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Virginia Department of Education

Information on this page is provided by the Office of School Improvement.

Staff Contacts

School Improvement & Reform

Academic Reviews

Overview of the Academic Review Processes (PDF)

Academic Review Handbook (PDF) – Updated November 4, 2011

School Improvement Process Questions (Word)

On-site Review Form for First Year Warned Schools (Word)

Self Study Forms (Word)

High School Accreditation

Accredited with Warning – Graduation Completion Index or Provisionally Accredited – Graduation Completion Index

• Modified Academic Review Process for High Schools (PDF)
• Checklist for LEA Division Contacts and School Principals of Schools:
  • Provisionally Accredited – Graduation Rate (Word)
  • Warned – Graduation Rate (Word)
• Virginia Early Warning System (VEWS) Tool Pre-HS Data Upload Instructions – October 12 2011 (PPT)
• The Eight Elements of High School Improvement: A Mapping Framework (PDF)
• Early Warning System Monitoring Instructions and Materials
  • Early Warning System Progress Monitoring – November 17 and 22, 2011 (PPT)
  • Instructions for Early Warning Monitoring Report (Word)
  • Early Warning System Report Form (XLS)
  • High School Team Agenda and Meeting Report Template (Word)

Division-Level Academic Review

Division-level academic reviews provide information to determine whether a local school board is meeting its responsibilities under the Standards of Quality (SOQ); provide the local school board with essential actions necessary to correct any areas of SOQ noncompliance and for improving educational performance as part of a required corrective action plan; and to monitor, enforce and report on the local school board’s development and implementation of the required corrective action plan.

• Monitoring School Division Compliance with Certain Standards of Quality Related to Increasing Educational Performance (PDF) – Description of the process 
• Local School Board Statutory Responsibilities Under the SOQ and Schools’ Regulatory Responsibilities Under the Board of Education SOA (PDF) – Chart showing the correlations of responsibilities under the SOQ & SOA

School-Level Academic Review

The school-level academic review is designed to help schools identify and analyze instructional and organizational factors affecting student achievement. The focus of the review process is on the systems, processes, and practices that are being implemented at the school and division levels.

Resources

• Academic Review Protocol for Mathematics Targeted Review for First Year Warned School (PDF)
• Mathematics Report and Essential Actions for Middle School Mathematics (Word)
• Observation Rubric for Mathematics Lesson (Word)
• School-Level Academic Review for Mathematics Summary Page (Word)
• Academic Review Protocol for First Year Warned School in English, History and Science (PDF)
• Essential Actions (Word)
• School Adoption of a Research-Based Instructional Intervention (XLS) – Form

• Areas of Review and Their Indicators (Word) 

School Support Teams

For those schools that were warned in the previous year and received an onsite academic review, the School Support Team (SST) reviews the current plan and provides technical assistance to the school to update the school improvement plan based on new accountability data. The team consists of VDOE staff and/or independent contractors trained in developing, implementing and monitoring the school improvement plan. The team provides focused technical assistance and monitors the school improvement plan throughout the year as prescribed by the level of assistance assigned.

The school support team monitors and provides technical assistance to the school during the time it is rated accredited with warning. For more information on the on the School Support Team, see: October 7, 2005 – Superintendent's Memo: Modifications to the School-Level Academic Review Process Approved by the Board of Education.

• Questions and Answers about the Instructional Support Team Model (PDF)
• School Improvement Seminar: A School Support Team Resource – Use of NCLB Funds (PPT) November 14, 2005
• LEA and School Improvement Non-Regulatory Guidance (PDF) From USED
• SOA and Title I: School Improvement Plan Requirements (PDF)
• Using NCLB Funds to Support Extended Learning Time (PDF)
• SST Visit Resources for Team Leaders
  • School Support Team Protocol for Second and Third Year Warned Schools (PDF)
  • Principal's Interview Questions (Word)

Conditional Accreditation

Schools that are rated Accreditated with Warning for three consecutive years and do not improve their rating in the fourth year, may apply for Conditional Accreditation from the Board of Education in lieu of receiving an Accreditation Denied rating.

• Corrective Action Plan (Word) – a step-by-step flowchart for compliance with the Standards of Accreditation.

Alternative Accreditation Plans

• Request For Waiver Of Certain Accrediting Standards And/Or Approval Of An Innovative Or Experimental Program (Word)
• Request For Approval Of An Alternative Accreditation Plan – Graduation Cohort Of Fifty Or Fewer Students (Word)
• Request For Approval Of An Alternative Accreditation Plan (Word)
• Evaluation Criteria – Alternative Accreditation Plan For Special Purpose Schools (Word)

Also see, School Improvement Planning

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