requires that all State Education Agencies conduct the Annual Report of Children in Institutions for Neglected or Delinquent Children, Adult Correctional Institutions, and Community Day Programs for Neglected or Delinquent Children. This annual report provides USED with current information on the location and number of children who live in local institutions for neglected or delinquent children, or who are in local adult correctional facilities. The information will be used by USED to calculate the 2025-2026 allocations for programs that serve neglected children through Title I, Part A, or delinquent children through Title I, Part D. 

This year the Annual October Count will be reported using the Annual October Count of Neglected and Delinquent Students Application in the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS). The Virginia Department of Education Instructions for Local Educational Agencies using the Annual October Count of Neglected and Delinquent Children Application in SSWS and the Reporting Tip Sheet for Identifying Eligible Institutions and Counting Children are resources to help LEAs to complete the Count. Title I, Part D, coordinators from every school division should work with local SSWS administrators to gain access to the application. The window to enter data into SSWS will be open from Wednesday, October 9, 2024, through Friday, November 29, 2024. 

Additional information and resources can be found on this 2023 Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, Count of Children who are Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) in School Divisions supporting document. 

Identified local school divisions will receive formal notification on Friday, October 4, if they will be required to set-aside Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B funds for Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) for the 2025-2026 school year. The determination is based on the school division’s data submitted in the IDEA Part B Annual Performance Report for the last three years.  

Significant disproportionality is identified in school divisions as a result of the analysis of data described below. 

• Identification: Race/ethnicity data for students with disabilities is compared to the general population. 
• Disability: Race/ethnicity and disability category data are compared to the general population. 
• Placement: Race/ethnicity and placement data for students with disabilities are analyzed. 
• Discipline: Race/ethnicity and discipline data for students with disabilities are analyzed. 

Local educational agencies are encouraged to conduct ongoing internal data validation checks to assess areas of possible significant disproportionality in the school division. 

The Office of Management and Budget updated Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations, also known as the Uniform Guidance, including 2 CFR part 200, effective October 1, 2024. School food authorities  and community sponsors should work with their finance department to ensure that updates are made at the local level to abide by these updated federal regulations.  

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs has provided templates and additional guidance to assist with these updates, including the Memorandum of Understanding for Indirect Cost Recovery and the Sponsor Indirect Cost Calculation Tool, found in VDOE-SCNP Director’s Memo #2024-2025-29. The updates include: 

1. Increase in the de minimis indirect cost rate from 10 percent to 15 percent of Modified Total Direct Costs (2 CFR § 200.414 (f)). 
2. Increase in the threshold for determining equipment from a per unit cost of $5,000 to $10,000 (2 CFR § 200.313). 
3. Increase in the upper limit for computers as supplies from $5,000 to $10,000 (2 CFR § 200.314). 
4. Increase in the threshold for reporting unused supplies from an aggregate value of greater than $5,000 to $10,000 (2 CFR § 200.314). 
5. Increase in the threshold at which point subaward costs are excluded from the modified total direct cost base from $25,000 to $50,000. 
6. Requirement that recipients verify that subrecipients are not suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from receiving Federal funds (2 CFR § 200.332). 
7. Increase in the Single Audit Threshold from $750,000 to $1 million (2 CFR § 200.501). 

The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs conducts an administrative review of the federally funded Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) in each participating school division. At a minimum, the VDOE-SCNP is required by the United States Department of Agriculture to conduct these comprehensive reviews once every three years. 

The federal fiscal year (FY) 2024–2025 CACFP and FY 2023-2024 SFSP administrative review schedules are available in SCNP Director’s Memo 2024-2025-26.  

The Virginia Board of Education (Board) is seeking nominees for a vacancy on the State Special Education Advisory Committee (“SSEAC”). A full list of open seats is available on the VDOE website.   

Please note that, by state or federal law or regulation, some of the vacancies on advisory committees require specific categories of expertise, qualifications, or geographic representation (map of the VDOE Superintendent’s Regions). 

Members of advisory committees do not receive compensation for their service but may be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with state travel guidelines set forth by the Department of Accounts.   

Educators, parents, administrators, and other individuals are invited to apply by completing this nomination form by 5 p.m. on Friday, October 25, 2024.   

The Level Up Financial Aid Registration Flyer has details and registration information.