Meeting Summary
Virginia Board of Education
May 27-28
Committee on the Standards of Quality
The Board’s Committee on the Standards of Quality received testimony from representatives of statewide organizations regarding the Board’s upcoming revision of the Standards. Mr. Stu Gibson (President of the Virginia School Boards’ Association) and Mr. Jim Baldwin (Principal at Centre Ridge Elementary and President-elect of the Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals) both presented testimony on behalf of their respective organizations. One of the general themes of the presentations was that the Standards should be set (and funded) based on best educational practices in the local divisions and not on arbitrary or capped measures of staffing need.
Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia
The Board readopted the revised Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia and authorized VDOE staff to complete the requirements under the APA.
Alternative accreditation plan - Chesterfield County Public Schools
The Board of Education accepted for first review Chesterfield County’s request to extend approval for three years of an alternative accreditation plan for Perrymont Middle School.
Revision of courses to satisfy graduation requirements for the standard, standard technical, advanced studies, advanced technical and modified standard diplomas
The Board accepted revised courses to satisfy graduation for the Standard, Standard Technical, Advanced Studies, Advanced Technical and Modified Standard Diplomas. The revisions to the courses include the following:
• The addition of courses approved for the Standard Technical and Advanced Technical Diplomas;
• The removal of the option to earn two standard credits in mathematics for completing Algebra I in a two-course sequence or Geometry in a two-course sequence to satisfy the Standard Diploma or that one of the two-course sequences may be used to satisfy the Advanced Studies Diploma.
• The addition of an end-of-course assessment for Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis, effective in 2011-2012, to enable students to earn a verified credit for successful completion of the course; and
• The removal of the option to earn two standard credits in science for completing Chemistry in a two-course sequence.
• No revisions have been proposed to the English courses or list of History and Social Science courses to satisfy graduation requirements.
These changes will be effective for entering ninth graders in 2010-2011.
Graduation requirements - Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School for Government and International Studies
The Board approved a request to increase the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School graduation requirements as follows:
• Beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2009-2010 — 30 standard credits, including 5 credits in history and social science, and nine verified credits
• Beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2010-2011 — 31 standard credits — including the addition of one credit in economics and personal finance as required by the BOE
Proposal to establish a governor’s career and technical academy: The Governor’s Career and Technical Academy for Engineering Studies
The Board approved the proposal to establish the engineering studies academy at Chesterfield County Public School’s Lloyd C. Bird High School.
Proposal to eliminate Grade 3 history and social science from the Virginia Assessment Program
The Board accepted for first review the proposal to remove the Grade 3 history and social science assessment from the Virginia Assessment Program and amended the proposal to include schedules for integrating history/social studies content into existing reading frameworks and assessments at the same grade level. The Board also received extensive public comment in opposition to the proposal.
Innovative program opening prior to Labor Day -- Harrisonburg City Public Schools
The Board approved Harrisonburg’s request for the only two schools in Harrisonburg not otherwise eligible for a pre-Labor Day opening to open before Labor Day to accommodate an innovative program, pursuant to the provisions of §.22.1-79.1 of the Code of Virginia.
Reports
The Board accepted a report on Petersburg Public School’s Career and Technical Education programs.