The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is reminding SFAs about: 

• The updates to the school nutrition standards that aim to help schools encourage healthy choices that lead to healthy outcomes through the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. 
• The guidance on reimbursement for school meals served or consumed off-site (USDA memo SP 17-2025). 

SFAs are encouraged to review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-08 for resources available to support SFAs in meeting the new standards and additional guidance. 

September 11, 2025, marks the 24th anniversary of the tragic terrorist attacks on American soil. Each year, we observe Patriot Day to honor the nearly 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia (located in Arlington County, Virginia (making 9/11 a direct part of Virginia history), and aboard Flight 93. This day also stands as a solemn tribute to the first responders, service members, and civil servants whose courage and sacrifice remain an enduring part of our nation’s history. 

Schools are encouraged to set aside time during the week of September 11 for reflection and remembrance. Across the Commonwealth, many schools will once again honor Patriot Day by displaying the Freedom Flag—the official 9/11 flag of remembrance in Virginia. This year marks the 8th consecutive year Governor Glenn Youngkin will display the Freedom Flag at the Executive Mansion, alongside other major state institutions such as the Virginia War Memorial, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, and the Virginia State Police holding commemorative events. 

The Freedom Flag Foundation invites schools to conduct flag-raising ceremonies that include the reading of the flag’s 10 symbolic elements, keeping alive the memory and meaning of September 11 for new generations. Educators can also access teaching resources from the United States Department of Education and the Library of Congress to support age-appropriate classroom conversations and activities. 

If you’d like to share a photo of your school flying its Freedom Flag, please send an email to communications@doe.virginia.gov.  

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

September is Attendance Awareness Month, a nationwide recognition of the connection between regular school attendance and academic achievement. This month highlights the importance of mobilizing schools, families, and community partners to promote regular attendance by developing tiered supports and personalized interventions to reduce chronic absence.   

Research shows that missing two days every month, which is ten percent of the school year, can have a significant impact on students. Students who miss between two and four days in September are more likely to be chronically absent throughout the school year. This suggests that schools should monitor attendance from the beginning of the school year and intervene swiftly to get students back on track. School and division leaders can promote Attendance Awareness during September by sharing the importance of attendance with families and by celebrating students who are demonstrating good and improved attendance. Please refer to the following resources for more information regarding improving attendance and creating an attendance awareness campaign.   

Resources:  

• Superintendent’s Action Kit for Improving Attendance  
• Chronic Absenteeism Task Force Videos and Discussion Guides   
• VDOE Attendance and School Engagement page  
• Attendance Works/Attendance Awareness Campaign  

The Virginia Literacy Act (VLA) of 2022 has been incorporated into the Code of Virginia Standards of Quality. This year, school divisions will fully implement the requirements of the legislation by expanding literacy supports and interventions in Grades 4-8. To support the continued implementation of the VLA, VDOE has released an extensive Literacy Update. 

This year, the literacy updates will be released on a quarterly basis to provide school divisions with just-in-time supports as schools and divisions plan for student screening, professional learning, updates to the curriculum lists, and resources available for implementation. In this edition, there is information regarding VLA and the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) for Grades 4-8 implementation for this school year.  

• Instructional Materials      
• VALLSS    
• Professional Development      
• Planning      
• Reference Charts for Planning  

Superintendents are asked to share these resources with key literacy staff and elementary and middle school principals. Division literacy leaders should use the extensive literacy updates to support individual schools with literacy efforts. 

Educators and leaders who support multilingual learners are invited to participate in a series of three one-hour webinars that will focus on building capacity to implement the WIDA ELD Standards Framework. Each webinar session targets one or more of the framework components, demonstrating how to apply them to the instructional process of planning, teaching, and assessing multilingual learners. Dates and descriptions of each webinar are listed below. 

• September 10, 2025: An Introduction to The WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 edition for NEW Language Instruction Educational Program (LIEP) teachers and grades K-12 content teachers: Participants will receive an overview of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020 edition, its components, and available resources to support the planning and instruction of language rich lessons. 
• October 8, 2025:  Diving into the Proficiency Level Descriptors of the WIDA ELD Standards Framework, 2020: Participants will use the Key Language Expectations and Proficiency Level Descriptors to determine which strategies and scaffolds to use within a unit or lesson plan for students at different English language proficiency levels. 
• December 10, 2025: Using the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs assessment to support the instruction of English Learners in the content classroom: Participants will analyze the WIDA ACCESS for ELLs score report and use it to incorporate English language supports within the content classroom and collaborate with colleagues about student growth. 

All webinars will be held 4:00 –5:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month except for the month of November. Registration link 

The Virginia Department of Education is seeking applications for the History and Social Science Resource Review Committee. This committee, led by agency staff, will evaluate resources submitted by external partners, including museums, public entities, businesses, and institutes of higher education, and organizations in support of the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning and Instructional Guides. The committee represents the second phase of resource analysis and vetting to ensure clear connectivity of learning experiences to grade-appropriate standards for history, civics, geography, and economics. Prior to this phase, external partners and organizations received extensive training on the K-12 History and Social Science Resource Review Tool to explicitly learn how to make clear connections for internal and external vertical articulation while integrating multiple social studies disciplines.  

The committee will consist of 30-40 stakeholders, including teachers, administrators, curriculum specialists, and supervisors with experience with history and social science experience. Members will be selected based on expertise, regional representation, and experience.  

Applicants should be educators with classroom teaching experience and knowledge of the 2023 History and Social Science Standards of Learning and supporting Instructional Guides. To apply, submit an online application by September 12, 2025. Applications require a professional reference and supervisor approval. Selected members will be notified by September 19, 2025. 

Committee members must commit to taking part in or reviewing a recording of a virtual training session on October 2, 2025; complete independent review of materials related to the K-12 History and Social Science Resource Review Tool and process between October 3-November 20, 2025; and, attend two virtual touch base meetings during the month of October. Committee members will sign a Non-Disclosure/Conflict of Interest Agreement and will receive a certificate for recertification points (pending local approval).  

For questions, contact Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, at Christonya.Brown@doe.virginia.gov. 

This 75-minute webinar will provide educators with an overview of the SLIFE definition components, considerations for identifying and reporting SLIFE status, guiding principles and practices, instructional resources, professional learning, and family resources. Participants will gain access to the new SLIFE videos for families and school personnel, walk through the updated SLIFE Guidebook and instructional resources, and discover practical ways for using these resources in their schools and districts. 

The deadline to register is Friday, September 12, 2025. 

Dual Language and Immersion (DL/I) programs deliver academic content in a language other than English. Continuation programs include secondary-level courses where content is taught in another language and/or advanced language courses designed to build on skills developed in elementary DL/I programs. Students in these programs may be English learners, native English speakers, or multilingual learners whose first language is neither English nor the partner language.  

The Virginia Department of Education is updating its directory of Dual Language/Immersion (DL/I) programs across the Commonwealth. The directory includes elementary, middle, and high school programs offering dual language, immersion, or continuation pathways. 

The current program directory is available for download from the Dual Language/Immersion page of the VDOE website. Program administrators are asked to review their current listings in the directory and submit any updates or new program information by September 30, 2025. 

If you have any questions, please contact the assessment staff by email at student_assessment@doe.virginia.gov or by phone at (804) 225-2102.  

The Virginia Department of Education set aside $300,000 in Elementary and Secondary Education Title II Funding to support school divisions in recruiting and retaining educators in high-needs areas. This funding provides mini-grants to school divisions, not to exceed $10,000 each grant, to pay for aspiring teachers' $3,050 fee to participate in iteach as well as the test fee for each appropriate endorsement test. iteach is a non-college program accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation focused on offering aspiring potential educators an accessible and affordable opportunity to earn their teaching certification in Virginia. 

School divisions can find additional information and the nominating teacher form in the Supplemental Funding for iteach Programs to School Divisions competitive grant application.  

The General Assembly in partnership with Governor Youngkin appropriated state funding for fiscal year 2026 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 3, 2025, 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.    

Additional information may be found in the Program Application and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). To apply, a school division must assign a primary contact and communicate directly with qualified teachers. The grant application is due on October 15, 2025. Grant Award Notifications will be issued to school divisions by December 12, 2025. One payment for the total amount of the grant award will be made to the school division by January 16, 2026.

The goal of the funding is to improve student performance outcomes by supporting schools to develop:

1. a targeted extended/enriched school year program,
2. a year-round school calendar,
3. an innovative approach to instructional delivery, or
4. an innovative school governance model.

An overview of the grant can be found on the VDOE Website. 

Webinar Title: FY26 ESY/YRS Grant Overview Webinar
Date: Thursday, September 11, 2025
Time: 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Please register using the Zoom link.

The STEM+C grant is made available through state funding, HB1600, Chapter 725, Item 124.U. In 2024, the Board of Education updated the STEM+C Competition Grant Initiative Guidance Document to align with the updated legislation. 

The STEM+C competition grant application is open to schools that are planning to start a STEM+C competition team or expand existing competition teams. Schools may apply for up to $5,000 of funding per team to support up to two competition teams in the 2025-2026 academic year. Schools may receive a maximum funding amount of $10,000. The purpose of the STEM competition team is to:  

• Increase awareness of careers in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and computer science (STEM+C) among teachers and students.   
• Engage students in extracurricular, STEM+C-related team-building activities through problem-based, project-based team competitions.   
• Foster STEM+C competition team development and growth throughout Virginia.   
• Focus on STEM+C literacy skills through hands-on experiences. These experiences will include problem-driven integrated STEM+C activities that use collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and ethics to explore the challenges and opportunities of the STEM+C Competition Team Grant Initiative.   

The 2025 Guidelines for the General Requirements of Qualifying for the STEM+C Competition Grant and the application may be found on the VDOE STEM website.  Completed applications must be submitted on or before 4 p.m. on September 19, 2025.      

The required federal reporting collection window for school divisions to submit their Title IV, Part A objectives and outcomes for Fiscal Year 2023 will open on Monday, September 2, 2025, and close on Friday, October 24, 2025. 

All school divisions are required to report in the Title IV, Part A Submission application within the Single Sign-On Web Systems (SSWS), including those that transfer some or all Title IV, Part A funds to another federal program.  

The division superintendent or designee is responsible for electronically verifying the report to finalize submission. 

The 2025 General Assembly in partnership with Governor Youngkin appropriated funds in 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.  

Item 124 BBB. Chapter 725, 2025 Regular Session, requires each local school board to provide notification to eligible students and parents of the availability of this financial assistance at the time of course enrollment and exam registration. The Office of Parental Engagement has created a flyer for school division use. 

To receive funding, school divisions should appoint a person of contact (POC) to complete the FY 2026 AP-IB-Cambridge Funding Form by December 5, 2025. 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 (GAN). Financial assistance provided by College Board, IB, and Cambridge will be factored into reimbursement amounts. Divisions will receive reimbursements in February 2026.  

In June 2026, 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 VDOE by August 1, 2026.  

To assist school divisions with the fee reduction program, a technical support document is provided for reference and the Office of Advanced Learning will hold office hours on September 9, 2025, starting at 10AM. Interested school division personnel can register for office hours here.  

In the fall of 2025, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), in collaboration with the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth (VFHY), will administer the biennial Virginia Youth Survey to monitor the health risk behaviors of middle and high school students, in accordance with §32.1-73.8 of the Code of Virginia. The random survey sample, determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will include approximately 100 middle and high schools from five health planning regions. Each survey is designed to be completed in 45 minutes or less. All surveys will be anonymous, and all participating schools and divisions will not be identified in the subsequent reports. Classroom teachers or other school personnel may administer the surveys, or a survey administrator will be provided.    

Your support of these surveys is appreciated. The data obtained will:  

• provide a comparative data set to monitor trends established in prior surveys;  
• offer data to organizations for use in obtaining grant funding;  
• support the planning efforts of other state agencies; 
• support community prevention coalitions in determining targeted risk factors;  
• assist in determining the need for technical assistance; and 
• support evaluation of the effectiveness of prevention programs to improve health.    

The staff from VDH and VFHY will contact the school division’s superintendent if a school is selected as part of the statewide random sample. If you have any questions, please contact Tyler Lambert, Epidemiologist for the Youth Surveys, by email at Tyler.Lambert@vdh.virginia.gov or by telephone at (804) 864-7167.  

This article is a summary of SCNP Director’s Memo #2025-2026-06. Review the memo for details. 

SNAP in Schools (SiS) is a Virginia initiative to increase student access to SNAP and eligibility for school meals at no cost to families.  

The Virginia Department of Social Services is required to develop a SNAP Benefits Information Sheet annually. Virginia regulations require local school boards to distribute the SNAP Benefits Information Sheet, along with a free and reduced-price meal application, to each household at the beginning of every school year or at the time of enrollment (VDOE-SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-06, Attachment A). 

Through our collective outreach, the goals of SiS are to: 

• increase awareness,  
• share eligibility requirements, and 
• provide education on the SNAP application process and benefits for households. 

Students who receive SNAP benefits are eligible for free school meals without a meal application if they attend a USDA National School Lunch Program participating school. SNAP data also contributes to the Identified Student Percentage used to determine schools’ eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows participating schools to provide meals to all students at no charge.  

SiS supports schools in meeting the state mandate for SNAP outreach.  

The SiS initiative aims to create a winning scenario for families with school-aged children by providing access to grocery benefits and school meals. SiS decreases the administrative burden on school divisions by reducing the number of meal applications required and brings additional federal support for other local programs and businesses. Contact VDSS SNAP in Schools Coordinator Dwronyel Price at Dwronyel.Price1@dss.virginia.gov to participate in SiS. 

The three-year USDA Procurement Review schedule for school food authorities is in SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-09, Attachment A. The Virginia Department of Education, Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs has contracted with CN Resource (CNR) to perform the required procurement reviews. 

SFAs scheduled for a SY2025-26 procurement review must attend the Procurement Orientation Webinar on September 4, 2025, at 2 p.m. Attendees must register for the webinar by the start of the webinar.  

• It is required that the SFA school nutrition program director or administrator, as designated in SNPWeb, participate in the orientation. 
• The webinar will discuss the review process and review required documentation and review timeline. 

The VDOE-SCNP encourages SFAs to review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-09 for information on the review process, how to prepare for the review, and the initial documentation required to be submitted.

The Virginia Department of Education Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is publishing the school year 2025-2026 calendar to assist schools and community sponsors that participate in the USDA Child Nutrition Programs with important due dates and activities. 

School food authorities and community sponsors are encouraged to review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-12, Attachment A for the School Year 2025-2026 Calendar of Requirements and Events for School and Community Nutrition Programs. 

The Virginia Department of Education Office of School and Community Nutrition Programs is pleased to announce the schools that will receive school year 2025-26 Breakfast after the Bell (BaB) reimbursement awards (SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-13, Attachment A). The BaB reimbursement award is state-funded and aims to support schools that offer alternative breakfast models, with the goal to increase student breakfast participation. 

Awarded elementary schools will receive an additional $0.05 reimbursement and middle/high schools will receive an additional $0.10 reimbursement for breakfasts served in SY2025-26, or until the funding is dispersed. Please review the Virginia Education Update Newsletter article 2025-24-332 to learn more about BaB and the application process to receive the funds. 

School nutrition directors are encouraged to review SCNP (Dir.) Memo #2025-2026-13 for more information on the reimbursement and reporting requirements. 

On September 9, the Virginia Department of Education will be hosting a webinar for public school program leaders to share important VQB5 updates and reminders for the 2025-2026 year. School divisions with VPI, ECSE, Title 1, and/or Head Start preschool classrooms should plan on attending. This webinar will be recorded. 

• Webinar Title: VQB5 Updates for Public School Programs 2025-2026 
• Date: September 9 at 2 p.m. 
• Register 

The VQB5 2025-2026 Registration window is now open through October 1. All publicly-funded programs, including VPI, ECSE, Head Start, and Title 1, that serve children ages birth-to-five are required by state law to participate in VQB5 and must complete registration in LinkB5 between August 15 - October 1.  

Additionally, the Fall Local CLASS observation window opened on August 15 and runs through December 22. To learn more about information and resources to support local and external CLASS observation completion, please visit the VQB5 Measuring Interactions webpage.  

• View: LinkB5 Registration Resources
• View: VQB5 Participation Requirement Resources
• Contact your Ready Region for VQB5 registration support and for any Local CLASS Observation questions
• Questions? Email vqb5@doe.virginia.gov 

The United States Senate Youth Program (USSYP) is a national nonpartisan initiative to provide an annual opportunity for talented high school students with demonstrated leadership abilities to deepen their understanding of America’s political processes and strengthen their resolve to pursue careers in public service. The VDOE will select two student delegates to represent Virginia in the 64th Annual 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 7-14, 2026, 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 on 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 beginning Friday, August 15, 2025. Applications and essays are due by 5 p.m. EST on Tuesday, September 30, 2025, through the application portal.