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In this edition
In Case You Missed It...
In Edition #2023-13 we shared:
- Blue Star Welcome Week
- Virginia Literacy Act Curriculum Update
- Opportunity to Comment on the Request to Extend Availability of Federal Funds
- Required Justification to Exceed One Percent Participation in the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP)
- Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Teacher Recruitment and Retention Initiative
- 2023-2024 Title I, Part C, Allocations and Title I, Part C, Consortium Incentive Grant Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended
- Second Round Grant Applications for the School Construction Assistance Program
- Medicaid and Schools Annual Training Opportunity
- FY 2024 Updated Required Local Effort/Required Local Match Certification
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Key Takeaways
- Accreditation Results Finalized
- October is Disability History and Awareness Month
- Details of Summer Residential Governor’s Schools and Governor’s World Language Academies announced
- Support Framework from Office of School Quality announced
- Assessment pioneer Shelley Loving-Ryder announces retirement from VDOE
This Week’s Checklist
- Aspiring Educator Grant applications due 10/27
- Division Gifted Education Plans due for certain regions, 10/16
- Virginia Civics Summit registration closes 11/9
- Fall Position and Exits Collection closes 10/20
- Neglected or Delinquent Children Count due by 11/29
- Literary Fund Loan Open Application Period ends 11/16
- VQB5 CLASS Observation Window closes 12/22
- Reminder of obligation deadline of 9/30/24 for ARP ESSER III Funds
These articles are marked with ⚠️.
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News from Across the Commonwealth
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A Career of Service
Coming to VDOE over 42 years ago as a VCU graduate student and part-time Research Assistant in the Testing Service, Shelley Loving-Ryder turned her love of children and her care for their well-being into a lifetime career helping shape education in Virginia.
Soon after she arrived at VDOE, Shelley was given the opportunity to work with teachers to develop classroom assessments based on the newly developed Virginia Standards of Learning. These classroom assessments were coupled with instructional strategies in a resource document entitled “From Teacher to Teacher.” This experience marked the beginning of Shelley’s fascination with assessment and her belief in its importance as an instructional tool.
Knowing she wanted a career at VDOE but believing that anyone implementing education decisions should have actual classroom experience, Shelley left her part-time role with VDOE in 1986 to enter the classroom as a certified math teacher at New Kent High School teaching Algebra I and Geometry to 8-12 graders. Shelley accepted a full time position at VDOE in 1992 as the Program Operations Specialist and managed the testing programs in existence at the time. As the new Standards of Learning state tests were implemented in the late 1990s, Shelley played a pivotal role in designing and implementing the new assessments.
In 2001, Shelley was named Assistant Superintendent for Student Assessment and Reporting. Her leadership has grown over the past two decades as Virginia has moved to the forefront of student testing. She also has continued to play a national leadership role in her work with the National Assessment Governing Board where she has chaired their State Policy Task Force on the National Assessment of Educational Progress and in presentations at numerous national conferences. She is acknowledged by her peers as a leader in the assessment and accountability field.
Shelley led Virginia to be one of the first states to move towards online testing in the fall of 2001, with all tests administered online by 2013. Under Shelley’s guidance, the Commonwealth has also been a leader in using technology enhanced test questions, as well as computer adaptive testing.
With great appreciation of her department colleagues and the family atmosphere in which they share, Shelley is quick to remind that students should always remain at the center of all that VDOE does. Behind every decision made is a student shaped by that decision, a fact that should never be overlooked.
And with a four-decade career in the field, it should not surprise that Shelley truly believes assessment is a vital part of student instruction, making sure that students have learned the material expected and that measuring the effectiveness of the instruction is vital to continuous improvement for the student and teacher.
Shelley’s colleagues have valued both her professional expertise, as well as her friendship. As one of her long-time colleagues praised: “Shelley was always a trusted resource in developing assessment budget proposals or fiscal impact estimates on legislation relating to assessment. Shelley was always counted on as a key resource by many State Superintendents, Boards of Education, General Assembly members and staff, and Administration officials to provide solid information and different policy options for consideration. She’s been a trusted partner to agency staff and of course school divisions who have benefitted from her knowledge and expertise through the years.
“She’s a caring colleague that was fun to work with and always has a level-headed, professional demeanor earning her the respect of staff throughout the agency.”
Perhaps one of her colleagues put it best: “Shelley leads with grace daily and has consistently put the best interests of students first throughout all her years of service. We will all miss Shelley’s knowledge and vision and her commitment to the work of the agency and our offices, but we wish her a relaxing and much-deserved retirement.”
Leaving the department to travel and spend time with family, Shelley has been a leader for the Commonwealth and nationally for over four decades. Her service is greatly appreciated, and we are thankful for the work she has done for the children of Virginia.
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#ElevateEducatorsVA
Help us elevate the efforts of educators across Virginia by using the hashtag #ElevateEducatorsVA in your social media posts.
Petersburg Recognizing Division Staff Each Month
We loved to learn how Vernon Johns Middle School in Petersburg is recognizing staff each month via their X account. September's honorees included Ms. Charity, Ms. Brown, and Mr. Dunn. Photo of Ms. Charity courtesy of Petersburg City Public Schools.
Outdoor Learning at Fairfield Elementary School
Second grade students in Rockbridge County recently celebrated the release of butterflies as part of their unit on life cycles. Participating students included those in Ms. Foisy's and Mrs. Dekle's classes at Fairfield. Photo courtesy Rockbridge County Public Schools.
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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We'd like to acknowledge the over four decades of service to not only our agency, but to Virginia's children. Shelley Loving-Ryder has been a leader on assessment and accountability across our Commonwealth since the establishment of our SOLs. She is well known in the assessment community across the nation. We certainly wanted to honor her dedication of service in this edition, but also wish her the very best adventures in the next chapter of her life.
As we “fall” into October, the department is excited to promote the All In VA section of the newsletter. This week, the newsletter features information on an updated FAQ with detailed answers to many ALL In VA questions that we have received, reminders on spending plans, and the launch of the chronic absenteeism task force.
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Dr. Keith Perrigan, Washington County Public Schools Superintendent and President of the Coalition of Small and Rural Schools of Virginia
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Dr. Michelle Mitchell, Newport News City Public Schools Superintendent
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Dr. Doug Straley, Louisa County Public Schools Superintendent
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Dr. Clint Mitchell, Colonial Beach Public Schools Superintendent
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Dr. Chip Jones, Cumberland County Public Schools Superintendent
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Scott Vermillion, Gate City High School Principal
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Chris Johnson, Prince George County Public Schools Governing Board Member
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Faith Mabe, Washington-Lee Elementary School Principal
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Tian Olson, Parent
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Marco Callender, YMCA of Greater Richmond Executive Director
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Dr. Sandy Chung, American Academy of Pediatrics President and Trusted Doctors CEO
Our team wants to make sure we are providing you support for All In VA spending plans. We are launching office hours to support school divisions with the completion of their spending plans starting October 10th. Office hours will be available on Tuesdays from noon to 1pm. VDOE staff will be on call to support any questions that you may have. Please see September 22 Superintendent’s Email for additional information on spending plans.
As VDOE has discussed, approved spending plans will be posted online for stakeholders to understand the extraordinary steps their local school divisions are taking to support the ensure that students recover from the persistent learning loss facing our third through eighth graders. We must ensure that our students meet the same performance levels as their pre-pandemic peers.
The department would also like to announce that Intent to Award notifications have been provided to Ignite Learning for the Reading Digital Tutoring Content Platform and Zearn for the Math Digital Tutoring Content Platform.
Have a great week. In appreciation,
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 ALL In Virginia
As school divisions move towards launching their ALL In high-intensity tutoring, the VDOE wants to make sure that school divisions are receiving the support they need for success.
ALL In resources can be found on the VDOE ALL In VA webpage. New FAQ's have been added this week and can be found here. Spending plans will be posted on the ALL In VA webpage as they are approved.
Office hours to support school divisions with the completion of their spending plans start October 10th. Office hours will be available on Tuesdays from noon to 1pm. VDOE staff will be on call to support any questions that you may have. The September 22 Superintendent’s Email featured additional information on spending plans.
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News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
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October is Disability History and Awareness Month
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, non-teaching staff
Contact: Marianne Moore, Special Education Coordinator - Transition Planning and Services
Through the action of a committed group of youth with disabilities, the General Assembly officially recognized October as Disability History and Awareness Month (DHAM). The youth also developed this credo: Disability history education and awareness will promote positive attitudes in schools creating a culture of mutual respect, understanding, and equal opportunities for all.
This month highlights the success that Virginians with disabilities have had reducing barriers they have faced to employment, healthcare, education and community living, while helping raise awareness of the ongoing contributions and achievements that they bring to the Commonwealth throughout the year.
We encourage you to share what you are doing to recognize DHAM through your social media channels and by contacting Dr. Richard Chapman, Assistant Director for Disability Leadership, Partnership for People with Disabilities at VCU, at Chapmanra@vcu.edu or (813) 240-5061.
Prioritized Aspiring Educator Grant ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Shawna LeBlond, Grants Manager
VDOE is seeking grant proposals, for up to $10,000, to provide testing assistance for provisionally licensed minority teachers seeking full licensure in Virginia. The grant awards are to subsidize test fees and the cost of tutoring for provisionally licensed minority teachers seeking full licensure in Virginia.
School divisions, teacher preparation programs in public institutions of higher education, or nonprofit organizations in all regions of the state may apply by 4 p.m. on October 27, 2023.
Interested applicants should review the complete 2023-2024 call for proposals which includes a statement of needs, cover page and assurances, and budget summary. In the selection process, the VDOE may consider the geographic distribution of grant recipients.
Technical Review Schedule for Submission of Local School Divisions’ Plan for Gifted Education ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Amanda Nevetral, Coordinator of Governor’s Schools and Gifted Programs
School divisions are required to submit a local plan for the education of gifted students in accordance with 8VAC20-40-60, Regulations Governing Education Services for Gifted Students, for technical review by VDOE. Technical reviews operate on a five-year cycle. The divisions listed below will participate in the technical review process for the 23-24 school year.
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Region VII: Bland, Bristol, Buchanan, Carroll, Dickenson, Galax, Giles, Grayson, Lee, Norton, Pulaski, Radford, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Washington, Wise, Wythe
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Region VIII: Amelia, Appomattox, Brunswick, Buckingham, Charlotte, Cumberland, Greensville/Emporia, Halifax/South Boston, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, Nottoway, Prince Edward
The school divisions in these regions need to send their local plan electronically as a PDF file via email to the Coordinator of Governor’s Schools and Gifted Programs, Office of STEM, Amanda.Nevetral@doe.virginia.gov, by October 16, 2023.
2023 Virginia Civics Summit ⚠️
Audience: Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Christonya Brown, History and Social Science Coordinator
Registration is open now to join the Virginia Commission on Civics Education for their annual 2023 Virginia Civics Summit. The summit will be held on Monday, November 13 from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM at the Virginia Museum of History and Culture located at 428 N Arthur Ashe Blvd, Richmond, VA 23220.
Registration, meals, and parking costs associated with the summit will be covered for attendees by the Commission on Civics Education. The summit will provide content information related to state and local government in Virginia; provide resources and example activities to educators that support the instruction of Virginia state and local government in classrooms; and encourage responsible citizenship by Virginia students through meaningful instruction and participation in civic-related activities. Registration will close on Thursday, November 9 at 5:00 PM.
Announcement of 2024 Summer Residential Governor’s Schools and Governor’s World Language Academies
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, non-teaching staff
Contact: Amanda Nevetral, Coordinator of Governor’s Schools and Gifted Education and Lisa Harris, Coordinator of World Languages
VDOE is pleased to announce that the 2024 Governor’s Summer Residential Program will include seven Summer Residential Governor’s Schools (SRGS) and five Governor’s World Language Academies (GWLA). The SRGS offer gifted high school students opportunities for intensive study in academics, mentorships, and visual and performing arts. The GWLA offers full-immersion academies for French, German, and Spanish; a partial-immersion academy for Japanese; and a Latin Academy.
The application process to the SRGS and GWLA is open to students enrolled in public schools and accredited private schools, as well as home-schooled students. Program availability is contingent upon the provision of state funds by the 2024 General Assembly.
Applications, information, and administrative guides for the 2024 SRGS and GWLA are available electronically through VDOE’s website beginning in early October 2023. Detailed SRGS information and GWLA information are available online.
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School Performance & Support
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Accreditation Results Final
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Amy Siepka, Director, Office of Accountability
On September 7, 2023, the School Quality Profiles (SQP) were updated with assessment, accreditation, and federal accountability data. At that time, a few school divisions requested the ability to correct College, Career, and Civic Readiness Index (CCCRI) data. The window to make corrections closed on September 28, 2023 and accreditation results were updated for any school division that submitted corrections.
Unless a school has submitted an indicator appeal to the state board, accreditation results reflected on the SQP are final. This includes the performance level earned for each indicator and school accreditation status. A summary of statewide accreditation results can be found on the VDOE website.
Federal identifications for support (Comprehensive, Additional Targeted, and Targeted) will not be finalized and released until ESSA plan is approved by the US Department of Education. Updates will be provided in this newsletter on federal identification.
2023 Fall Position and Exits Collection ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents; Division HR and IT personnel
Contact: Aleta Fonville, Data and Technology Specialist
In order to comply with the requirements of the Code of Virginia (§§ 22.1-79 and 22.1-290.2) and ESEA Title II, Part A reporting, VDOE will be conducting the Fall Positions and Exits Collection (Fall PEC) for the 2023-2024 school year. Fall PEC opens October 2, 2023. A successful submission is due no later than October 20, 2023. Superintendents must electronically approve the verifications no later than November 3, 2023.
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New Leadership and the Virginia Support Framework
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals; Office of School Quality Contacts, School Improvement Team Members
Contact: Office of School Quality (e-mail)
The Office of School Quality (OSQ) is excited to launch the revised 2023 Virginia Support Framework. Under this framework, OSQ will transition from a focus on compliance to supporting school divisions by with practical solutions that revolve around academics, personnel, professional learning, and school climate. SOQ will redesign the needs assessment and improvement plan around these four areas; and then collaboratively target supports around what schools and divisions need.
OSQ is restructuring to improve how the VDOE serves divisions under this new framework. Each division will have assigned OSQ specialists, consultants, and subject matter experts that will guide the plan development and implementation of evidence-based supports around the Virginia Support Framework.
More information will be provided on details regarding next steps, academic review, and support as it is available. We thank you for your patience as we transition to new and better support system for your schools.
2024-2025 Significant Disproportionality and Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Jeff Phenicie, Executive Director of Data, Monitoring and General Supervision
Dr. Sam Hollins will be emailing notification letters to identified school divisions that are required to set-aside Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B funds for Comprehensive Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CCEIS) for the 2024-2025 school year. The determination is based on the school division’s data submitted in the IDEA Part B Annual Performance Report for the last three years. Significant disproportionality is identified in school divisions as a result of the analysis of data described below.
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Identification: Race/ethnicity data for students with disabilities is compared to the general population.
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Disability: Race/ethnicity and disability category data are compared to the general population.
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Placement: Race/ethnicity and placement data for students with disabilities are analyzed.
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Discipline: Race/ethnicity and discipline data for students with disabilities are analyzed.
Local educational agencies are encouraged to conduct ongoing internal data validation checks to assess areas of possible significant disproportionality in the school division.
2023 Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, Count of Children who are Neglected or Delinquent (N or D) in School Divisions ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors; Title I, Part D, Subpart 2, Coordinators
Contact: Gueringe’ Richardson, Title I, Part A/D Specialist
Each year, the U.S. Department of Education (USED) requires that all State Education Agencies conduct the Annual Report of Children in Institutions for Neglected or Delinquent Children, Adult Correctional Institutions, and Community Day Programs for Neglected or Delinquent Children. This annual report provides USED with current information on the location and number of children who live in local institutions for neglected or delinquent children, or who are in local adult correctional facilities. The information will be used by USED to calculate the 2024-2025 allocations for programs that serve neglected children through Title I, Part A, or delinquent children through Title I, Part D.
Title I, Part D, coordinators from every school division should work with local SSWS administrators to gain access to the application. The window to enter data into SSWS will be open from Wednesday, October 11, 2023, through Wednesday, November 29, 2023.
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Supporting Early Childhood Care & Education
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VQB5 CLASS Observation Window open, until December 22nd ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Child Care Center Operators
Contact: Lucy Mitzner, Quality Improvement Specialist
The VQB5 Fall CLASS Observation Window opened on August 15th and will close December 22, 2023. Completion of required local CLASS observations in every birth-to-five classroom are coordinated through Ready Regions, once in the fall and again in the spring. Additional details can be found in the resources below.
Additionally, VQB5 External CLASS observations conducted for the state will occur in some classrooms starting in October. Please reference the VQB5 External Observations in Virginia webpage for more information.
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Division Finance and Budgeting
2023-2024 Title V, Part B, Allocations under Provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as Amended
Audience: Superintendents, Directors; Federal Program Coordinators
Contact: Latonia Anderson, Title V Coordinator
The total amount of the allocation is available to school divisions as of July 1, 2023, through the reimbursement process. The procedures and forms for applying for Title V, Part B, were previously provided to school division program coordinators. Applications were due on July 1, 2023.
Additional information on Title V, Part B, Subpart 2, can be found in this supporting document (DOCX).
Literary Fund Loan Open Application Period ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents; Finance Directors, School Facilities Directors
Contact: Kent Dickey, Deputy Superintendent of Budget, Finance, and Operations
VDOE is announcing the next open application process for school boards and localities to apply for school construction loans from the Literary Fund. $247.15 million in loan authority remains available. The open application period for school boards and localities to jointly apply to VDOE is from Thursday, September 21, 2023, through 5 p.m., Thursday, November 16, 2023. Completed loan applications not submitted by the deadline will not be accepted.
The Literary Fund loan application in Excel format is available for download. Completed Excel application files must be emailed to doeliteraryfund@doe.virginia.gov by the November 16th deadline. A hardcopy of the application form, with all original signatures and official raised seals, must be mailed to: Kent Dickey, Deputy Superintendent of Budget, Finance, and Operations, Virginia Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120.
After the close of the open application period on November 16th, DOE staff will review all submitted applications against the Board’s guidelines and other Literary Fund requirements. Loan applications meeting all requirements will be presented at monthly Board of Education meetings for loan approval.
Additional information can be found on VDOE’s Literary Fund website.
Reminder on Obligation Deadline for ARP ESSER III Funds ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors; Federal Program Coordinators, Finance Directors
Contact: Annette Sherrill, Assistant Superintendent for Budget and Finance
This is a reminder to school divisions of the strict federal deadline of September 30, 2024 for obligating all ESSER III formula funds and state set aside funds awarded to LEAs. While the U.S. Department of Education (USED) has indicated it will release information on a process to request extensions of the normal four-month liquidation period for ESSER III funds, that process will not in any way impact or extend the September 30, 2024, obligation deadline. School divisions should continue timely obligation and spending of their ESSER III funds in alignment with their approved spending plan and VDOE grant awards, with all funds obligated for expenditure no later than September 30, 2024.
VDOE will notify school divisions as information becomes available from USED on the process to request late liquidations for ESSER III funds.
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