Lexia Core5 and PowerUp are tutoring programs offered to school divisions through ALL In VA.  As divisions and schools begin the new school year with these personalized tutoring options, Lexia has prepared a range of support for school teams and students which align with the recommended VDOE and Lexia timeline for success. See below for resources to inform next steps for implementation in 2025-2026. 

• Join Lexia’s 2025-26 asynchronous Kick-Off Webinar to make connections between Lexia programs and Virginia’s Literacy Priorities, discuss support for 2025–2026 Virginia ALL In, and hear from Virginia literacy leaders as they share successes and strategies from Lexia implementations across the commonwealth. 
• Share the September Newsletter with division and school leaders to access flexible professional learning options, motivation resources to kickstart the year with students, and Lexia’s September ALL In spotlight. 
• Schedule Division ALL In Planning call or reach out for more information at vatutoring@lexialearning.com. 

In collaboration with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Colonial Williamsburg, and VA250 Educational programming, Virginia will participate in the 2026 National Civics Bee®. The National Civics Bee® is an annual competition that inspires young Americans to engage in civics and contribute to their communities. This nonpartisan initiative of The Civic Trust® of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation enhances civic literacy, skills, and participation among students in sixth, seventh and eighth grades in participating states across the country.   

To compete in the National Civics Bee®, middle school students submit an essay identifying issues within their community and solutions on how to solve them based on civic principles.  

We are looking forward to Virginia leading the way. School divisions are encouraged to reach out to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders to apply for this outstanding opportunity. Students will need to complete and submit an essay using the online application portal. The deadline for applications is Tuesday, February 3, 2026. 

Visit The National Civics Bee® for the Educator Toolkit, latest news on the application portal, entry deadlines, and resources. The National Civics Bee® is free and open to public, private, charter, and homeschool students alike.  

The Governor’s Physical Activity Award Program for School Personnel emphasizes the critical connection between regular physical activity and the overall health and wellness of school personnel. It provides a structured approach and incentives for school employees to participate in weekly aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, such as walking, dancing, cycling, sports, and weightlifting. Participants are encouraged to log their activities over a 16-week period, with awards based on their level of sustained physical activity:   

• Bronze Award: 150 minutes or more of activity three days a week.   
• Silver Award: 200 minutes or more of activity four days a week.   
• Gold Award: 250 minutes or more of activity five days a week.   
• Platinum Award: 250 minutes of activity five days a week, plus muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week.  

Completed activity logs must be signed by a supervisor and submitted to the VDOE by June 1 via email at vdoe.physicalactivity@doe.virginia.gov.  

In partnership with WIDA, the Virginia Department of Education will be offering the Engaging Secondary Newcomers in Content Area Literacy Workshop. This workshop is designed for secondary English language development teachers and content teachers. It will take place at the Hanover County School Board Office, located at 200 Berkley Street, Ashland, VA, 23005, on October 21, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.  

In this one-day workshop, educators will explore key factors that influence literacy acquisition and development in content areas, focusing on how to engage secondary newcomer students in content learning. Participants will learn strategies to analyze secondary newcomers’ literacy strengths and identify areas for growth. Through practical application, educators will gain tools for scaffolding instruction to ensure secondary newcomers can engage with grade-level content in reading and writing, promoting their academic success. 

Participants will identify ways to create supportive and rigorous literacy learning environments for secondary newcomers in any program model, analyze secondary newcomers’ literacy strengths and areas of growth, and examine approaches to scaffolding secondary newcomers’ engagement in grade-level content area literacy learning. 

Interested educators must register by no later than October 2, 2025. 

The Commonwealth of Virginia has once again been recognized as a national leader in educational technology, earning a prominent spotlight in the 2025 State EdTech Trends Report released by the State Educational Technology Directors Association (SETDA). The report, which surveys state education leaders across the country, highlights Virginia’s forward-thinking approach to integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and computer science into K–12 education.

Virginia’s inclusion in the report underscores its commitment to preparing students for a digital future through strategic investments, innovative instructional planning, and cross-disciplinary integration of emerging technologies.

The report spotlights Virginia’s Advancing Computer Science Education grant, which supports a wide range of initiatives to strengthen computer science education statewide. These include professional development that incorporate AI, student programs that provide innovative learning experiences in emerging fields, such as AI, expanded support for Advanced Placement (AP) Computer Science courses, and K-8 curriculum integration.  

“AI is embedded in our computer science standards,” said Calypso Gilstrap, Executive Director in the Office of Innovation at the Virginia Department of Education. “That means it’s a legitimate focus for instructional planning and PD—especially when we’re looking at cross-subject connections, like AI in math.” 

Virginia’s proactive stance—embedding AI into standards, supporting teacher training, creating innovative learning models, and expanding virtual learning—positions the Commonwealth as a model for other states navigating this technological transition. 

The full 2025 State EdTech Trends Report is available at setda.org/priorities/state-trends. 

We celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to recognize the achievements and contributions of Hispanic American champions who have inspired others to achieve success. The observation began in 1968 as Hispanic Heritage Week under President Lyndon Johnson and was expanded by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 to cover a 30-day period. It was enacted into law on August 17, 1988. The Commonwealth of Virginia honors the contributions of Virginians of Hispanic heritage during national Hispanic Heritage month, September 15 - October 15.  

The Smithsonian Learning Lab and eMediaVA also feature resources and information on Hispanic Heritage Month. For more information and resources, view related records on the Hispanic/Latino Heritage resource page and in the Archives Catalog.  

Legislation enacted by the 2013 General Assembly, HB 2343 and Item 139 C.13. of the 2013 Appropriation Act, created a school security equipment grant program for school divisions and regional programs. The legislation and appropriation act provision authorized $12.0 million per year in funding for the school security equipment grant.

VDOE received applications for the 2025-2026 grant year from public school divisions, including regional centers for technology education, and the Virginia School of the Deaf and Blind. These were evaluated on competitive criteria developed in collaboration with the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), and $12 million in School Security Equipment Grants were awarded to 433 schools from 99 public school divisions.  

The list of awarded schools and terms of the grant award can be found at Security Equipment Grants | Virginia Department of Education. An email notification with additional information will also be sent through SSWS to all school divisions.

The grant requires that awarded schools remain open for at least five more years, and a local 25 percent match of the state grant amount. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is authorized to reduce the local match for school divisions with a composite index of less than 0.2000. The Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind is exempt from the local match requirement.

The reimbursement based grants will pay for equipment such as security card access systems, visitor ID badging systems, surveillance cameras, security vestibules, AEDs, voice and video internal communication systems, hurricane or intruder security film, vaping detectors, security fences, interior school bus cameras, two-way radios, GPS tablets and ID card readers in school buses, and other security enhancements. 

The 2025-2026 Title III, Part A, federal allocations  for each school division receiving over $10,000 is now available on the VDOE Title III website. The 2025-2026 Title III Statewide Consortium federal allocations for school divisions who receive under $10,0000 is also available.  

The Additional Required Special Terms and Conditions for Grant Awards or Cooperative Agreements and Terms of the grant award can also be found on the Title III VDOE website. The total amount of the allocation is available to school divisions who submitted a substantially approvable application as of July 1, 2025, through the reimbursement process.  

The procedures and forms for applying for Title III, Part A, were previously provided to school division program coordinators. Applications were due on July 1, 2025.  

Additional information on EL and IY awards can be found on this supporting document. 

In recognition of National Bullying Prevention Month, the VDOE Office of Behavioral Health and Student Safety will host a webinar titled From Report to Resolution: Building Schoolwide Systems for Bullying Response on September 29, 2025, from 2:30-4 p.m. The session will be recorded and shared with all registered participants.  

For resources to support local efforts, visit the VDOE Bullying Prevention web page. 

The annual Pupil Transportation Report used in calculating pupil transportation funding through Basic Aid will be open for data entry on September 29, 2025. The Pupil Transportation Report application is located in VDOE’s Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal. This data is required per the Board of Education’s Regulations Governing Pupil Transportation at 8VAC20-70-235. Funding for Pupil Transportation.

Please note that your school division’s Annual School Report Financial Section (ASRFIN) data must be submitted to VDOE before the Pupil Transportation Report can be completed. Pupil Transportation Reports should be submitted to VDOE via the SSWS portal by October 31, 2025. 

The annual Pupil Ridership Count is scheduled for the week of October 20, 2025. This information will be used when completing the Pupil Transportation Report for the 2025-2026 school year. This count should be conducted for five consecutive days that school is in session starting on Monday, October 20th. If your school division is closed anytime during this designated period, please use the following week to reach the five-day requirement. 

During this week, school bus drivers count the number of pupils being transported by every yellow school bus each day. School bus drivers should conduct the count each morning and again each afternoon for every yellow school bus. At the end of the week, take the higher count of students from the morning or afternoon for each day of the week and calculate an average for the five days. Keep the ridership count separated by pre-K, non-public, regular, and exclusive ridership. 

The VDOE reminds local educational agencies (LEAs) that transportation personnel—including regular and substitute vehicle drivers—have a critical role in implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Transportation, when listed as a related service or accommodation in a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) or Section 504 Plan, is a legally required component of providing a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE). The LEAs must ensure that all individuals responsible for implementing aspects of a student’s IEP or 504 Plan, including transportation personnel, are informed of their responsibilities. This includes understanding the specific accommodations, supports, or modifications necessary for safe and equitable transportation. 

Failure to implement transportation-related services appropriately may result in a denial of FAPE and lead to formal complaints resulting in corrective action plans or compensatory education orders. The VDOE Department of Special Education and Specialized Populations will provide LEAs with additional details on the requirements to comply with federal and state special education regulations. 

 The Virginia School Plant Managers Association (VSPMA) is holding their Annual Conference at The Inn at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virgina on October 12-15, 2025.  This year’s conference theme is “Maintaining and Improving Virginia’s Schools - Adapting, Growing, and Learning.” School facilities personnel are encouraged to attend this conference that will address issues and challenges in keeping school facilities operating efficiently while navigating the changing landscape of facilities maintenance and meeting the needs of today’s learners and educators. This year’s event will feature professional learning sessions on security, Indoor Air Quality, ADA, AI, Facility Condition Assessments and much more.  

VSPMA invites all school superintendents and their division’s facility personnel to attend this affordable and educational event. Conference attendance includes membership in VSPMA, participation in the general session and all learning sessions. The full conference schedule and online registration forms are available on the VSPMA website, https://vspma.org/.  

The Virginia General Assembly Page Program is offered by the Senate and the House of Delegates each year during the Virginia General Assembly Session. Divisions should refer to the Regulations Governing Pupil Accounting Records on how to address student absences if participating in the program. A student may be counted as present if serving as a page if the local school board has approved the program. Further, providing local school board approval, no student participating in the page programs should be withdrawn from school. 

For questions about the House of Delegates Page Program, please email HousePageSupervisor@house.virginia.gov or for questions about the Senate Page Program, please email pageinfo@senate.virginia.gov.