DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 136
July 20, 2007
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K.
Cannaday,Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Transmittal
of the 2007 Standards of Quality |
This memorandum provides information regarding the changes to the Code of Virginia’s Standards of Quality (SOQ), §§ 22.1-253.13:1 through 22.1-253.13:8, passed by the 2007 General Assembly. The revisions are effective July 1, 2007, unless otherwise noted.
The 2007
General Assembly revised the SOQ through the following legislation:
HB
1978 and SB
1148 require local school boards to
include in their annual report to the Board of Education the number of career
and technical education completers that graduated as a category on the School
Performance Report Card. The bill
defines a "career and technical education completer" as a student who
has met the requirements for a career and technical concentration or
specialization and all requirements for high school graduation or an approved
alternative education program.
See § 22.1-253.13:4
of the Code.
HB
2039 and SB
1147 direct the Board of Education to
establish the requirements for a technical diploma. The diploma must meet or exceed the
requirements of a standard diploma and include a concentration in career and
technical education. The bills also
create an advanced technical diploma that shall be awarded to students who meet
the requirements for the advanced studies diploma and also fulfill a
concentration in career and technical education.
The
Board of Education shall address the technical diploma requirements in
revisions to its Regulations Establishing
Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.
See § 22.1-253.13:4
of the Code.
SB
751 requires the Board of Education to include the types of activities that
qualify as community service and the number of hours required in its criteria for
awarding a diploma seal for excellence in civics education and understanding of
our state and federal constitutions and the democratic model of government for
the standard and advanced studies diplomas.
See § 22.1-253.13:4
of the Code.
SB
795 makes technical changes to Standards 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of the
Standards of Quality. It provides for
the phasing out of the eighth grade cumulative history test in the 2007-2008
school year, and the implementation of the United States History to 1877,
United States History: 1877 to the Present, and Civics and Economics tests in
the 2008-2009 school year. The bill requires
that prevention, intervention, and remediation programs include components that
are research-based. Local school boards
must also have in place an early identification program for students with
difficulties in mathematics. The bill adds
effective classroom management to the listing of professional development
programs to be provided to teachers and principals and requires that
division-wide comprehensive plans include strategies for improving student
achievement, particularly the achievement of educationally at-risk students. Finally, the bill requires local school
divisions to post a current copy of the school division policies, including the
Student Conduct Policy, on the local division's Web site while ensuring that
printed copies of such policies are available, as needed, to citizens who do
not have Internet access.
See § 22.1-253.13:1
and §§ 22.1-253.13:3
through 22.1-253.13:7
of the Code.
I hope that
you will find this information helpful.
You can find the final legislative reports for the 2007 General Assembly
session on the Department’s Web site at www.doe.virginia.gov
under Legislative Tracking.
Please
contact the Office of Policy and Communications at (804) 225-2403 or by e-mail
at policy@doe.virginia.gov, if you
need additional information.
Attachments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf136a.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/suptsmemos/2007/inf136b.pdf