Virginia Board of Education Meeting Summary

September 18/19-2019

 

Committee on Standards of Quality

 

The Board’s Committee on the Standards of Quality continued its ongoing discussion of proposed changes to the Standards of Quality, including a presentation on the current status and cost of the Board’s package of proposal.  The primary change in this version as compared to earlier iterations is the consolidation of proposals to codify existing At Risk funding and proposals to ensure the equitable distribution of experienced teachers across schools in a division.  The following table summarizes the Board’s current proposals.   Additional details are available at:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/committees_standing/quality/2019/draft-soq-proposals-for-consideration-sept%202019.docx

 

 

BOE Proposal	Description
Consolidated At-Risk Add-On (Equity Fund)	Combines At-Risk & SOQ Prevention, Intervention and Remediation funds w/ new funds; 10% to 65% Basic Aid pos. add-on based on free lunch. Can be used for positions or salary supplements
K-3 Class Size Reduction	Move into SOQ - no formula changes
Teacher Leader / Mentor Programs	1 pos. per 15 1st/2nd yr. tchs.; 1 per 50 tchs. w/ 3+ yrs.experience; 20% salary supplement
English Learner Teachers	Provide lower staffing ratios for EL Proficiency Levels 1-3 (25, 30, 40 to 1 vs. 58 to 1)
Specialized Student Support Personnel	4 pos. per 1,000 (i.e., school social workers, psychologists, nurses, other licensed personnel)
School Counselors	One full-time position per 250 students
Elementary School Principals	One full-time position in every school
Assistant Principals	One full-time position per 400 students
Recession-Era Savings & Flexibility Strategies	Remove support position cap & flexibility language on staffing ratios
Reading Specialists	K-5 positions based on 3rd grade SOL failure rate
Work-Based Learning Coordinators	DOE state/regional coordinators facilitate local work- based learning
Principal Mentor Programs	DOE program facilitating mentoring to new principals & those in challenged schools

 

Board Work Session

 

The Board received preliminary estimates for the cost of the biennial rebenchmark of the Direct Aid to Public Education Budget for the 2020-2022 biennium. The state cost (above the FY20 base) of the rebenchmarking updates completed to date is $289.6 million in FY21 and $306.1 million in FY22, for a 2020-2022 biennial total of $595.7 million.  (The state cost of the 2018-2020 rebenchmarking at this stage was $491.8 million.)

 

In each odd-numbered year, the state cost of the Direct Aid budget is “rebenchmarked” for the next biennium, beginning the biennial budget development process.  The rebenchmarked budget represents the state cost of continuing the current Direct Aid programs into the next biennium, with updates to the input data used in the funding formulas that determine the cost of the programs. Input data used in the Direct Aid formulas are updated every two years to recognize changes in costs that have occurred over the preceding biennium.  The state cost of SOQ and other Direct Aid accounts are recalculated step-by-step using the latest input data available, isolating the cost of each data update in incremental fashion.  About 25 separate steps are involved, each of which can increase or decrease state cost.

 

Rebenchmarking is a technical exercise of updating component data does not involve changes in funding policy or methodology or funding for new programs, other than those already approved and directed by the General Assembly.

 

From a local perspective, rebenchmarking helps “catch up” state funding formulas with costs already being borne at the local level although the “caught up” data used in the rebenchmarking still lags current costs by 12-18 months depending on the particular data component.

 

Key components of the SOQ funding formula include:

• Student enrollment;
• Staffing standards for instructional positions;
• Salaries of instructional positions;
• Fringe benefit rates;
• Support costs (salary and non-salary);
• Inflation factors;
• Support costs adjusted for deducted federal revenues; and
• Sales tax funding and division composite indices.

 

The following data updates are not included in the current rebenchmarking cost estimate of $595.7M and will be completed this fall and included in the Governor’s 2020-2022 introduced budget released in December:

 

• Revised composite index for the 2020-2022 biennium (update input data from 2015 to 2017)
• Additional revisions to enrollment projections (Fall Membership and March 31 ADM)
• Revised Sales Tax and Lottery revenue projections
• Revised VRS fringe benefit rates

 

Such changes may change the overall cost of rebenchmarking and will in most cases also impact the distribution of state funds to each individual locality.  A detailed presentation, including an explanation of all of the component steps of the rebenchmarking process, is available here:

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2019/work-session/09-sep/2020-2022-rebenchmarking.pptx

 

 

Board Business Meeting

 

Amendments to the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (8 VAC20-23) to Comport with Legislation Passed by the General Assembly Under the Fast Track Provisions of the Administrative Process Act

 

The Board approved the proposed amendments to the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (8 VAC20-23) to comport with Virginia General Assembly legislation related to licensure that was passed in 2017, 2018, and 2019.  The approved regulations include language to implement the following:

 

• A three-year license to solely teach career and technical education courses or dual enrollment courses at public high schools in the Commonwealth to any individual who is employed as an instructor by an institution of higher education that is accredited by a nationally recognized regional accreditation body, is teaching in the specific career and technical education or dual enrollment subject area such institution in which the individual seeks to teach at a public school, and complies with certain additional requirements;
• An initial license to those individuals who have not completed professional assessments as prescribed by the Board, if such individual holds a provisional license that will expire within three months; is employed by a school board; is recommended for licensure by the division superintendent; has attempted, unsuccessfully, to obtain a qualifying score on the professional assessments as prescribed by the Board; has received an evaluation rating of proficient or above on the performance standards for each year of the provisional license, and such evaluation was conducted in a manner consistent with the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents; and meets all other requirements for initial licensure; and
• Special licensure reciprocity consideration to individuals who have successfully completed a program offered by a provider that is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation.

 

 

Revised 2017 Computer Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework

 

The Board approved the proposed Revised 2017 Computer Science Standards of Learning Curriculum Framework.  This revised framework is designed to provide support to teachers who have low efficacy in computer science concepts or practices.  Additional resources will also be provided to support teachers in the integration of computer science into the instruction of other disciplines.

 

The framework as approved can be found at: http://doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2019/09-sep/item-c-attachment-a.docx and http://doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2019/09-sep/item-c-attachment-b.docx

 

 

Revised Guidelines for Providing Loan Interest Rate Subsidy Grant Payments for the Virginia Public School Authority Pooled Bond Program

 

The Board approved the revised Guidelines for Providing Loan Interest Rate Subsidy Grant Payments for the Virginia Public School Authority Pooled Bond Program.  Under this program, eligible Literary Fund projects are financed with a loan through the VPSA Pooled Bond Program at a market rate of interest but also receive an interest rate subsidy grant from the Literary Fund (at a 50 or 100 percent rate) applied to a portion of the market interest rate and the project cost, reducing the principal amount borrowed.  Depending on the market interest rate, the combination of the VPSA loan and subsidy grant may result in a debt service cost lower than that paid on a direct Literary Fund loan.  The program is targeted to school divisions with lower composite indices that may have less ability to pay for school construction and renovation.  This financing approach is in lieu of the project receiving a direct construction loan from the Literary Fund.

 

 

Request for Division-level Review for Prince Edward County and Danville City Public Schools

 

The Board approved the request for division-level review for Prince Edward County and for Danville City Public Schools.  The division-level review will focus on the following categories: Academics and Student Success, Leadership and Governance, Operations and Governance, and Human Resource Leadership.  Suggested Division review tools can be found at: http://doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2019/09-sep/item-e-attachment-a.pdf.

 

 

Proposed Revisions to the Standards of Quality

 

The Board received for second review the proposed revisions to the Standards of Quality.  Details regarding the substance of the Board’s current proposals are summarized above in the report on the Board’s SOQ committee meeting, and full details of the proposal are available at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/boe/meetings/2019/09-sep/item-h-attachment-a.docx

 

 

Proposed Revisions to the Regulations Governing the Testing of Sight and Hearing of Pupils (8VAC-20-250) (Fast-Track)

 

The Board the Board of Education waived first review and approved the proposed revisions to the Regulations Governing the Testing of Sight and Hearing of Pupils.  The purpose of this fast-track regulatory action addresses legislation that was approved by the General Assembly during the 2017 Session. HB 1408 (Wade) amended § 22.1-273 of the Code of Virginia, related to the timeline and scheduling of vision screenings. The amendment to § 22.1-273 of the Code of Virginia allows school divisions sixty administrative working days to schedule vision screenings and defines the required grade levels in which vision screenings are to occur to include: kindergarten, second or third grade, seventh grade, and tenth grade.

 

The revisions to 8VAC-20-250-10 align the regulations with § 22.1-273 of the Code of Virginia. Additionally, the revisions offer an opportunity for the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to incorporate feedback from stakeholders that align the hearing screening schedule to the required changes to the vision schedule as per § 22.1-273. The revisions allow schools to conduct vision and hearing screenings at any time of the school year as long as the scheduling of such screenings is completed no later than the sixtieth administrative working day of the school year. It also provides schools with the option and flexibility to conduct vision and hearing screenings in second or third grade.

 

 

Proposal to Adopt Special Provisions Related to the Use of School Quality Indicators

 

The Board waived first review and approved the following special provisions for schools that were new during the year in which the data used for accreditation were collected and only have one year of data on which to evaluate indicator performance levels:

 

• If an academic indicator is rated at Level Three based on current year data and the combined rate in English and mathematics or the pass rate in science is  at least 50%,, the indicator shall be rated at Level Two; and
• If the chronic absenteeism, dropout rate, or graduation and completion rate indicators are rated Level Three based on current year data on the indicator shall be rated as Level Two.

 

Senior Capstone Guidelines as required by HB 2662 (2019 General Assembly)

 

The Board received for first review the Senior Capstone Guidelines as required by House Bill 2662 (Landes).  In 2019, the Virginia General Assembly through House Bill 2662 (Landes) amended and reenacted §22.1- 253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia allowing the Board to require students to complete a senior capstone project, portfolio, performance-based assessment, or structured experiment that relates to a work-based learning, service-learning, or community engagement activity. Through the legislative process, the bill language was amended to direct the Board of Education to develop and submit to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health no later than November 1, 2019, guidelines for local school boards to develop and implement a senior capstone project, portfolio, performance-based assessment, or structured experiment. For the bill to become law and for senior capstone projects to become a graduation requirement, identical legislation must be passed and reenacted by the 2020 General Assembly.  

 

The senior capstone should align with and further develop the knowledge and skills attained through such work-based learning, service-learning, or community engagement activity. The bill further requires local school boards to develop and implement the capstone in accordance with Board guidelines.    The guidelines must be informed by stakeholders including local school divisions, industries and educational organizations.  They must consider the diversity among school divisions, the need for local flexibility, and the individualized needs of the communalities and industries across the Commonwealth.

On August 14, 2019, the Virginia Department of Education convened a group of educators from various professional organizations, school divisions, and the agency to begin drafting guidelines for a senior capstone.  Best practices from other states, Virginia Governor Schools programs, current Virginia Department of Education capstone courses and other senior capstone projects from local school divisions were compiled and analyzed. 

A group of stakeholders including industry and higher education representatives will convene on September 25, 2019 to review the current draft and propose any additional edits and/or supports to help guide school divisions when developing local policies on the senior capstone requirement.  Final review of the Senior Capstone Guidelines is planned for the Board’s October meeting.

The following is a draft of the Senior Capstone Guidelines developed from the August 14^th meeting:

 

Virginia Department of Education DRAFT Senior Capstone Guidelines

 

The Profile of a Virginia Graduate establishes a new set of expectations – known as the 5 C’s: critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship skills. This approach will prepare every student with the content knowledge they need and the skills they need to apply it successfully after graduation.

 

A successful Virginia Graduate will:

• Achieve and apply academic & technical knowledge;
• Demonstrate workplace skills, qualities, & behaviors;
• Build connections and value interactions with others as a responsible & responsive citizen; and
• Align knowledge, skills & personal interests with interests with career opportunities.

 

What is a Senior Capstone?

A Senior Capstone is defined as a multifaceted assignment that serves as a culminating academic and intellectual experience for students, typically during their final year of high school.  While similar in some ways to a college thesis, a capstone may take a wide variety of forms, but most are long-term investigative projects that culminate in a final product, presentation, or performance.  They are generally designed to encourage students to think critically, solve challenging real-world problems, and develop skills such as oral communication, public speaking, research skills, media literacy, teamwork, planning, self-sufficiency, or goal setting - i.e., skills that will help prepare them for college, modern careers, and adult life.  In most cases, capstones are also interdisciplinary, in the sense that they require students to apply skills or investigate issues across many different subject areas or domains of knowledge.  Capstones also encourage students to connect their projects to community issues or problems, and to integrate outside-of-school learning experiences.

 

Recommendation

It is recommended for each student to meet regularly with their teacher supervising the Senior Capstone. The student may also work with other teachers and or business and community members based on the student’s field of study.

 

Senior Capstone should be challenging. They should require considerable effort on the part of the student in showing how they have applied their learning. If a student approaches the project step by step and meets the deadlines, he or she will be able to manage the project successfully.

 

There are many benefits involved in a Senior Capstone such as:

1. Engages students completing the Senior Capstone as an “active learner” capable of solving complex problems and constructing meaning that is grounded in the world beyond the classroom that encourages collaborative learning with industry and community partners
2. Organizes curriculum around authentic student projects which serve as a basis for learning from technical and academic disciplines in an inter-disciplinary approach
3. Expands teaching methodologies providing students the ability to work independently, use problem solving skills which involves students as expert-practitioners who use and demonstrate their knowledge and skills, etc.
4. Engages students in complex, challenging tasks which allows for the integration of learning, generation of knowledge, reflection, and creation of a product, and provides the student with the opportunity to work with community partners
5. Meets rigorous and measurable standards for academic and technical performance that reflect global demands making a diploma meaningful
6. Serves as a capstone in the students' Career Pathway

 

While Senior Capstones can take a variety of forms from school to school or course to course, a few examples will help to illustrate both the concept and the general intentions.

 

Capstone Project
A Capstone Project involves several steps as indicated below.

1. Student selects a topic, gathers information, writes a research paper and keeps a portfolio of project activities.
2. Student produces a product/process that applies some aspect of the research.
3. Student makes a formal presentation to a panel composed of teachers and business and community leaders who know about and are interested in the topic. After the presentation, panel members ask questions about the research and the product/process and find out what the student learned during the project as well as review the student's portfolio.

 

Guidelines for Capstone Projects

 

General:

The Capstone Project is an integral part of a student’s final year of high school. It integrates skills, concepts and data from the student’s program of study into one culminating project. Students work on individual projects. Although, the product/process portion may have some joint relationship to other product/process project by other students, each presentation is completed independently.

 

A Capstone Project consists of a written research paper, a major product/process and an oral presentation. Individual teachers will dictate how the projects are graded. It is recommended for each school division to create sample rubrics that might be helpful. 

 

Throughout the planning, implementation, and documentation of a Capstone Project each student connects and aligns their work to the 5 C’s identified in the Virginia Profile of a Graduate.  This connection should be documented throughout the entire process in a manner specified by each local school division.

 

Capstone Project Topic Selection:

• It is recommended that each student’s Capstone Project topic be developed around the students’ career interests
• Initially, each student will select several possible topics for teacher approval
• Once a final topic is selected each student would identify the necessary business, industry and community resources

Capstone Project Component may include research paper, some type of product or process, and an oral presentation.

 

Portfolio

Definition: Student portfolios are collections of student work that are typically used for an alternative assessment grade in the classroom. Student portfolios can take a couple of forms. One type of student portfolio contains work that shows the student's progression through the course of the school year. For example, writing samples might be taken from the beginning, middle, and end of the school year. This can help show growth and provide teachers, students, and parents with evidence of how the student has progressed. The second type of portfolio involves the student and/or teacher selecting examples of their best work.

 

All documentation of the Product/Process will be included in the portfolio. Listed below are the suggested components of the Senior Capstone Portfolio.
 

Each school division will determine the required components of the portfolio. Listed below are the following recommendations:

• A written log or timeline of the student’s hours
• A journal highlighting student’s experiences
• Pictures
• Letters of support from business and industry
• Detailed notes or data analytics
• A copy of the research paper

 

Performance-Based Assessment

Performance assessment measures subject-matter proficiency, requires students to apply the content and skills they have learned, and should present opportunities for students to demonstrate acquisition of the “Five C’s” – critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration and citizenship – described in the Board of Education’s Profile of a Virginia Graduate.

 

As students learn new skills and content, they should be given multiple opportunities to demonstrate mastery through the use of performance tasks. Both summative and formative performance assessments allow teachers and students alike to identify content that has been mastered, misconceptions, and gaps in learning. The evidence gained through performance assessment may be used to guide future classroom instruction.

 

Virginia Quality Criteria Tool for Performance Assessments  (Word) – details a set of criteria for the development of performance assessments that measure the application of content knowledge and skills. (Updated June 2019)

 

Structured Experiment

A more commonly known name for a Structured Experiment is an Independent Science or Engineering Research Project.  The project should actively engage students in exploring and making sense of science-oriented questions and engineering solutions in the world in which they live.  Students should develop driving questions that have grown from their observations of the world and their interests.   Students then engage further by researching, observing, designing and conducting investigations, collecting and analyzing data, using and developing models and solutions to understand their question.  Students communicate their understanding of the science or engineering solutions with evidence generated from their data to support their claims.  All projects should culminate in both a written and oral presentation of findings to demonstrate student reasoning and understanding.  Students should be encouraged to present their work at a local or regional science fair, Virginia Junior Academy of Science Research Symposium (VJAS), International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), or any other state or national competition.

 

Reports

 

The Board received a written report on the Timeline for the Review of the Computer Technology Standards of Learning as well as the Annual Report from the State Special Education Advisory Committee.  The Annual Report from the State Special Education Advisory Committee contained the following recommendations:

 

• Continue efforts to address the teacher, staff, and other professional support shortages, by exploring available funding resources and partnerships;
• Create additional, more advanced modules for dyslexia, dysgraphia, and other specific learning disabilities; consider more in-depth annual training;
• Ensure that adequate training and resources are available to support the implementation of the Regulations Governing the Use of Seclusion and Restraint in Public Elementary and Secondary Schools in Virginia;
• Update best practice guidance documents and provide training for local SEACs.  Share existing resources and involve the SSEAC in collaboration with VDOE for training and follow-up;
• Revise the current Parent’s Guide to Special Education and develop various versions including video and multi-modal formats; and
• As a follow-up to the Critical Decision Points Guide and Training, enhance opportunities for family engagement by developing an online module/companion video for parents to learn more about their rights.