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In this edition
This Week’s Checklist
- Dec. 1 Child Count window opens Dec 1st - Dec 14th
- ESSER II/III Funding Reporting Webinars scheduled ahead of Sept. 25th due date
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Key Takeaways
- Civics Education Week starts September 18th
- Details about the Dec. 1st Child Count for Special Education Students
- New Guidance for MOU Development for Behavioral Health Services
- VLDS Research Forum held Sept. 27th and 28th in Richmond
- New learning opportunities for those leading division-based early childhood programs
- ESSER II/III Division Spending Reports Due Sept. 25th
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News from Across the Commonwealth
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Celebrating Bus Drivers
Richmond City Schools’ superintendent Jason Kamras (left) recently took time out to celebrate the role the division's bus drivers. Photo courtesy Richmond Public Schools.
Starting the Year in Tazewell
Students, teachers, and administrators posed for a photo for Superintendent Chris Stacy at Tazewell Middle School on September 5th. Photo courtesy Tazewell County Public Schools.
Chemistry at Chesapeake Bay Governor’s School
 Amanda Nevetral, VDOE coordinator of Governor's schools and gifted programs (pictured center, above) visited Chesapeake Bay Governor's School’s Warsaw Campus and spent time in the classroom of Ms. Stephanie McClain.
Help us lift the work teachers and other school personnel are doing in your division and use hashtag #ElevateEducatorsVA!
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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All in VA
Earlier today, Governor Glenn Youngkin, Secretary Guidera, and I shared the 2022-2023 SOL results as well as a launch of our ALL In VA plan. For several years, educators across the Commonwealth have been dedicated to meeting the ever-changing needs of our students. Your efforts are valued and recognized today. However, even with the hard work being done by our educators across the Commonwealth, these results released today demonstrate the persistent gaps that our Grade 3 through 8 students are facing in both reading and math.
They also demand immediate action from all Virginians to help our schools accelerate learning. The Virginia Department of Education is committed to working shoulder to shoulder alongside our professionals in local school divisions in this work. The Governor also called on community members, businesses, and retired educators to be “ALL In” to help solve the pandemic learning loss we are still experiencing.
In Grades 3 through 8 Reading, 173,336 students were “low proficient/at risk” and 161,351 students did not pass reading in 2022-23, totaling 334,687 students. This represents more than half of our Grade 3 through 8 students and is alarming.
In Grades 3 through 8 Math, 153,180 students were at “low proficient/at risk” and 174,418 students did not pass mathematics in 2022-23, totaling 327,598 representing two thirds of our students.
These statistics are alarming, but are even more concerning for many of our fragile student groups. These data require an ALL In approach to address learning loss now for the children in the Commonwealth.
Please see the data deck discussed today, the press release, and the press conference to review the data discussed today.
These results are heightened by chronic absenteeism. Since 2018-2019, the number of students who are considered chronically absent (missing 18 or more days a year) has doubled. Across the Commonwealth, chronically absent students had reading pass rates 18% below their peers, while chronically absent students performed 25% lower in math than students who attended school regularly. Attendance matters!
The time has come for all of Virginia to invest in, support, and provide resources for a comprehensive learning acceleration model to ensure we are ALL in VA! The Commonwealth of Virginia is making a significant investment in public education with $418 million dedicated to high dosage academic tutoring, accelerating the expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA), and combatting chronic absenteeism.
High Intensity Academic Tutoring
School divisions are encouraged to spend 70% of the funds recently approved by the Virginia General Assembly for this purpose. VDOE will be publishing a playbook that include guides and best practices with proven strategies to aid local divisions in the creation of their tutoring program. Highlights include:
- 5 hours a week of high dosage tutoring for students who did not pass their SOL for 36 weeks
- 3 hours a week of high dosage tutoring for students who scored low proficient for 18 weeks
- 10:1 student to tutor ratio
- Tutoring provided by currently licensed staff, trained volunteers, retired teachers, or part time teachers
- Provided at no cost to families
 Accelerate the Expansion of the Virginia Literacy Act (VLA)
School divisions should spend 20% of their allocated funds to expedite the implementation of the Virginia Literacy act. Highlights of this aspect of ALL in VA include:
- Hire and train 4-8 reading specialists
- Provide high-quality instructional materials
- Provide ongoing professional development and support
- Establishment of statewide support networks to foster collaboration between VDOE and local school divisions
Chronic Absenteeism
The Virginia Department of Education is conducting a statewide attendance campaign (#AttendanceMattersVA) aimed at reducing absenteeism rates across the Commonwealth. The campaign works with Virginia schools and parents to increase attendance by communicating the importance of attendance to families, expanding breakfast after the bell programs, ensuring that every child has a trusted adult at school, monitoring and celebrating successes, and reducing barriers to attendance such as transportation and mental health challenges.
Ten percent (10%) of the funds distributed to local divisions should be spent to improve attendance. The VDOE will provide support to local divisions with resources in a playbook, similar in format to the playbook for tutoring. In addition, stakeholders including families, business leaders, educators, transportation ,and medical professionals will convene to quickly develop recommendations to communities to reduce absenteeism, including barriers related to transportation and health.
 I affirm the VDOE’s commitment as a part of ALL in VA to provide support, resources, and thought partnership in this important work. In addition to the resources found below, I will be attending upcoming regional superintendent’s meetings and will be also be engaging in the work with local instructional leaders. I am energized by the work that lies ahead! We will do this important work, together, for our Commonwealth’s students!
ALL in VA Resources:
- ALL in VA Presentation September 7, 2023
- Video of ALL in VA Presentation and SOL Score Release
- Governor Youngkin Press Release
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2022-2023 SOL Press Release from VDOE
Sincerely,
Lisa
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News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
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December 1 Child Count – Required Data Submission of Students with Disabilities Receiving Special Education ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Karen Puckett, Coordinator of Special Education Data
In compliance with Part B of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), school divisions are required to submit an unduplicated count of students with disabilities receiving special education services as of December 1 of each year to the VDOE. A properly developed Individualized Education Program (IEP) or an Individual Services Plan (ISP) must be implemented for each student with a disability reported.
The December 1 Child Count window will be available through the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) portal on Friday, December 1, 2023 - Thursday, December 14, 2023, for data submission and division superintendent’s approval/verification. School divisions must also complete the Parentally Placed Private School and Homeschooled Survey within the December 1 Child Count application prior to beginning the approval process. Submissions made after December 14, 2023, may impact the school division’s local determination on the implementation of Part B of IDEA for inaccurate or untimely data submission.
The December 1 Child Count forms the basis for state funding and federal reporting. The information submitted is subject to audit by the United States Department of Education, VDOE, and the Auditor of Public Accounts. It is each school division’s responsibility to maintain student records and conduct extensive verification and validation checks, ensuring data reported to the VDOE are accurate.
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New Guidance for MOU Development for Behavioral Health Services in Schools
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Martha Montgomery, School Psychology Specialist, Office of Specialized Student Services
This guidance document will support local school boards partnering with public or private community health providers for the provision of mental health services to public school students enrolled in the local school division.
Civics Education Week in Virginia
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
House Joint Resolution No. 627 passed in February 2007 designated the third week of September as Civics Education Week in Virginia. The Joint resolution states in part, “WHEREAS, the civic mission of schools is essential to the purpose of education; and WHEREAS, civic education teaches students the tools to maintain our democratic republic; RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly designate the third week of September, in 2007 and in each succeeding year, as Civics Education Week;”
School divisions are encouraged to plan educational activities during Civics Education Week (September 18 – 22, 2023).
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School Performance & Support
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2023 Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS) Research Forum
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Office of Strategic Analysis and Research (email)
The 2023 Virginia Longitudinal Data System (VLDS) Research Forum will be held in person on September 27 and 28 at the Hilton, Short Pump, Richmond. This event will bring researchers, legislators, state and local decision-makers, and practitioners together to better leverage data to improve service access, opportunities, and outcomes for constituents in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The conference is free. Registration details can be found on VLDS website.
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Supporting Early Childhood Care & Education
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Quality for All Conferences for School-based Preschool Programs
Audience: Superintendents, Directors; VPI, Early Childhood Education, and Head Start division leaders
Contact: Tiffanie Meehling, Associate Director PreK Programs
The Division of Early Childhood Care and Education announces the Quality for All Series: For School-based Preschool Programs. The purpose of this series is to deliver targeted technical assistance and professional development to leaders in school-based early childhood programs. This includes:
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School division leaders who act as the program administrator for Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) programs;
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School division leaders or local agency leaders who act as the program administrator for the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), Title I Preschool, or locally funded preschool programs;
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School division leaders who act as the program administrator for Head Start programs and/or the Disabilities Specialist in a Head Start program where the school division is the grantee.
The conferences will focus on building and leading high-quality early childhood inclusive preschool programs. Participants will:
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Learn about statewide initiatives to provide high-quality inclusive preschool programs;
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Understand the connection between the Early Learning and Development Standards, curriculum, assessment, and instructional supports to;
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Learn about the purpose, requirements, and resources for VQB5;
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Understand the roles and responsibilities of Ready Regions in the coordination of VQB5;
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Meet, learn from, and problem-solve with peers.
Sessions will be presented three times across the state. Please attend the session for your Ready Region. Registration information:
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Division Finance and Budgeting
ESSER II and III LEA Formula Funds State Data Collection ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors; Federal Programs Coordinators, Finance Directors
Contact: Carol Sylvester, Director of the Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs
Item 137.B.31 of the budget bill passed by the General Assembly at the 2022 Special Session I (i.e., Chapter 2) requires school divisions to submit periodic spending updates on the uses and spending progress of federal pandemic relief funds. To facilitate the submission of the required reports for this fall, the Virginia Department of Education has created an application in the Single Sign-on Web Systems (SSWS) portal – ESSER State Reporting Collection (“ESSER-STATE”). The submission window for the ESSER II and III formula funds is now open and will close on September 25, 2023.
The Office of Federal Pandemic Relief Programs will offer two webinars to provide an overview of the reporting requirements for the ESSER II and III formula funds. School division personnel who will submit the data through the application are strongly encouraged to attend one of the webinars; however, they will be recorded to provide access for school division staff who are unavailable during the presentations. In preparation for the webinar and data submission, school division staff who will submit the data should work with their local SSWS administrator to gain access to the ESSER-STATE application in SSWS.
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Career Opportunities at VDOE
VDOE has a number of open positions including:
- Licensing Inspector, Central Region
- Regional Early Childhood Navigator - Capital Area Region
- Early Childhood Navigators - West Region
- Parental Engagement Specialist
- Coordinator of Elementary Literacy/English
- Director of Literacy
- Board Relations and Regulatory Liaison
 Check out these stories from Virginia Education Update #2023-09:
- Student Advisory Board Forming
- Identifying and Confronting Antisemitism in Our Schools
- Constitution Day and Citizenship Day
- English Learner Professional Development & Professional Learning Announcements
- Tuition Scholarships Available for Licensed High School Teachers Seeking Dual Enrollment Credentialing
- Call for Proposals for PreK-2 Active Learning Grants
- State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program (SLCGP)
- VVAAS Technical Update: User and Student Files
- Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) Information Request
- Approval of ISAEP Grant Funds for School Year 2023-2024
- 2023-2024 Title II, Part A, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended
- ESSER Tracking Dashboard
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