VDOE TeacherDirect April 10, 2024

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April 10, 2024

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Purple Up Day is April 17!  Purple is the official color of the military child. It is a combination of all the colors of the United States Armed Forces. Purple Up Day will be recognized by the VDOE and other state agencies on April 17, 2024. This is an opportunity to honor military children from all branches of the military by wearing purple. For more information on celebrating military students, see the resources on the VDOE Military Families webpage.  

Headlines

2024 English Standards of Learning 
The Virginia Board of Education approved the 2024 English Standards of Learning at their March 28, 2024 business meeting. We appreciate all the educators across the Commonwealth who shared their expertise and participated in the process which began in 2023. A clean copy of the Standards and a supporting crosswalk document is posted on the 2024 English Standards of Learning page. Additional resources will be posted as they become available.

New Mathematics Resources: Upper-level Mathematics Understanding the Standards Documents New resources aligned to the 2023 Mathematics Standards of Learning are now available. These resources include Understanding the Standards documents for secondary courses to include Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis; Trigonometry; Computer Math; Probability and Statistics; Discrete Mathematics; Mathematics Analysis; and Data Science. These documents amplify the standards and further define the content knowledge, skills, and understandings of the Mathematics SOL. Understanding the Standards documents for all Board-approved mathematics grade levels and courses are now available on the 2023 Mathematics Instructional Resources webpage.

Public Hearings for the Proposed Draft 2024 Computer Science Standards of Learning
The Virginia Board of Education will hold public hearings on the proposed revised Computer Science Standards of Learning. The Standards identify the essential content, processes, and skills for grade levels and subject courses. The most current information about the revision process, as well as public hearing dates and locations, is available on the Review and Revision of the 2017 Computer Science Standards of Learning webpage 

VEA Praxis Readiness One-Day Workshop
The Praxis Readiness Workshop helps teachers who are provisionally licensed to master the skills to excel, moving one step closer to full licensure. The VEA is ready to support participants in understanding the assessment, developing a study plan, and practicing test-taking strategies. Participants will receive free access to practice tests for 12 months through the VEA partnership with Study.com!  Join VEA for the May 4 session at 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., at the Inn at Virginia Tech. Costs: VEA members $25.00, non-members $125.00 (may be eligible for $100 refund). The fee includes workshop, materials, resources, and lunch/snacks. Register by April 25 at VEA.

Spring VKRP Window is Open
The VKRP Spring 2024 term began on April 8 and ends May 17. Check with your school leadership to determine your specific assessment window dates. The VKRP web portal resource documents will help you prepare for spring assessments: Online Training Modules (access on Training tab), Spring version of teacher manuals (access on Assessment Guides/Essential Documents/Spring), Practice Assessments (access on Assessment Guides), Video Demonstrations of the EMAS (access on Assessment Guides). Implementation checklists are a great way to keep organized and on track. For questions, email vkrp@virginia.edu or call 866-301-8278.

National Writing Project: Teachers as Writers, Writers as Teachers
This summer, Longwood University’s Southside Virginia Writing Project will offer its 8-week online asynchronous Summer Writing Institute: Teachers as Writers, Writers as Teachers. Participants will grow themselves as writers and teachers of writing as they write across genres, participate in peer writing groups, dive into the research on best writing practices across the JK-12 and higher education spectrum, and more. Register or reach out to the SVWP’s Director for more information. Participants may earn up to 90 recertification points for this 3-credit course.

Gilder Lehrman National Teacher of the Year
Any full-time K–12 educator who teaches American history (including state and local history) as either an individual subject or as part of other subjects, is eligible for the award. The award recognizes exceptional elementary and secondary school teachers. All nominations are made on the Gilder Lehrman website by completing a short form with the teacher’s contact information.  Nominations are due April 30.

Advancing Computer Science Education Grant
The Office of Educational Technology and Classroom Innovation is pleased to announce a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Advancing Computer Science Education grant. This grant will fund initiatives that provide high-quality computer science instructional resources and professional development on curriculum integration. Full details about this year’s application and submission can be found on the VDOE Computer Science page.  To be considered for selection for the grant, the lead designees will submit the completed Advances Computer Science Education grant proposal, as described in the RFP, to the VDOE by 4 p.m. April 15.

Build Better Lessons: Best Practices for Incorporating Gale Content Into Your Classroom
Gale resources provide collections of diverse content including reference articles, videos, news reports, primary sources, and more. During the information webinar on April 25 from 2:00-2:30 p.m., participants will explore best practices in creating activities and lesson plans utilizing existing collections and will review pre-made materials available on the Gale Support Site. If your school is not currently linking to Gale in Context Elementary, contact barry.trott@lva.virginia.gov at the Library of Virginia. 

Research Fellowship Opportunity for Teachers 
The Library of Virginia's 2024 summer teacher research fellowships are now open and seeking four fellows from Superintendent Regions 1, 4, 6, and 8. This year the Brown Fellowship will focus on research and projects that explore Virginia’s Indigenous history in support of the Library of Virginia’s current exhibition, Indigenous Perspectives. Find out more information about this opportunity, stipends offered, and Library's exhibition today!

VT Workshops for Science Teachers
The Virginia Tech College of Science is offering two workshops to be held at Virginia Tech on June 18-20, 2024. The workshops include “Telling Stories through Data Science: Helping ALL science teachers integrate data science in their classrooms” and “Physics: Theory and experiments.” For teachers traveling from out of town, hotel lodging is provided for the night before and during the workshop. Each teacher attending will receive a $250 honoraria.


VIRGINIA COLLEGE & UNIVERSITY PROGRAMS


Provisional Pathway Opportunities
The CTE Department at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise Center for Teaching Excellence   offers a Provisional Pathway of discounted online licensure coursework to provisionally licensed teachers in Virginia. Registration is now open for the Summer 2024 online semesters: Summer 1 online semester runs May 13 through June 21 with registration closing on May 6. The Summer 2 online semester runs June 24 through August 2 with registration closing on June 17. All courses are completed on a non-degree seeking basis and receive three undergraduate college credit hours. Financial aid and discount options are available. 

SEDP 630 Scholarship: Trends in Special Education Course
This is the VDOE approved pre-requisite provisional special education licensure course at the VCU School of Education. Two options to complete the course and start your special education career journey this summer or fall 2024:  1) Apply for the Certificate or M.Ed. in Special Education or, 2) apply and register as a non-degree student.

Reading Specialist Programs
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.

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