DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
P.O.
SUPTS. MEMO NO. 135
July 14, 2006
INFORMATIONAL
|
TO: |
Division
Superintendents |
|
FROM: |
Billy K. Cannaday,Jr. Superintendent
of Public Instruction |
|
SUBJECT: |
Transmittal
of the 2006 Standards of Quality |
This memorandum provides information regarding the changes
to the Code of
The 2006
General Assembly revised the SOQ through the following legislation:
House
Bill 19 amended the Standards of Quality to direct the Board of Education to collect,
analyze, and report high school graduation and dropout data using a
standardized formula prescribed by the Board.
The standardized formula becomes effective on October 1, 2008. The bill permits
the Board of Education to promulgate such regulations as may be necessary and
appropriate for the collection, analysis and reporting of such data. The bill also contains an enactment clause
that requires the Board to report to the House Committee on Education and the
Senate Committee on Education and Health by December 1, 2006, the formula that
will be used for the uniform assessment of high school graduation rates.
See
22.1-253.13:4 of the Code.
House
Bill 348 and Senate
Bill 39 amended the Standards of Quality to authorize the Board of
Education to initiate
or cause to be initiated a review or investigation of any alleged breach in
security, unauthorized alteration, or improper administration of tests by local
school board employees responsible for the distribution or administration of
tests.
See
22.1-253.13:3 of the Code.
House
Bill 813 amended
the Standards of Quality to permit the Board of Education to adopt special
provisions related to the administration and use of any Standards of Learning
(SOL) test or tests in a content area as applied to accreditation ratings for
any period during which the SOL content or assessments in that area are being
revised and phased in. Prior to
statewide administration of such tests, the Board of Education shall provide
notice to local school boards regarding such special provisions.
See
22.1-253.13:3 of the Code.
House Bill 1059 and Senate Bill 34 amended the
Standards of Quality to require that the
Board of Education make assessments publicly available in a timely manner and
as soon as practicable following the administration of such tests, so long as
the release of such assessments does not compromise test security or deplete
the bank of assessment questions necessary to construct subsequent tests, or limit the ability to test students on
demand and provide immediate results in the Web-based assessment system.
See
22.1-253.13:3 of the Code.
House Bill 1058 and Senate
Bill 71, while not amending the Standards of Quality (SOQ), shifts the Board
of Educations review of the SOQ from odd-numbered to even-numbered years. The amendments to
22.1-18.01 of the Code also
clarify that in any odd-numbered year following the year in which the Board
proposes changes to the SOQ, the budget estimates that are required to be
reported pursuant to 2.2-1504
shall take into consideration the Boards proposed SOQ.
I hope that
you will find this information helpful.
You can find the final legislative reports for the 2006 General Assembly
session on the departments website at www.doe.virginia.gov
under Legislative Tracking.
Please
contact the Office of Policy and Communications at (804) 225-2403 or by e-mail
at policy@doe.virginia.gov, if you
need additional information.
Attachments
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/inf135a.pdf
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/administrators/superintendents_memos/2006/inf135b.pdf