This week, Dr. Armstrong and I had the opportunity to attend the ACPS Pathway Expo in Alexandria at two of their high school campuses-King Street Campus and the A.C. Minnie Howard Campus. Through the division’s pathway and academy model, students have the opportunity to attend different campuses and pursue a career pathway that includes accelerate courses as well as technical training. Hampton City Schools also uses the academy model. 

At the Pathways Expo last night, students and families explored labs, asked questions about coursework, and listened to students present their own experiences in each academy. I was truly impressed at the student stories around their academy pathways and the impact that their teachers and innovative program opportunities have provided. Every student talked about their talents, their knowledge, and how they were going to use those experiences in their post-secondary lives.  

I am also very pleased to inform everyone that VDOE has received a final monitoring closure letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), officially closing out the corrective actions process that began in 2020.  The Department has also received the highest designation given by OSEP – “Meets Requirements”- based off student outcomes and compliance data. 

This positive closure report is testament to the hard work of VDOE’s Special Education Team, led by Dr. Samantha Hollins, in making sure that Virginia’s education programs best serve all children throughout the Commonwealth. I am also proud the VDOE is now recognized as a best practice model for other states in dispute resolution and using data driven decisions to improve their student outcomes. 

As we head into the end of 2024, I hope that each of you can take some time and look back at all you have accomplished this year.  I am thankful for all the work you do for Virginia's children.  

 

-Lisa

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 spring, there will be three virtual professional learning opportunities made available for classroom teachers who work with MLs, ELs, as well as instructional coaches. Professional learning opportunities are as follows:  

• When Language and Disability Meet: Planning for Instruction to Support Dually Identified Students: This workshop is designed for K-12 educators who work with MLs who are dually identified for language and disability. Participants will explore principles of Universal Design Learning and think about shared responsibility and advocacy, when planning for multilingual learners who are dually identified for language and disability. Participants must register. Sessions will be held January 22, 2025, and February 4, 2025 (4-5:30 p.m.)  
• WIDA Alternate ACCESS Score Reports: This webinar provides an overview of the WIDA Alternate ACCESS score reports, components of the reports, and how to interpret the reports. Participants must register. This session will be held February 11, 2025 (3-4:30 p.m.)  
• WIDA ACCESS Score Reports for Instruction: This webinar provides an overview of the ACCESS for ELLs score reports for educators who have administered one of the ACCESS for ELLs assessments in grades K-12. Participants must register. This session will be held April 23, 2025 (3-4:30 p.m.)  

Questions can be emailed to Jo-el Cox, Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction at jo-el.cox@doe.virignia.gov. 

The Virginia Department of Education is seeking applications from individuals who are qualified and available to serve on the Governor's World Language Academies Student Selection Committee for the French, German, Spanish, Latin, and Japanese Academies. Applicants should be teachers, content specialists, or other educators who are knowledgeable about the Academies. Proficiency in the target language is preferred, but not required, to serve on the Committee. 

All individuals who wish to serve on this committee, including those who have previously served, must submit an online application. The application will require a professional reference and school division approval. Completed applications are due to the VDOE by January 25, 2025. Applicants are responsible for ensuring all required parts of the application are completed by this date.  

Committee meetings will be held March 12-14, 2025 in the Williamsburg or Richmond area to evaluate and score student applications. Selected participants will be required to be on site either in person or virtually for the duration of the committee meetings. The committees may convene virtually for some or all of the meetings. For in-person meetings, committee members will be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with state travel policy and guidelines. 

For questions, contact Dr. Lisa Harris, World Languages Coordinator, at Lisa.Harris@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 II, Part A, Preparing, Training & Recruiting High Quality Teachers & Principals and Title IV, Part A, Student Support and Academic Enrichments Grants.   

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 II, Part A and Title IV, Part A, 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 Two (2024-2025).

The Virginia Department of Education will offer a two-day training to provide technical assistance to school division and private school officials in understanding the equitable participation requirements for private school students, teachers, and other educational personnel in applicable ESEA programs. Day one will have repeating breakout sessions focusing on school division and private school requirements under sections 1117 and 8501 of ESEA. Day two will include sessions that focus on effective consultation, planning, fiscal management, and ombudsman communication. There will also be special Title I bypass transition sessions for the 14 school divisions currently serving students through equitable services bypass.   

Equitable Services for Private Schools Training 

Omni Charlottesville Hotel, 212 Ridge McIntire Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 

Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.   

Division federal programs coordinators are encouraged to attend the training and invite participating private schools to receive information about equitable services provisions under ESEA. Please forward this information to all participating private school officials. Registration is available here. A finalized agenda with detailed session information will be emailed prior to the training. Registration must be completed before January 31, 2025.   

The Virginia Department of Education will provide a working breakfast and lunch to all participants. Participants will need to cover lodging, transportation costs, and all other needs with local or Title funds. Parking is free.   

Questions concerning the technical assistance training or equitable services should be directed to Dr. Randall Johnson at randall.johnson@doe.virginia.gov or (804) 750-8144. 

This fall, VQB5 site leaders must inform all parents/legal guardians about VQB5 and classroom lists. This means every parent/legal guardian should be aware that your site is participating in VQB5, and how child-level information gathered in classroom lists helps Virginia improve experiences for all infants, toddlers, and preschoolers across the state. The resources below are available to support site leaders with informing families about VQB5 and successful classroom list completion by December 22.    

• VQB5 for Families (English/Spanish)  
• VQB5 Classroom Lists Toolkit for Site Leaders    
• Webinar Recording: VQB5 Classroom Lists Toolkit Overview (30 min)   
• LinkB5 GUIDE: Entering Classroom Lists  

This fall all VQB5 classrooms must complete a local CLASS observation coordinated by their Ready Region with scores entered and verified in LinkB5 by December 22. Once scores are verified, site leaders can access their local CLASS scores via the LinkB5 Reports.  

Instructions for:   

• Accessing Your CLASS data in LinkB5  
• Using CLASS Scores to Guide Improvement   
• Additional resources to support CLASS observation completion are available on the VQB5 Measuring Quality Interactions webpage 

The VDOE has revised its monitoring of special education to implement required actions from the Differentiated Monitoring and Support Report from the United States Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The agency has established and will continue to implement general supervision and monitoring policies, procedures, and practices that are designed to ensure local educational agencies meet the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) program requirements. 

The Virginia Board of Education has revised the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia to ensure consistency with the requirements of the IDEA. Information regarding these revisions is available on the Virginia Regulatory Town Hall. For additional information, including communication with OSEP and specific information on recent changes made, visit the VDOE Special Education webpage.  

The VDOE requests that Superintendent’s Memo #005-24 be shared with members of education communities and local boards of education. For providers and organizations that make use of VDOE resources in these areas, the VDOE encourages review of these documents in full and requests updates to forms and guidance to ensure consistency in support for students with disabilities and their families. 

Last week, VDOE received a final monitoring closure letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs, officially closing out the corrective actions process that began in 2020 with a clear update and positive closure status report.  

Virginia also received a “Meets Requirements” designation, the highest rating for improving outcomes for students with disabilities and for compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, for the annual state determinations from OSEP under the U.S. Department of Education’s Differentiated Monitoring and Support system for special education.  

In their final monitoring closure letter, OSEP stated:  

“OSEP appreciates the State’s continued efforts to improve the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B and the development and implementation of a reasonably designed general supervision system which ensures compliance and improving results for students with disabilities. OSEP notes that having a consistent and transparent system for identifying and correcting noncompliance, particularly noncompliance that impacts the delivery of early intervention services, in accordance with individualized education programs (IEPs), and dispute resolution systems that protect the rights of parents, are essential elements to ensuring improved results for children and youth with disabilities.”  

VDOE staff worked to not only be responsive throughout the targeted monitoring process which began in 2020 but have also served as a state exemplar in best practices related to monitoring and dispute. resolution, undertaking a comprehensive review of the state special education regulations to update and ensure alignment to federal requirements and guidance. Concurrently, VDOE managed a record number of dispute resolution calls, inquiries, and filings, while maintaining compliance, creating resources, and supporting the area of special education to the field. These supports include the Learning Library of Resources for Dispute Resolution, which provides training, videos, and other resources to aid in understanding special education laws and regulations as well as encouraging effective collaboration between parents and educators.

As shared in the August 29, 2024, Virginia Education Update newsletter, completed applications for the 2026 Mary V. Bicouvaris Virginia Teacher of the Year must be submitted by Monday, February 3 at 4 p.m. using the 2026 Teacher of the Year Application portal.  Virginia school division superintendents are invited to nominate one teacher for state-level recognition. The program recognizes all teachers in pre-kindergarten through grade 12, including library media specialists, school counselors, career and technical educators, mathematic specialists, and reading specialists, who hold a current renewable Virginia teaching license in the assigned teaching area.  

The superintendent may designate one individual, such as their school division’s Teacher of the Year candidate, to complete the application. Please use your work email to create or log into the online portal. Completed applications must be submitted by Monday, February 3 by 4p.m. using the 2026 Teacher of the Year Application. 

Please see the VDOE Educator Awards and Recognition web page for details, directions, and the online application. Send questions to TeacheroftheYear@doe.virginia.gov