Meeting Summary
Virginia Board of Education
July 25, 2007
Revised Guidelines for Family Life Education
The Board adopted changes in the Family Life Education curriculum guidelines to include information concerning dating violence and the characteristics of abusive relationships, per the requirements of HB 1916, passed during the 2007 Session of the General Assembly.
Graduation Requirements
The Board approved a request from Westmoreland County to increase the number of credits required for graduation from 22 credits to 28 credits for a Standard Diploma, and from 24 credits to 30 for an Advanced Studies Diploma, beginning in the fall of 2008. This is done in conjunction with Westmoreland’s planned to shift to block scheduling, opening up additional opportunities to earn credits for students. They will add one required credit in a personal finance course, and two required credits in career and technical education, with the remaining increases being electives. The number of required verified credits would remain unchanged. The Board also accepted on first review a request from Russell County to increase the number of required electives for the Standard Diploma from six to eight, and from two to four for the Advanced Studies Diploma.
Guidelines Establishing an Incentive Program to Encourage and Recognize School Accountability Performance and Competence to Excellence (8VAC 20-131-325)
The Board of Education approved the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) incentive program. The VIP is intended to measure the extent to which students are progressing towards advanced proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, science, and history and social science and on other indicators of school and student performance, and to recognize and reward fully accredited schools and school divisions based on student performance.
In the index, individual student scores are weighted according to the achievement levels of basic, proficient, and advanced with the advanced level having the highest weight. A VIP achievement measure (0 to 100 points) may be calculated at the school and division levels for combined performance across the four discipline areas in which SOL tests are administered. Bonus or additional points may be earned when a school or division meets or exceeds other performance objectives established for the program, such as reading on grade level by third grade, Algebra I enrollment by grade 8, college-level course enrollments, graduation rate, diploma types, career and technical credentials, and healthy students. A tiered incentive and rewards system will be created to recognize levels of performance (points earned) on the Virginia Index of Performance.
English Language Proficiency Standards of Learning
The Board received on second review the revised English Language Proficiency Standards of Learning. The proposed standards have been revised from their initial September 2006 draft version based on public comment, and include the development of separate ELP Standards for grades 6-8 and 9-12 and tighter alignment of the grades 6-8 and 9-12 ELP Standards with the English Language Arts Standards of Learning.
The Board will consider recommendations to link the ELP standards to the mathematics, science, and history and social science content standards upon release of a United States Department of Education (USED) guidance document assisting states with linking ELP Standards to content standards other than English Language Arts.
Pupil Transportation Specifications for School Buses
The Board accepted on first review proposed changes in the pupil transportation specifications for school buses. The proposed specifications are updated periodically to reflect recent changes in equipment and technology. None of the proposed changes represent significant deviations from standard industry practices and all comply with the safety requirements of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The specifications will be posted on the Department’s website for 30 days to provide opportunity for public comment. Final approval of the specifications is expected at the Board’s September meeting. Continuation of the side-mounting warning light pilot program as implemented in Fairfax County is included in the revised specifications.
Direct Aid to Public Education Budget for the 2008-2010 Biennium
The Board approved adoption of the proposed Direct Aid to Public Education budget for the 2008-2010 Biennium. The proposed budget is the result of the re-benchmarking process, whereby the inputs into the Direct Aid formula are made more current. Changes in funding under re-benchmarking do not represent any changes in current policy, only the additional cost of providing public education as compared to the previous Biennium.
The 2008-2010 Direct Aid budget approved by the Board will be sent to the Governor for action and ultimately for inclusion in his budget for the 2008-2010 biennium. This budget will establish the level of state funding required by the foundation program established in the Standards of Quality (SOQ), as well as other Direct Aid accounts. The current proposed changes resulting from re-benchmarking the Direct Aid accounts would increase state costs for public education by approximately $1.1 billion in the 2008-2010 biennium, compared to the fiscal year 2008 base Direct Aid cost.
This estimate does not include the following data elements, which will be updated between now and the formal submission of the budget:
• Revised composite index for the 2008-2010 biennium
• Lottery and sales tax projections
• Revised fringe benefit rates from VRS
• Triennial census information (next collection Summer 2008)
• Final enrollment projections
• Head Start enrollment (for VPI formula)
Changes in these data elements have historically led to increases in the costs of re-benchmarking.
Reports Received
The Board received the annual report of the Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education, the Annual Report on Public Charter Schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia, and a report on Virginia’s Preschool Curriculum Review Rubric and Planning Tool.