Meeting Summary
Virginia Board of Education
April 29-30
Board Strategic Planning
The Board conducted its annual strategic planning session and received the following reports:
• An overview of the Comprehensive Plan
• Highlights of progress and activities toward meeting board objectives
• A progress report on the Office of Early Childhood Development
• Technology innovations in Virginia’s assessment program
• The use of research to develop Virginia’s On-Time Graduation tool pilot.
Standards of Quality Review
The Board approved a plan to review the Standards of Quality (SOQ), pursuant to its mandate to review the SOQ’s every two years, as well as the General Assembly mandate to specifically consider the recently-adopted caps on state reimbursement for support staff.
The Board’s standing committee on the SOQ’s will meet in May, June, and July. The first review of the proposed revisions to the SOQ is planned for the September 17, 2009, meeting, and the final review and approval is planned for the October 22, 2009 meeting.
There will be multiple opportunities for comment during the process. The first public comment period is set for May 1 through July 31, 2009, during which time there
would be three public hearings at the three SOQ committee meetings. The second public comment period is set for September 14, 2009 through October 2, 2009, during which time there could be four public hearings.
The Department of Education staff will create a Web page to provide information to the public about the SOQ review process and an e-mail mailbox for public comment (SOQComments@doe.virginia.gov).
In addition, DOE will contract for a consultant to conduct research and collect data from all Virginia school divisions during the summer.
Regulations Governing Local School Boards and School Divisions, (8VAC20-720)
The Board authorized Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) staff to proceed with the requirements of the Administrative Process Act (APA) on a proposal to amend and reenact the Regulations Governing School Boards Local (8 VAC 20-490-10 et seq.) into the Regulations Governing Local School Boards and School Divisions (8 VAC 20-720-10 et seq.). The proposal would consolidate several applicable regulations into a single regulation. The regulations to be consolidated are as follows:
• 8 VAC 20-150-10 et seq. Regulations Governing Management of the Student’s Scholastic Record in the Public Schools of Virginia
• 8 VAC 20-180-10 Regulations Governing School Community Programs
• 8 VAC 20-210-10 Classification of Expenditures
• 8 VAC 20-240-10 et seq. Regulations Governing School Activity Funds
• 8 VAC 20-250-10 Regulations Governing Testing Sight and Hearing of Pupils
• 8 VAC 20-310-10 Rules Governing Instruction Concerning Drugs and Substance
• Abuse
• 8 VAC 20-320-10 Regulations Governing Physical and Health Education
• 8 VAC 20-390-10 et seq. Rules Governing Division Superintendent of Schools
• 8 VAC 20-410-10 Rules Governing Allowable Credit for Teaching Experience
• 8 VAC 20-420-10 Regulations Governing Personnel in Public School Libraries
• Operated Under Joint Contract Under Control of Local School Board or Boards
• 8 VAC 20-460-10 et seq. Regulations Governing Sick Leave Plan for Teachers
• 8 VAC 20-490-10 et seq. Regulations Governing School Boards Local
• 8 VAC 20-565-10 et seq. Regulations for the Protection of Students as Participants in Human Research
When these regulations have been consolidated into the Regulation Governing Local School Boards and School Divisions, the current individual regulations will be repealed simultaneously with the promulgation of the new regulation.
According to VDOE staff, there are no significant substantive changes from the regulations that are currently in effect to the consolidated regulation. Some of the provisions of the current regulations are not included in the consolidated regulation because they are out of date or otherwise no longer applicable and some of the very detailed requirements in the current regulations have been changed in the new regulation in order to give local school divisions more flexibility in the development of their own plans and procedures.
Regulations Governing Jointly Owned and Operated Schools and Jointly Operated
Programs (8 VAC 20-280-10 et seq.)
The Board authorized VDOE staff to proceed with the remaining requirements of the APA for the revised Regulations Governing Jointly Owned and Operated Schools and Jointly Operated Programs (8 VAC 20-280-10 et seq.). VDOE will notify local school divisions of the changes when the regulations become effective. The major changes in the new regulations include:
• Addition of a definitions section to the regulations for clarity. (8 VAC 20-281-10)
• New language that is needed to address the changes in the operation of joint schools and programs since the initial regulations were written.
• Deletion of the term “finance officer” and use of the term “fiscal agent” for clarity. The term “fiscal agent” is used in §22.1-117 of the Code of Virginia, which defines fiscal agent and addresses the selection of the fiscal agent when a school division is comprised of more than one city or county.
• Deletion of the terms “alternative education program” and “classification of expenditures” from the definition section because these terms are not referenced anywhere else in the regulations.
• Deletion of the requirement that a finance officer be elected for a joint board because the term finance officer has been deleted from the regulations and because a joint board’s fiscal operations can be addressed in bylaws.
In addition, the following changes were made pursuant to General Assembly action:
• New language allowing two or more school boards, with the consent of the Board of Education, to establish joint or regional schools, including regional public charter schools, to serve as high schools offering a comprehensive high school curriculum and specialized training to students desiring to pursue careers in law enforcement, fire fighting, emergency and rescue services, and other occupations addressing public safety and welfare.
• New language allowing two or more school boards, with the consent of the State Board, to establish joint or regional schools, including regional public charter schools, to serve as high schools offering a specialized curriculum leading to a high school diploma and a postsecondary credential, such as industry certification, career certificate, or degree; or (iii) both.
• New language permitting all joint school boards, by agreement and with the approval of their governing bodies, to designate a fiscal agent for a joint school from among the treasurers of the participating localities. In addition, it allows title to property acquired for a joint school to be vested in the school’s governing body, with the approval of the participating school boards and the governing bodies.
• New language permitting any joint school already in operation to request a waiver from any new regulation requirements promulgated, effective July 1, 2008
Reports
The Board received reports on local school division remedial plans, on the Petersburg School Board’s request to begin planning for the implementation of the Restructuring Contingency Plan for the 2009-2010 School Year, and on Petersburg’s alternative education programs. The Board also received the report “Bridging Business and Education for the 21st Century Workforce – A Strategic Plan for Virginia’s Career Pathways System.”