COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 67

April 1, 2005

INFORMATIONAL

TO:	Division Superintendents
FROM:	Jo Lynne DeMary Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT:	2005 Content/Teaching Academies

The Virginia Department of Education is collaborating with James Madison University to sponsor the 2005 Content/Teaching Academies on June 20-24, 2005. These academies will provide instruction in each of the four assessed Standards of Learning areas and special education. The academies will integrate strategies from the Strategic Instruction Model (SIM) developed by The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning Institute for Effective Instruction. Each academy will focus on the following:

• Mathematics reasoning;
• Science - Earth science topics;
• English writing and reading;
• History and Social Science United States History and Civics and Economics; and
• Special Education written expression.

The Department of Education will fund 250 middle and high school teachers (50 teachers in each of the following academies, special education, English, mathematics, history and social science, and science) to attend this high quality professional development that will provide teachers with content-focused instruction and research-validated instructional strategies. These academies will meet the High Quality Professional Development Standards. Priority will be given to teachers from schools accredited with warning.

The Virginia Department of Education will also provide single occupancy, air-conditioned lodging and meals on the James Madison University campus. Certificates of attendance will be awarded to all participants and content area college credit will be available to the 250 teachers. The registration form is available at http://coe.jmu.edu/Academy2005/.

Applications must be received no later than April 22, 2005.

For further information, please contact Diane Gillam diane.gillam@doe.virginia.gov), specialist, Office of Special Education Instructional Services, at (804) 371-8283 or Eric Rhoades (eric.rhoades@doe.virginia.gov), coordinator of science, Office of Middle and High School Instruction, at (804) 225-2676.

JLD/dcg