COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

P.O. BOX 2120

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA 23218-2120

SUPTS. MEMO NO. 12

March 24, 2006

ADMINISTRATIVE

TO:

Division Superintendents

 

FROM:

Patricia I. Wright

Acting Superintendent of Public Instruction

 

SUBJECT:

Collection of Data Relative to Compliance with the Standards of Quality for 2005-2006

 

 

Each year as a part of the annual report to the General Assembly on the condition and needs of public education in Virginia, the Board of Education is required to report the level of compliance by local school boards with the requirements of the Standards of Quality (SOQ). This requirement is in response to 22.1-18 of the Code of Virginia. The information required to prepare the majority of this report is not available to the Department of Education from other sources. The complete text of the current standards can be found on our website at http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2005/inf142b.pdf.

 

This year, the department has developed an electronic data collection instrument, using the single sign on for Web application systems (SWSS). The following suggestions are offered that will help to expedite your collection and reporting of SOQ Compliance information:

 

  1. Entering the data will require the use of an Internet browser. Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher or Netscape 6.0 or higher must be used. Please ensure the availability of either browser version at the site(s) at which data will be entered.

 

  1. Earlier this year, a contact person in your division reported certain school information through the School and Staff Administration Data Collection (School ID). To eliminate delays in entering SOQ Compliance data, please have your school and staff administration contact person ensure that the name and contact information have been entered for the SOQ Compliance contact person.

 

  1. If the school and staff administration contact person determines that information described above has been submitted incorrectly or that no information has been submitted, he or she must take the necessary steps to correct the information (using Web-based application directions provided in Superintendents Memorandum ADM No. 31) at least one day prior to entering data in the SOQ Compliance application.

 

As with other electronic data collection applications, anyone entering or reviewing SOQ Compliance data must have a login and password. Your SSWS account manager must assign a login and password to the following individuals:

 

1.     The SOQ Compliance contact person

 

2.     Any central office staff responsible for entering or reviewing data

 

School divisions will be able to submit SOQ Compliance data to the departments database only if the above items are in place.

 

Additional information related to entering SOQ Compliance data:

 

  • SOQ Compliance information is entered through the SSWS SOQ Compliance application.
  • Instructions for answering questions and verification forms are available at the link below and through the SOQ Compliance application.
  • In all instances, corrective action plans that may be required for issues of noncompliance are embedded in the SOQ Compliance application for use as the data are entered.
  • The divisions data must be submitted via the SWSS system to the Department of Education no later than May 9, 2006, in the manner prescribed by the directions on the website.
  • After the division submits its data, the SOQ Compliance application window will lock. Superintendents needing to enter or correct data beyond that date must contact Michelle Vucci, director of policy, at (804) 225-2403, to regain access to the SOQ Compliance application. After all data have been entered, the system will generate a report of your responses in PDF format that you may print and keep for your records or that you may save to disk for future reference.
  • The first page of the report must be signed by the division superintendent and chairman of the school board, and submitted to the Office of Policy no later than May 19, 2006. Please do not send the entire report to the department.

 

 

If you have questions regarding this submission, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Policy and Communications at (804) 225-2403 or by e-mail to policy@doe.virginia.gov.

 

PIW/ADW/jcj

 

Attachments

 

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/adm012a.pdf

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/adm012b.pdf