VDOE TeacherDirect February 7, 2024

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Virginia Department of Education

TeacherDirect
February 7, 2024

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Did You Know?
Don't miss out! Teacher of the Year Applications are Due! February 8 is the deadline for submission of completed division applications for the 2025 Mary V. Bicouvaris Teacher of the Year Program. Packets should be submitted by 4pm to  TeacheroftheYear@doe.virginia.gov. See the VDOE Educator Recognition webpage for complete details and to download the division application. Original posting was in #2023-18 Virginia Education Update 2 November 2023


HEADLINES

VDOE Literacy Network Implementation Series 
VDOE’s Literacy Network Implementation Series is designed to support Division leaders in developing and implementing effective strategies to achieve the goals of the Virginia Literacy Act. Superintendents or designee may register a division team of up to seven people including the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction or CAO/Director of Instruction, Division Level Literacy Lead, and Principal(s) who can help carry the message back to the Division. Teams should also invite a Director of Special Education, Director of Multilingual Learning/ESL or special populations, or Reading Specialist(s). Sessions begin February 8. 

Public Hearings on the Proposed 2024 English Standards of Learning
The Virginia Board of Education will hold public hearings on
the proposed 2024 English Standards of Learning. Public comment may be offered through public hearings or online until March 1, 2024. Each in-person public hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. with registration of speakers beginning at 6:10 p.m. Speakers will have three minutes and should bring copies of their comments for the Board of Education. Virtual public hearings will be held at a variety of times to accommodate public participation. In case of inclement weather, in-person hearings will transition to virtual and notice will be given and registration links provided on the VDOE website. See the Review and Revision of the 2017 English SOL page for details on the public hearings and locations. 

Black History Month 2024
The VDOE is pleased to provide school divisions with resources that honor African Americans and celebrate their achievements and contributions to America. Each year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)establishes a Black History Month theme that emphasizes important developments relevant to the Black experience; the 2024 theme is African Americans and the Arts. Check out the resources from VDOE to support instruction during Black History Month 2024

Student Scholarship to Study in France-Summer 2024
The American Society of the French Academic Palms will offer 3 summer scholarships of $4000 each to be used in a French-speaking country to students whose interest in the French language and Francophone cultures has been identified by their French instructors. Their primary purpose is to provide students with the opportunity to become more proficient in the language and to understand and appreciate cultures found in the French- speaking world. Apply by February 14.

Dual Language Immersion Day Conference
Registration is now open for Virginia's 5th annual DL/I Day, Biliteracy Brilliance: Nurturing Multilingual Minds, will take place on February 24 at the Thomas Fulghum Conference Center in Midlothian.

57th Annual Conference of the Virginia State Literacy Association
This Conference will be held March 18-20 in Norfolk with the theme, "Every Page Tells a Story." Authors, researchers, and classroom practitioners will share expertise on the science of reading, writing instruction, assessment, and the current needs of educators.  Register today!

National Security Language Initiative - Critical Languages Grant
The application period is now open for the VDOE National Security Language Initiative competitive grants. VDOE will award these grants to public school divisions to add or expand offerings in one or more world language courses currently identified as critical by the NSLI for Youth Scholarship Program.  School divisions may apply for this competitive grant program using the NSLI2024 online application. The deadline for divisions to submit completed applications is February 29, 2024.  More information about the grant is available on the VDOE NSLI Grant website.

Shenandoah Valley Writing Project  
Applications for Invitational Leadership Institute are now being accepted.  The Institute is open to all K-12 teachers of any content. The fellowship focuses on lesson sharing in teaching writing or using writing as an effective tool for learning. All information on the program, including the schedule, costs, and graduate credit, can be found on the Shenandoah Valley Writing Project website.  

Participate in the VKRP Teacher Feedback Survey!
All teachers who participated in the Fall 2023 VKRP assessments or Mid-Year Pilot can provide feedback to the VKRP team. Teachers received a unique link for the survey via their division and program emails on January 16. All teachers who complete the survey will be entered into a drawing in early March to win a $50 gift card.  The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Contact the VKRP team at vkrp@virginia.edu with any questions.

Mathematics and NAEP Framework Analysis
VDOE had an external party review the new Mathematics Standards of Learning  in comparison to the 2026 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Mathematics Framework. The crosswalk and analysis found overall strong alignment between Virginia’s new Mathematics SOL and the NAEP Mathematics Framework. Areas where there are standards for further consideration would be in 4th Grade: Geometry, Algebra, and Fraction and 8th Grade: Geometry and Cube Roots. More information can be found in the Summary of Analysis between Virginia Standards of Learning document.

Summer 2024 Employment Opportunities for Language Teachers
Program Coordinators are now accepting applications for staff positions for the summer 2024 Governor’s World Language Academies.  To apply for staff positions or teacher observer opportunities, visit the Immersion Academies host site webpage for French, German, and Spanish or the Latin Academy  and Japanese Academy site pages. Select the Apply tab to complete the online application by February 15


VIRGINIA COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS


Administration and Supervision Online Programs
Averett University is now accepting Spring and Summer 2024 applications for our Online K-12 Administration and Supervision programs! We offer a full M.Ed. program as well as a Graduate Certificate Program. All courses are asynchronous! A virtual information session will be held on Thursday, February 15th, at 4:00 pm. Contact Dr. Leslie Kapuchuck with questions. 

Reading Specialist and Literacy Coach Opportunities
Are you interested in becoming a Reading Specialist or Literacy Coach? You can earn your Reading Specialist endorsement with Radford University. Learn more about our online graduate pathways at one of our February information sessions

Reading Specialist Program
William & Mary offers a MAED program and a post-professional online certificate for teachers who would like to add a reading specialist endorsement. Both programs are fully online, offered in 7-week terms during fall and spring semesters and 5-week terms over summers. New cohorts start in July! For questions, email Dr. Denise Johnson.

Master's In Education-Special Education Program Launching Summer 2024
The UVA School of Education and Human Development is pleased to launch the Master’s in Education-Special Education program, beginning summer 2024. This program is 100% online and asynchronous. Virginia educators may be eligible for a reduced tuition rate. Participants may choose an area of emphasis in ABA, SPED General Curriculum (add an endorsement to your VA license) or SPED Leadership. For more information, join us at an information session on March 18 at 7 p.m.

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