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In this edition
Articles marked with ⚠️ have deadlines attached for division officials.
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News from Across the Commonwealth
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Parent Voices Matter
Dr. Coons and Dr. Sorensen recently met with Arlington Parents for Education, a parent-led non-profit organization, to receive input, ideas, and collective wisdom on moving the needle around student achievement. Thank you for the opportunity to connect!
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Prince William Teacher Nominated for Military Bowl Award
Chris Yung Elementary School teacher Ken Davis was recently honored for his work with students. Ken was nominated by colleagues at his school for a Military Bowl Award, sponsored by the College Football Playoff Foundation, the Military Bowl, and Wegmans Foods. Ken chose teaching in an effort to give back to his community after two years of service with the U.S. Navy. Read more about Chris' recognition! #ElevateEducatorsVA!
Region 8 Superintendents Group
VDOE recently visited with Region 8 leaders in Nottoway County to learn more about all the things they are doing to go ALL In for students in their divisions. We appreciate the opportunity to visit, learn, and collaborate.
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The Kennel Café Opens in Martinsville
CTE students at Martinsville High School recently opened The Kennel, a cafe they manage to serve teachers at Martinsville Middle. #ElevateEducatorsVA
Read more about this amazing project! Photo courtesy Martinsville City Schools.
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Dr. Lisa Coons, Superintendent of Public Instruction
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As we are now in the middle of October, it is hard to believe that we are nearly a quarter of the way through the 2023-2024 school year. I want to continue to thank all educators across the Commonwealth for your continued service to our profession. This week as we celebrate Bus Safety Week, I want to elevate the work our bus drivers, car drivers, mechanics, routing specialists, and other transportation support professionals do to ensure our students are safe on Virginia’s roadways. This week also serves as a reminder to everyone traveling our roadways to slow down in school zones and around bus stops, obey the lights and signs on our buses, and to put their phones away and pay attention.
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At our state Board of Education meeting this week, I announced the work that our agency has been doing to assess the needs of special education programming across the Commonwealth. To help us in this transformation, we have created a Special Education workgroup comprised of parents, educators, and support organizations. They will help the Department create the 2024 Roadmap for Special Education, a guiding document expected to focus on inclusion, high-quality instruction for all students, strong systems of parents and family engagement, prioritized monitoring and support, as well as an emphasis on postsecondary pathways for all learners. I look forward to the workgroup coming together throughout the next few months to help in this important mission.
Our evaluations have also shown us a path to continue improving our services to all Virginia students. We’re going to be enhancing our work on prioritized monitoring in special education, and I am committed to making sure that we are providing support to the school divisions who struggle with providing these services. We also are going to focus on improved guidance for school divisions, developing stronger “shoulder to shoulder” professional development using Virginia’s TTAC, strengthening academic and programming alignment, and delivering additional support to parents.
Thank you to the many professionals across the Commonwealth who are leading the implementation of ALL In. As a reminder, we recognize each school division’s needs are different. The tutoring playbook is a flexible guide for divisions to use as they plan their work. Consider it a north star, an ideal that we all are working toward. School divisions can consider a phased-in approach if needed, given the number of students in need in their local divisions. VDOE wants to provide continued technical assistance and support and will continue to keep the FAQ updated. New responses will be flagged in red. Our VDOE staff is available at any time to hold a call with local leaders who may have questions. If you have questions, please reach out. We are happy to help.
To help support your ALL In efforts, contracts have been finalized with both Ignite and Zearn for reading and mathematics support, respectively. As a reminder, these resources are free to students in grades 3-8. Divisions who are interested in using these resources should complete this survey. Both Ignite and Zearn are beginning to contact school divisions directly to begin implementation.
Have a great week!
Lisa
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 ALL In
Digital Platform Survey ⚠️
Ignite and Zearn have been contracted as a resource for reading and mathematics support for your students. These resources are free to students in grades 3-8. Please complete this survey to indicate your division’s interest and designate your division’s lead for these services. Both Ignite and Zearn are beginning to contact school divisions directly to begin implementation.
The ALL In frequently asked questions have been updated. They are posted on the ALL In section of the VDOE website.
News from our Content Specialists and Special Education
Start on Success Grant Application ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Marianne Moore, Special Education Coordinator - Transition Planning and Services
Each year the VDOE Department of Special Populations provides funding to the Center on Transition Innovations (CTI) at Virginia Commonwealth University for the purpose of supporting, in partnership with the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services, three school divisions interested in implementing Start on Success (SOS).
SOS is a structured school-to-work internship program designed to increase college readiness and career success among students with disabilities in their high school senior year. The program aims to improve transition services, postsecondary education, and employment outcomes and includes Career and Technical Education (CTE) course content and a paid internship with a mentor. Program development begins in January 2024 with implementation in the 2024-2025 school year.
An email from the VDOE Department of Special Populations will be sent to special education directors at school divisions that have not yet implemented SOS, therefore are eligible to apply. Completed applications must be submitted by November 17, 2023, per the instructions in the forthcoming correspondence.
State Budget Support for Restraint and Seclusion Training ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Department of Special Populations (email)
School divisions are required to ensure that all school personnel receive initial training regarding the regulations, policies, and procedures governing the use of physical restraint and seclusion per its division policy. Per the Regulations, two levels of training are required. To fulfill the first-level training, the VDOE in partnership with the Center for Implementation and Evaluation of Education Systems (CIEES) at Old Dominion University (ODU) has developed a series of free, on-demand professional development modules for school personnel, Understanding the Regulations Governing the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia.
Appropriated funds for Fiscal Year 2024 will be allocated to Regional Fiscal Agents in support of second-level training for local school divisions through submission of the Request for Funding Application by November 3, 2023. School divisions that received funding in Fiscal Year 2023 for second-level training must complete the Certification Submission for their Regional Fiscal Agent to submit by October 30, 2023.
Level Up Virginia Website Launch
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Brittany Everett, Postsecondary Access and Success Specialist
Virginians have a new tool to help them plan for their education after high school with a new website launched by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV). The Level Up Virginia website provides information on educational options such as certificate programs, apprenticeships, the military, trade schools, two-year and four-year colleges, and universities. In addition, the website offers tips for adult learners, students with disabilities, first-generation students, and English language learners.
SCHEV has worked with high school counselors, students, and college access experts to ensure that the website meets the unique needs of Virginians. This statewide initiative with VDOE aims to increase postsecondary readiness, enrollment, and completion for all students in the Commonwealth.
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School Performance & Support
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United States Department of Education National Blue Ribbon Schools Program ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Amy Siepka, Director, Office of Accountability
Schools in Virginia can be recognized through the U.S. Department of Education (USED) National Blue Ribbon Schools (NBRS) Program. The 2024 National Blue Ribbon Schools Program will recognize Exemplary High Performing Schools (based on 2022-2023 school year data) and Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools (comparing 2018-2019 to 2022-2023 school year data). Virginia is permitted seven nominations across both recognition categories. If multiple schools meet the minimum requirements, final nomination selections are at the discretion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Minimum eligibility requirements for these recognitions can be found on the National Blue Ribbon Schools Program website.
School division staff are not required to determine whether a school meets all NBRS eligibility requirements before submitting a school name for consideration. Nominations should be submitted through this survey by Friday, October 20, 2023. Notifications of awards will be made by January 31, 2024.
Re-enrollment Procedures Training Opportunity ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals; School Counselors, Detention Center Staff, Special Education Directors
Contact: Laurie Cooper, State Operated Programs Specialist
The Regulations Governing the Re-enrollment of Students Committed to the Department of Juvenile Justice, 8VAC20-660-10 et. seq., includes the procedures for re-enrollment of students into public schools when they have been in the custody of the juvenile justice system and receiving instruction through local and regional detention centers and the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ). These regulations promote the exchange of educational information concerning students among DJJ, local and regional detention centers, and local educational agencies (LEAs).
To assist school divisions in satisfying the requirements of these regulations, the VDOE will offer a webinar training opportunity related to the re-enrollment procedures on November 9, 2023, from 10 a.m.-noon via Zoom. These re-enrollment regulations represent the structured procedures that prevent youth from losing academic ground as they transition back into their community schools.
Participants must preregister for the training. After registering, participants will receive a confirmation email containing instructions to join the webinar.
Technical Assistance for Schools not Meeting 95% Participation Rate
Audience: Superintendents; School Improvement Team Members
Contact: Dr. Martha H. Powers, School Quality Specialist
VDOE Office of School Quality will be conducting a technical assistance webinar for divisions and schools with student assessment participation rates below 95% for all students and each student reporting group. The webinar will review the implications and requirements for not reaching a 95% participation in a state’s accountability assessment, as required under the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA).
Divisions with schools that do not meet the 95% testing requirement will be notified soon and should share this information with division and school leaders who assist schools in developing plans to meet this federal requirement. School division staff are encouraged to participate as a group, if possible, allowing for a cross-functional understanding of federal participation policy.
One-hour sessions will be offered: Wednesday, November 8, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. and Thursday, November 16, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Please select one session and register in advance using the links below. After submitting the registration, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
Registration Links
English Language Proficiency Assessments Test Administration Schedule: 2023-2024 ⚠️
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Office of Student Assessment (email)
The statewide English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessments testing window for the 2023-2024 school year opens Tuesday, January 16, 2024, and closes Friday, March 22, 2024. School divisions must assess all English learners (ELs) with an approved ELP assessment during this testing window.
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Technology
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Register for the Virginia Speak Up Survey
Audience: Superintendents, Directors
Contact: Calypso Gilstrap, Instructional Technology Specialist
Virginia Speak Up is an annual optional survey conducted in partnership with Project Tomorrow, a national education nonprofit group that collects and reports on the views and needs of their stakeholders on education and technology in order to plan future programs, inform policy discussions, and gain support for educational improvement.
To participate, school divisions should designate a Virginia Speak Up survey contact who will register with Project Tomorrow. Once the local contact has completed the form, the Speak Up team will email customized links for participating.
As a reminder, Code of Virginia § 22.1-79.3 requires parental consent and a 30 day opportunity for parents to review student surveys. The VDOE has created a virtual welcome packet including instructions for administration, templates for parent letters, and previews of all surveys.
Surveys are available from October 26, 2023, to January 31, 2024.
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News from the Virginia Board of Education
The Board of Education met this week on Wednesday and Thursday; check out the agenda for topics covered, which included literary fund loan approvals the literacy act curriculum review process. BOE meetings are live streamed on YouTube, and recordings are also available via the VDOE YouTube channel.
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