Virginia Board of Education

Diane AtkinsonMember, Virginia Board of Education

Opportunity to dig deeper into policies the Board is working on A-F School Grading System Local Assessment Guidelines New Accreditation Ratings and Guidance

Opportunity to have deeper conversation with a Local School Division Corrective Action Plan-MOU Conditional Accreditation Alternative Accreditation Plan

Committee onSchool & Division Accountability

Significant Revisions to:

Virginia’s School Performance Report Card

Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia

(SOA)

Current Major Projects

Highlight 2013 Focus Group & Survey Results Launched new/current Survey Tool (available 7/15-

8/14)Highlight ECS Report on States’ Report Cards

Rating States, Grading Schools−What Parents and Experts Say States Should Consider To Make School Accountability Systems Meaningful

Showcase Elements of Other States’ Report Cards

Outline our Proposed Revision Timeline

Redesigning Virginia’s School Performance Report Card

2013 Focus Group & Survey Results

Issues Identified Length of the Report Card Confusing Data Limited Comparison Features Lack of Context

Recommendations Tabs: Tabs or links to more data. Comparisons: Compare schools

like compare vehicles Context: Need a fuller context User Resources: Accessible

data dictionary.

Very Important to Parents Academic Results: 95% Class size: 81% Curriculum &

Instruction: 75% Graduation &

Dropouts: 73% Discipline & Safety:

71% Post-secondary

Preparation: 63% Student Demographics:

49% Fiscal & Expenditure:

41%

2015 Survey Results

21, 133 responses with highest frequency of responses from parents (66%) & educators (26%)

Three most important components of a report card: student outcomes, information on curriculum and instruction, and teacher quality.

For tools and features: seeing changes in school data over time, accessing detailed data, and comparing schools to a division or state average.

75% of existing or proposed Report Card and “snapshot” elements are similar to the content rated as being of the highest importance.

Next phase of the redesign should incorporate additional curriculum and instruction and teacher quality elements and develop elements to capture parental involvement and school climate

Rating States, Grading Schools−What Parents and Experts Say States Should Consider To Make School Accountability Systems Meaningful http://www.ecs.org/html/educationissues/accountability/stacc_intro.asp

Top Three According to Researchers−Based on Criteria of: Findable, Readable, Understandable, Graphics Arizona−Easy to Understand. Did not like printable PDF version Illinois−Good use of graphics. Links to data drill down. Inclusion

of survey results. Ohio−Good use of graphics. Data points are explained well. Use

of tabs. Noted Data coming. Eight Above Average in All Four Categories−Arizona,

Delaware, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maine, and Ohio

ECS Report on States’ Report Cards

Tools & FeaturesArizona

8

Tools & FeaturesIllinois

9

College & Career Readiness Illinois

10

College & Career ReadinessOhio

School ClimateIllinois

School FinanceDelaware

13

Enrollment & DemographicsIllinois

EducatorsDelaware

15

Board’s Proposed Timeline for Revising the Report Card

July 23, 2015 Accountability Committee: Reach consensus on the preliminary list of additional data reports and elements for inclusion in the redesigned Virginia School Performance Report Card.

September 9, 2015

Presentation of wireframe for redesigned School Performance Report Card

October 22, 2015

Board of Education-First Review Summary of Redesign of the School Performance Report Card for submission to chairmen of the House Education Committee and Senate Education and Health Committee

November 18, 2015

Board of Education: Approval of Summary of the Redesign of the School Performance Report Card for submission to chairmen of the House Education Committee and Senate Education and Health Committee

December 1, 2015

Deadline for submission of Summary of the Redesign of the School Performance Report Card to Chairmen of House Education Committee and Senate Education and Health Committee

June 2016 Accountability Committee: Presentation and demonstration of the Redesigned School Performance Report CardBoard of Education: Approval of redesigned School Performance Report Card

RevisingRegulations Establishing

Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in

Virginia (SOA)

Two Revisions Being Addressed

Fast Track Changes required by

legislation where Board does not have discretion

Changes required by legislation that have a date certain for implementation

Comprehensive In November 2014, the

Board withdrew the Standards of Accreditation from proposed stage of the APA process to start a comprehensive review to address revising the accreditation process and report card.

Add three points to the GCI for each student who earns a diploma and a CTE credential [HB 642/SB 514 (2012)]

Require school boards to adopt and implement policies for the possession and administration of epinephrine in every school [HB 1107/SB 656 (2012)]

Requires school boards to ensure that employees have been trained in the administration of insulin and glucagon in school buildings [SB 889 (1999)]

Require students, beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2016- 2017, to be trained in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators to be awarded a Standard or an Advanced Studies Diploma.[HB 2028 and SB 986 (2013)]

Revisions on the Fast Track

Requires each school to have a school threat assessment team {HB 2344 (2013)]

Requires at least two lockdown drills every year, one in September and one in January [HB 2346 (2013)]

Replaces references throughout the Code of Virginia to a General Educational Development (GED) program or test with “a high school equivalency examination approved by the Board of Education” or a “high school equivalency preparation program” [HB 1007 (2014)]

Replaces the term “Special Diploma” with the term “Applied Studies Diploma” [SB 1236 (2015)]

Revisions on the Fast Track

Directs the Board to establish criteria for awarding a diploma seal of biliteracy [HB 1351/SB 916 (2015)]

Requires the Board to promulgate regulations to provide the same criteria for eligibility for an expedited retake of any Standards of Learning (SOL) test, with the exception of the writing SOL tests, to each student regardless of grade level or course [HB 1490/SB 874 (2015)]

Permits local school divisions to waive the 140 clock hours of instruction requirement to earn a standard unit of credit upon providing the Board with satisfactory proof, based on Board guidelines, that the students for whom such requirements are waived have learned the content and skills included in the relevant SOL [HB 1675/SB 982 (2015)]

Revisions on the Fast Track

Requires the Board to amend the Standards of Accreditation by the 2016-2017 school year to establish additional accreditation ratings that recognize the progress of schools and student growth [HB 1873/SB 1320 (2015)]

Revisions on the Fast Track

1. Fully Accredited;2. Conditionally Accredited: New School3.Partially Accredited according to criteria in one or more of the following categories:a. Approaching Benchmark-within specified

margin(s) 1. Graduation and Completion Index2. Pass Rateb. Improving School-meets criteria for improvement over previous year and/or for student growth3. Graduation and Completion Index4. Pass Ratec.Warned School5. Graduation and Completion Index6. Pass Rated.Reconstituted School4. Accreditation Denied

Comprehensive Revision

Background Information through Presentations at the Committee Meetings

April Retreat−Discussion of Issues to Address June and July− Refinement of Medium Concepts

to Address September−Identify Broader Concepts to Address October−Definition and framework for the life-

long, career-ready individual and return to discussion of medium concepts

Purpose, Philosophy & Goals Definitions: Class Period; Planning Period; World

Language; and Laboratory Science Graduation Requirements: Laboratory Science;

Excellence in Science & Environment Diploma Seal; Define College Readiness by Diploma Type or Readiness by Two or Four-Year Institution; Reduce Number of Verified Credits for Advanced Studies Diploma; Adding Credit Accommodations for English Language Learners; and Expand Availability of Credit Accommodations for Student with Disabilities to the Advanced Studies Diploma

Student Achievement: Require Written Policy for Dropping Courses

Concepts to Address(Medium)

School Instructional Program: Expand Locally Awarded Verified Credit to English and Mathematics and Clarify Students with Disabilities Who Are Eligible for Credit Accommodations Are Also Eligible for Expedited Retake

School & Instructional Leadership: Revise Provisions Regarding the Role of Principal to Align with Uniform Performance Standards for Principals

Concepts to Address(Medium)

School Accreditation: Using Previous Year’s GCI for Accreditation; Create Option for Schools Without Tested Grades To Be Accredited through Alternative Plan Rather Than Pairing; Three-Year Accreditation Cycle for Fully Accredited School; Provide GCI Bonus Points If Subgroup Graduation Rates Increase Over Previous Year; Add a “Small N” to Reflect a Minimum Number of Students Required for School Accreditation Calculations; Add Appeals Option for Accreditation Decisions; Differentiate Interventions Based on Rating and Length of Time; Require Self Study 1st Year Not Fully Accredited; and Add Reward to Recognize Achievement in Reducing Drop Out Rate

Concepts to Address(Medium)

Align with the definition and framework developed for the life-long, career-ready individual

Consider changing diploma types and graduation requirements

Add “non-academic” indicators to accreditation process Enhance the Board of Education’s authority and capacity

with respect to Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with schools denied accreditation

Employ the process of accreditation as a means to drive continuous improvement in all schools regardless of their accreditation rating

Concepts to Address(Broader)

Social Emotional Competencies (May 2015) Encouraged the Department to Begin the Work to Look at this Issue to Present in the Future to the Board (Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa)

Competency-Based Education−Looking at What Needs to be Done to Implement Such a Sea Change (New Hampshire)

Local Assessments−Performance Based Assessments and Best Practices

ESEA Waiver−Testing ELL Students-Amendment to Our Waiver (Florida)

ESEA Reauthorization−Look at What Comes Out of Conference and What Passes

On the Horizon