Superintendent's Memo #093-10
COMMONWEALTH of VIRGINIA
Department of Education
April 23, 2010
TO: Division Superintendents
FROM: Patricia I. Wright, Superintendent of Public Instruction
SUBJECT: Collection of Data Relative to Compliance with the Standards of Quality and Other Certifications for 2009-2010
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 Virginia 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/2009/180-09.shtml.
As was the case with the prior submissions, the Department will use an electronic data collection instrument, using the Single Sign-On for Web-based Systems (SSWS), to collect your compliance data. The Standards of Quality Compliance application will be available in SSWS beginning on Monday, April 26, 2010.
The following suggestions are offered that will help to expedite your collection and reporting of SOQ Compliance information:
- A contact person in your division reports certain school information through the Educational Registry Application (ERA). To eliminate delays in entering SOQ Compliance data, please have your ERA contact person ensure that the name and contact information have been entered for the SOQ Compliance contact person.
- If the ERA 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) 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 school division’s SSWS account manager must assign a login and password to the following individuals:
- The SOQ Compliance contact person.
- Any central office staff responsible for entering or reviewing data.
School divisions will be able to submit SOQ Compliance data to the Department’s 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 within the SSWS application. These instructions also provide information on any changes to the application for the 2009-2010 data collection.
- In all instances, corrective action plans that may be required for issues of noncompliance are embedded in the SOQ Compliance application.
- The division’s data must be submitted via SSWS to the Department of Education no later than May 31, 2010, 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 the Policy Office at policydata@doe.virginia.gov or at (804) 225-2092, 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 for future reference.
- Only 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 June 11, 2010. Please do not send the entire report to the Department.
As was the case with the 2008-2009 submission, all divisions will be asked to certify compliance with a section of the SSWS application that does not contain requirements that are part of the Standards of Quality. Please note the 2009-2010 submission, the section, titled “Nonstandards: Other Miscellaneous Reporting Requirements,” contains additional questions and information that was not part of the submission in prior year.
Any legislative changes to the Standards of Quality approved by the 2010 General Assembly will be included in the 2010-2011 submission. More information regarding these changes will be transmitted through another superintendent’s memorandum to be issued at a later date.
If you have questions regarding the 2009-2010 compliance submission, please do not hesitate to contact the Office of Policy and Communications at (804) 225-2092 or by e-mail at policydata@doe.virginia.gov. We strongly encourage you to submit your signed submissions by fax to (804) 530-4502 or by e-mail to policydata@doe.virginia.gov. An original form is not required. If you require assistance with the ERA application, please send questions to Resultshelp@doe.virginia.gov.
PIW/MMV/kfg
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