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Superintendent's Message
Advancing Learning through Virginia Farm to School Programs and School Nutrition
The first full week of October marked Virginia Farm to School Week, celebrating the Commonwealth’s robust Farm to School programs and their impact on student achievement and the local agricultural economy. Across Virginia, innovative partnerships between school divisions and community stakeholders continue to enrich school meals with locally grown and raised foods, while also deepening students’ understanding of Virginia agriculture. Through place-based learning experiences—from school gardens and student farms to robust CTE programs—students are engaged in hands-on opportunities that align with the Virginia Standards of Learning. These programs not only support academic achievement, but they also foster lifelong connections to food, health, and the environment. Virginia continues to lead the way in Farm to School efforts, and we were thrilled to spotlight these impactful programs throughout the week.
One highlight of the week was the ninth annual “Crunch Heard ’Round the Commonwealth” on October 9. Over 485,000 students at more than 250 sites crunched into crisp, Virginia-grown apples together to make noise for Farm to School programs.
I had the pleasure of joining the Crunch celebration in Prince Edward County, where we saw firsthand how strong leadership and community partnerships drive student success. As part of the celebration, we had the joy of planting an apple tree alongside Prince Edward’s youngest learners. We then visited the Reading Eagle, the school’s mobile library, which brings enriched literacy opportunities directly to students in the community. In the cafeteria, we joined kindergarteners for a lively reading of Apple Tree! Apple Tree! by Mary Blocksma, where students listened intently and engaged fully with the story. We also admired vibrant apple-themed artwork created by fourth grade students and brought back a few of our favorite drawings to share. The event concluded with a delicious, scratch-made lunch featuring local ingredients and their self-serve fruit bar. It was a perfect way to celebrate the connection between farms, food, and learning.
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Last week, we continued the celebration during National School Lunch Week, recognizing the powerful role that nutrition plays in fueling student success. With the theme “Taste the World: Lunch Passport,” school nutrition programs throughout Virginia took students on a global culinary journey right from their own cafeterias. International flavors and globally inspired menu items expanded student palates while providing the nourishment that students need to thrive in the classroom. |
Whether students are growing food for their cafeteria, collecting data on plant growth, using culinary activities to explore science and math, or taste-testing new menu items, one thing is clear: learning extends far beyond the four walls of a classroom. I’m continually inspired by the creativity and dedication of educators and school nutrition professionals who bring these experiences to life.
When students are fully engaged, learning flourishes.
Emily Anne
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Highlights
News from Across the Commonwealth
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On October 14, 2025, Governor Glenn Youngkin and VDOE announced the release of 3,293 early childhood site quality ratings via VQB5, Virginia’s statewide early childhood measurement system. Read the to learn more. |
Virginia Closes The ‘Honesty Gap’ To Open More Doors For Students – State leaders in Virginia recently made a courageous decision to put honesty front and center in their assessments of how K-12 students are doing academically. While this decision is challenging for adults, it is essential for preparing students for a successful future. The state’s board of education voted unanimously Sept. 25 to raise the “cut scores” for Virginia students, elevating the expectation of what it means to be proficient – or meeting the state’s academic standards – at various grade levels. This move means that the state is aligning its educational expectations on statewide testing with the more rigorous expectations demanded by the gold standard National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as The Nation’s Report Card. For Virginia students and their families, the action helps arrest a worrisome trend that began before the sweeping education losses seen from the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more on FORBES here.
Congratulations to New Kent High School English teacher Maggie Mallory who has been selected as a 2025 High School Teacher of Excellence by the National Council of Teachers of English.
This prestigious national award recognizes outstanding high school English teachers selected annually by NCTE affiliates to honor educators who demonstrate extraordinary classroom practices and meaningful contributions to their school communities. #ElevateEducatorsVA
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Schools across the Commonwealth recently celebrated Farm to School Week celebrating healthy eating and farm to school programs.
Keegan Shannon, a junior and Agricultural Land Lab student at Windsor High School, inspired the elementary students and guests with her remarks. She shared that part of the reason this program is so important is because it “reconnects people to their plates.” Her words highlighted the value of agricultural education in fostering appreciation for local farming and healthy food choices.
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Get to Know Top Talent @ VDOE
Dewayne J. McClary joined the Virginia Department of Education in September as the new Deputy Superintendent for Innovation, Student Pathways & Opportunities. In this role, he leads statewide efforts to reimagine education through innovative school models, student pathways, and future-ready learning experiences.
A nationally recognized education leader committed to transforming learning environments and expanding opportunities for all students, Dewayne brings a unique blend of strategic vision and hands-on experience. His career spans classroom teaching, school leadership, district administration, and national nonprofit leadership. His previous roles include senior leadership positions at Digital Promise, Engage2Learn, Zūm, and Participate Learning, where he built and scaled partnerships that advanced innovation and student-centered learning.
Dewayne holds an Executive Master’s Degree in Leadership from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from Francis Marion University. He is a proud member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and actively serves on several national and local boards, including The Concord Consortium, Washington Yu Ying Public Charter School, and the University of Phoenix School of Education’s National Advisory Council. Guided by the belief that “It’s our obligation to do right by students,” Dewayne is dedicated to dismantling barriers, fostering all-encompassing learning environments, and ensuring every student has the tools and support to thrive.
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VA250
Sail250® Virginia Adopt-A-Ship Program and Speaker Series
Article: 2025-35-529 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator, vdoe.hss@doe.virginia.gov; Paula Barclay Cook, Education Manager Sail250® Virginia, cookp@festevents.org
In June 2026, Norfolk, Hampton Roads, and Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay region will welcome an international fleet of tall ships to commemorate America’s 250th anniversary. Sail250® Virginia will include more than 60 ships from 20 countries, bringing 7,000 visiting sailors, officers, and dignitaries to Virginia’s shores.
Sail250® Virginia Speaker Series: Sail250® Virginia will host a three-part series featuring award winning maritime authors exploring important aspects and events of maritime past to present day. Each of these events will include a talk, Q & A session, and a reception with light refreshments. Events are free and open to the public. RSVPs will be required to reserve a ticket due to limited seating.
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Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 7 p.m., Nathaniel Philbrick, award winning author and historian, will serve as the first within the speaker series. He will be speaking about the Revolutionary War, the Battle of the Capes, and Chesapeake Bay's legacy in the American Revolution. RSVP here.
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Early Childhood
2024-2025 VQB5 Quality Profiles Release
Article: 2025-35-528 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Child Care Center Operators, Teachers, Non-teaching staff Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Improvement Strategy Lead, Lucy.Mitzner@doe.virginia.gov
The VQB5 Quality Profile Website includes quality information for over 3,200 publicly-funded sites, including child care centers, family day homes, Head Start, and public school preschool, as well as for privately-funded sites that have opted in to VQB5.
This release also includes new VQB5 Honor Rolls for top performance and significant improvement during the 2024-2025 year. A list of all Honor Roll sites is available via the Download Data tab on the VQB5 Quality Profile website.
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Each site’s 2024-2025 VQB5 Quality Rating Certificate is now available for downloading via LinkB5 reports.
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It is optional to post certificates at each site, though sites are encouraged but not required to post.
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ALL In VA
Classroom and Community Resources to Support Personalized Tutoring with Zearn Math
Article: 2025-35-527 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact: Vickie Bohidar, Mathematics Coordinator, Victoria.Bohidar@doe.virginia.gov
Research from the first year (2023-2024) of Zearn usage through ALL In Tutoring shows that students who completed 3-5 Zearn lessons per week made 22%-24% more math growth on the Virginia SOL Assessment Program than the state average.
Educators using Zearn Math in 2025-26 can access classroom and community resources to support family engagement and motivate students to complete the research-backed dosage of 3+ grade-level digital lessons each week. Resources include:
Finally, all school divisions can receive live training from the Zearn team at no cost to support strong implementation and drive impact with students. School division leaders should contact their Zearn representative to schedule live training for teachers and leaders.
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School Finance
IDEA, 2025-2026 Proportionate Set-Aside Requirements - Opens October 20
Article: 2025-35-534 Audience: Division Finance and Special Education Staff Contact: Shalonda Lewis, Special Education Financial Data Specialist, Shalonda.Lewis@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education is required by federal regulation to ensure all Virginia school divisions comply with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), §300.133, and Appendix B to Part 300 - Proportionate Share Calculation. This mandates that each school division spends a proportionate amount of its Sections 611 and 619 allocations on providing special education and related services, including direct services, to students with disabilities who are home-schooled or parentally-placed in private elementary and secondary schools.
All school divisions are required to utilize the Special Education Proportionate Set-Aside (Speced-PSA) Application through VDOE’s Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal to calculate and report their proportionate set-aside amounts for fiscal year 2025-2026. This is required even if the division has no eligible students with disabilities who are home-schooled or parentally-placed in private schools. The collection window for submission and approval will open on October 20, 2025, and close on November 17, 2025.
The VDOE’s Proportionate Set-Aside Information Document and IDEA Proportionate Set-Aside Guidance Document provide additional information, including instructions on submitting the worksheet and the division superintendent’s access to the Superintendent Data Collection Approval Application. A pre-recorded training will be made available, and a Q&A Session via Zoom will be held at a later date. Special Education Directors will receive an email containing the links to access these resources.
Title I, Part A, Federal Fiscal Year (FFY) 2024 Carryover Limitations and Reallocation Procedures
Article: 2025-35-526 Audience: Superintendents, Title I, Part A Federal Program Coordinators and School Division Finance Directors Contact: Tiffany Frierson, Title I Coordinator, Tiffany.Frierson@doe.virginia.gov
Section 1127 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended, allows school divisions to carry over up to 15 percent of their Title I, Part A, allocation for any fiscal year. School divisions must encumber 85 percent of each award year’s Title I, Part A, allocation by September 30th of the following year (within 15 months).
Superintendents of divisions that potentially did not meet the requirement to obligate 85 percent of their FY2024 Title I, Part A, funds by September 30, 2025, based on information in the Online Management of Education Grant Awards application available on the Single Sign-on for Web Systems portal on October 1, 2025 will receive an email from essa@doe.virginia.gov by Tuesday, October 21, 2025 outlining the process to either certify that their division did obligate 85 percent of their FY2024 Title I, Part A, funds by September 30, 2025 or choose to apply for a waiver if they have not done so in the last three years. The Certification of Obligation and Carryover Waiver Form must be signed by division superintendents and returned by Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
2025-2026 Title I, Part A, and Title I, Part D, Subpart2, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended
Article: 2025-35-525 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, Title I, Part A and Title I, Part D, Federal Program Coordinators Contact: Tiffany Frierson, Title I Coordinator, Tiffany.Frierson@doe.virginia.gov and Gueringè Richardson, Title I, Part D Specialist Gueringe.Richardson@doe.virginia.gov
The 2025-2026 Title I, Part A, and Title I, Part D, federal allocations (XLSX) for each school division, the Additional Required Special Terms and Conditions for Grant Awards or Cooperative Agreements (DOCX), Terms of Grant Award for Title I, Part A (DOCX), as well as the Terms of Grant Award for Title I, Part D, Subpart 2 (DOCX), 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, 2025, is 42.72 percent, and the remaining 57.28 percent is available as of October 1, 2025. The total amount of the Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, allocation was available July 1, 2025, 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, 2025.
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Instruction Implementation, Support & Evaluation
Navigating Computer Science Implementation
Article: 2025-35-532 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Non-teaching staff Contact: Keisha Tennessee, Computer Science Coordinator, Keisha.Tennessee@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education will facilitate a quarterly webinar series for division-level leaders, instructional supervisors, curriculum specialists, and instructional technology resource teachers responsible for computer science implementation. Attendees should be engaged in planning, supporting, or delivering computer science instruction and integration. Pre-registration is required for participation.
The upcoming virtual session will extend the work initiated during the summer Navigating CS Implementation workshop and will focus on implementation strategies for computer science instruction aligned to the 2024 Virginia Computer Science Standards of Learning. This session will provide guidance for elementary and middle school instructional planning, with emphasis on scalable practices and alignment to state standards.
The Fall session will be delivered in a regional format to facilitate ongoing collaboration and provide tailored support aligned to local implementation needs. Pre-registration is required.
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Region 2 and Region 8 October 29 (10:00 AM – 11:30 AM) Registration
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Region 1 and Region 7 October 29 (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM) Registration
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Region 3 and Region 5 October 30 (10:00 AM – 11:30 AM) Registration
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Region 4 and Region 6 October 30 (1:00 PM – 2:30 PM) Registration
Professional Development Opportunity for Teachers of Struggling Readers in Grades 4-12 – Application Due October 29
Article: 2025-35-533 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers Contact: Christine Mooney, Specialized Reading and Dyslexia Specialist, Christine.Mooney@doe.virginia.gov; or Dr. Zenia Burnett, Director of Special Education Instructional Services, Zenia.Burnett@doe.virginia.gov
The Virginia Department of Education Division of Special Education and Specialized Populations continues to offer support in implementing the Virginia Literacy Act. The VDOE Office of Special Education Instructional Services is inviting up to 90 general education and special education teachers to participate in a no-cost professional development to address the needs of students who struggle with reading. Applicants must be current teachers, Grades 4-12, who work with students at least 60% of the day, preferably in special education. Teachers are encouraged, but not required, to register with a teaching partner from their school or division to maximize learning and application across classrooms.
Teachers who are interested in participating should complete the Application: Lexia Aspire Professional Learning Series by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Selected teachers will be notified by Monday, November 3, 2025, and provided instructional materials needed for implementation. Participants are expected to complete all Lexia Aspire learning modules no later than Friday, April 24, 2026, and will receive a certificate of completion for 30 professional learning hours towards recertification. Participants will also receive an invitation to attend optional Community of Practice events.
Important Update – New Registration Links for VDOE Fine Arts Program Monthly Office Hours for the 2025-2026 School Year
Article: 2025-35-531 Audience: Directors, School Principals/Assistant Principals, Division Leaders of Fine Arts Curriculum and Instruction, Fine Arts Educators Contact: Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts, Kelly.Bisogno@doe.virginia.gov
The purpose of the monthly Fine Arts office hours is to provide ongoing support to fine arts supervisors/directors, specialists, school leaders, teacher leaders, and teachers. Participants will engage in topics dealing with K-12 fine arts instruction.
After a brief time of sharing relevant updates and resources based on feedback from the field and data identified within prior need assessments, the meeting will open for questions and answers and breakout sessions with VDOE staff and colleagues. Topics include but are not limited to – post-secondary readiness and connections, instructional materials, assessment, technology and innovation, and current trends and pedagogy that may impact student achievement. Division and school leaders will also receive the latest resources and information supporting fine arts educators and programs to include support for effective observations, data analysis, scheduling, coaching, and implementation of the Fine Arts Standards of Learning and Instructional Guides.
Registration is required to attend. Click the date to register for each event. All meetings start at 10 a.m., unless otherwise noted, and last one hour.
Due to a change in Zoom accounts, everyone must re-register for these events. Please disregard previous registration links for this series.
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NEW: November 10, 2025 at 9 a.m
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December 2, 2025
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January 15, 2026
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February 19, 2026
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March 19, 2026
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April 16, 2026
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May 14, 2026
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June 18, 2026
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July 16, 2026
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August 13, 2026
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Civil Rights Review Process
Article: 2025-35-524 Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals Contact: William Hatch, Associate Director, Program Administration, and Workforce Development, Office of Career and Technical Education, at (804) 750-8163 or cte@doe.virginia.gov
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) requires states to conduct CTE Civil Rights Reviews to determine if school divisions that offer CTE programs and receive federal financial assistance are meeting the requirements of civil rights laws and regulations. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is required to conduct four reviews each school year using a targeting plan approved by the USED and identify school divisions in the current year of a six-year cyclical monitoring schedule for a review. The VDOE will provide technical assistance throughout the review process. Superintendents of identified school divisions received a notification letter prior to October 15, 2025.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) Federal Program Monitoring Process
Article: 2025-35-523 Audience: Superintendents, Directors Contact: Bernard M. Williams, CTE Planning, Administration, and Accountability Specialist, Office of Career and Technical Education, at (804) 750-8095 or cte@doe.virginia.gov.
The U.S. Department of Education (USED) requires states to conduct CTE Federal Program Monitoring Reviews to assess school divisions’ compliance with related CTE regulations, standards, and state and federal laws. The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is required to conduct seven reviews each school year using a targeting plan approved by the USED and identify school divisions in the current year of a six-year cyclical monitoring schedule for a review. The VDOE will provide technical assistance throughout the review process. Superintendents of identified school divisions received a notification letter prior to October 15, 2025.
School divisions are also required, according to the six-year cyclical schedule, to conduct and submit to the VDOE a comprehensive CTE Federal Program Monitoring Review System Self-Assessment and develop a corrective action/program improvement plan to address any identified deficiencies and concerns. Additional information about the CTE Federal Program Monitoring Review process can be found on the VDOE CTE webpage.
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School Nutrition
On-Site Accountability Reviews for School Breakfast Program (SBP) and National School Lunch Program (NSLP) — Complete before February 1, 2026
Article: 2025-35-530 Audience: Superintendents, School Principals, School Food Authorities Contact: Sara Bennett, VDOE-SCNP Director, Sara.Bennett@doe.virginia.gov
As specified in 7CFR 210.8(a)(1) before February 1 every year, each school division with more than one school, including residential child care institutions (RCCI), must perform at least one on-site review (accountability review) of the meal counting and claiming system and readily observable general areas of review identified under 7 CFR 210.18(h). These accountability reviews must be conducted annually for each school operating National School Lunch Program and 50% of schools operating School Breakfast Program under its jurisdiction.
Staff conducting accountability reviews should be appropriately trained and have working knowledge of school nutrition program rules and regulations. Additionally, the reviewer should not be a staff member at the reviewed school.
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