INFORMATIONAL

The President of the Board of Education, Kirk T. Schroder, 
has announced the Board's activities and timetable for the 
initial phase of the development of measures addressing 
school accountability.  The initial phase will include a 
program at the Board's annual retreat and a series of public 
hearings.  Key issues include rewards and consequences for 
schools which achieve, or fail to achieve, accreditation 
under Virginia's Standards of Accreditation.

The Board plans to devote a major portion of its retreat to 
a program on accountability measures for consideration in 
Virginia.  This program will take place on April 29 at the 
Curry School of Education, University of Virginia, in 
Charlottesville.  It will feature nationally prominent 
education reform experts and policymakers from other states 
which have already implemented various accountability 
measures related to student achievement.   

The participants include:

Mark Musick, President of the Atlanta-based Southern 
Regional Education Board and Chairman of the Governing Board 
of the National Assessment of Educational 
Progress (NAEP).

Christopher T. Cross, President of the Washington, D.C.-
based Council on Basic Education and former President of the 
Maryland Board of Education

Jack Christie, former Chairman of the Texas Board of 
Education.  

Al Foster, Director of Intervention, Chicago Public Schools

Elsie Leak, Director of the Division of School Improvement, 
North Carolina Department of Education

Six public hearings will follow in May to seek input about 
the accountability measures from parents, educators, the 
business community and the public.   Public hearings will be 
held in Alexandria, Richmond, Norfolk, and Bristol on May 
18.  On May 25, public hearings will be held in Roanoke and 
Staunton.  All hearings will start at 7 P.M.  Locations for 
the hearings are being arranged and will be publicized 
later.  The Board plans to hold an extensive second round of 
public hearings after its draft proposals are published.   
If you have questions, please call Diane Atkinson, Assistant 
Superintendent of Policy and Public Affairs, (804) 225-2403.  


PDS/gjm