ADMINISTRATIVE

  Attached is the 1996 Fall Membership data collection
  information.  This includes a schedule and forms to complete
  the following:
  
   -     Fall Membership as of September 30, 1996 by School
         (SA.097)
  
   -     Projection of March 31 Average Daily Membership
         for School Years 1996-97, 1997-98, and 1998-99
         (Table II)
  
   -     Pupil/Teacher Ratios:  Standards of Quality No.1-G,
         Instructional Personnel, 1996-97 (Table III)
         A.     Grades K-6
         B.     Grade 1
         C.     Grades 6-12
  
   -     Limited English Proficient Students, 1996-97
         (Table IV)
  
   -     Number of Students Receiving Home Instruction, as
         of September 30, 1996 (Table V)
    
  A schedule of events for this data collection is attached. 
  All data must be received by the Fall Membership team on or
  before Wednesday, October 16, 1996.  Early submission is
  strongly encouraged.
  
  For additional information and assistance, you may contact
  L. Ande Johnson Mathews or any Fall Membership team member,
  at (804) 225-2099 or via e-mail at fall-mem@pen.k12.va.us. 
  To ensure prompt delivery, please return the forms to:
  
                 1996-97 Fall Membership Team
               Virginia Department of Education
                  P. O. Box 2120, 22nd Floor
                Richmond, Virginia  23218-2120
                                
  
  
  
  RTL/dmb

  Attachments: This memo and its attachments will be sent to
               the superintendent's office

  CC:   Fall Membership Coordinators 
  SUPTS. MEMO. NO.    63   
  September 6, 1996                              Attachment 1
  
  
  
                      SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
       1996 Fall Membership and Related Data Collection
  
  
  Sep. 6, 1996      Superintendent's memo and forms released
                    to reporting entities
  
                    "Instructions and Frequently Asked
                    Questions" and "File Layout" documents
                    are available on VA.PEN
  
  Sep. 30, 1996     Actual counts are performed
  
  Oct. 16, 1996     REPORTING DEADLINE!  All forms and files
                    must be received by MIS/Fall Membership
                    team
  
  Oct. 17, 1996 pm  Appropriate Superintendents notified of
                    delinquent reports
  
  Oct. 28, 1996     Deadline for Superintendent's
                    verification of Fall Membership data
 
  Nov. 1, 1996      Department of Planning and Budget
                    receives appropriate information from
                    Department of Education
  
  January 1997      Fall Membership summary reports
                    available on VA.Pen and the World Wide
                    Web
  
  
  
  
                    Additional Information
  
  -   If you submit via facsimile, there is no need to send an
      original form via mail.
  
  -   The "Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions"
      document has been placed on VA.PEN under "Archives of
      Documents and Software" / "Department of Education
      Documents" / "Fall Membership Documents" / "September
      1996".  The intent is to provide instructions and
      guidance during the data collection to all staff.
  
  -   DOE contact person.  L. Ande Johnson Mathews can be
      reached at e-mail address fall-mem@pen.k12.va.us;
      facsimile (804)371-8978; telephone (804) 225-2099, or
      (804) 225-2947.
  
  -   "File Layout for Electronic Submission" document has also
      been placed on VA.PEN under "Archives of Documents
      Software" / "Department of Education Documents" / "Fall
      Membership Documents" / "September 1995".  This layout is
      provided to assist those school divisions prepared to
      create the Fall Membership (SA.097) data file using local
      computer systems.
  
  -   The forms have been redesigned to comply with VA.PEN
      requirements.  Therefore, you may notice some cosmetic
      changes.