COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O. BOX 2120
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 27
February 21, 2003
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Jo Lynne
DeMary Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
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SUBJECT: |
School Improvement Planning Processes for Schools Rated Accredited with Warning |
The purpose of this memo is to provide further clarification of the school improvement planning requirements for schools rated Accredited with Warning, as stated in section 8 VAC 20-131-310 of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, effective September 28, 2000. Specifically, the standards state, A three-year School Improvement Plan must be developed and implemented, based on the results of an academic review of each school that is rated Accredited with Warning The standards specify components of the plan and state that the school is to report annually on the progress of the implementation of the plan.
On February 15, 2001, the Board of Education approved guidelines for developing and submitting three-year School Improvement Plans. The guidelines state that:
The three-year School Improvement Plan is to be submitted to the Division of Accountability by the end of the first semester or within 60 business days of the completion of the Academic Review.
Superintendents may request an extension for submitting the plan.
A suggested format approved by the Board of Education for the three-year School Improvement Plan may be used by the school, but is not required.
Schools using a format other than that provided are to show correlations with components stipulated in the standards and in the guidelines.
The Division of Accountability will report annually to the Board of Education on the status of three-year School Improvement Plans and annual reports.
To guide schools in the development of these plans, planning quality indicators have been posted on the Office of Accreditation home page. Click on School Improvement Planning under the Academic Reviews heading.
Schools rated
Accredited with Warning (in a specific content area) for a second or third
consecutive year are not required to develop an additional three-year
School Improvement Plan. These schools
may revise their current three-year School Improvement Plans to include
academic review team findings; revise goals, objectives, and strategies; and
extend the timeframes by one year.
A suggested
format and directions for completing the three-year School Improvement Plan are
included in Attachment A of this memo. The format and directions also can be
obtained as Read-Only documents by clicking on the Forms tab on the DOE
home page or by going to the Office of Accreditation home page and clicking on
Suggested Format for Three-year School Improvement Plan.
The
three-year School Improvement Plan should be electronically transmitted to the
Division of Educational Accountability at accredit@mail.vak12ed.edu. A signed
and dated cover page, showing the date of local school board approval, should
be mailed to the Division of Educational Accountability or faxed to
804-786-9763. While electronic
transmission of the three-year School Improvement Plan is preferred, it may be
mailed along with the signed and dated coversheet.
If you have questions, please contact any of the following staff in the office of accreditation: Cheri Magill, director, at 804-225-2708; Ed Holstrom, specialist, at 804-225-3122, or Jan Callis, specialist, at 804-692-0250.
JLD/CCM/CWF/pfm