Adopting Revisions to the Standards of Quality
Resolution Number 2006-34
November 29, 2006
The Board of Education adopts revisions to the Standards of Quality to be submitted to the 2007 General Assembly for its consideration, as follows:
Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning and other educational objectives
- Clarify that the program of instruction offered by local school divisions includes the knowledge and skills needed for gainful employment to prepare students to achieve economic self-sufficiency.
- Add a requirement that the programs of prevention, intervention, and remediation offered by the school division include components that are research-based.
- Clarify that remediation is required if a student fails to achieve a passing score on all Standards of Learning tests in the grade, or who fails an end-of-course Standards of Learning test required for the award of a verified credit. Remediation may be required if the student fails to achieve a passing score on one or more, but not all, Standards of Learning tests in grades three through eight.
- Add a requirement for the early identification, diagnosis, and assistance for students with problems with mathematics, and provision of instructional strategies and practices that benefit the development of mathematics skills for all students.
Standard 2. Instructional, administrative, and support personnel.
- Require one full-time principal in each elementary school
- Require one full-time assistant principal for each 400 students in each elementary, middle, and secondary school.
- Require one full-time instructional position for each 1,000 students to serve as the reading specialist. Require one full-time instructional position for each 1,000 students in grades kindergarten through eight to serve as the mathematics teacher specialist.
- Reduce the state required speech language pathologist caseload from 68 to 60 students.
- Require one full-time position per 1,000 students licensed by the Board of Education to serve as the data manager/test coordinator.
- Require local school boards to maintain pupil-teacher ratios for students who are blind or vision impaired
at not less than the following levels: Level I, resource teacher, 24 to one; Level II, self-contained with an aide, 10 to one; self-contained without an aide, eight to one, or Level II, self-contained student weight of 2.5.
Standard 3. Accreditation, other standards and evaluation
- Add language specifying that the cumulative eighth grade history and social science Standards of Learning test will be eliminated after the 2007-2008 school year. Instead, all school divisions must administer the United States History to 1877, United States History: 1877 to the Present, and Civics and Economics Standards of Learning tests.
- Clarify that the School Performance Report Card must include Standards of Learning test results disaggregated by student subgroups.
Standard 4. Student achievement and graduation requirements
- Clarify that provisions be made to facilitate the transfer and appropriate grade placement of students from other public secondary schools, from nonpublic schools, and from home instruction.
- Require that school divisions notify parents of secondary students of not just the number of standard and verified credits needed for graduation, but also the subject area requirements.
Standard 5. Teacher quality and educational leadership
- Add a requirement that the local school board provide teachers and principals with professional development programs in effective classroom management.
Standard 6. Planning and public involvement
- Clarify that the strategies for improving student achievement in the Board of Education's comprehensive plan, as well as the local school board's comprehensive plan, focus attention on the achievement of educationally at-risk students.
Standard 7. School board policies
- Clarify that the current school division policies made available to the public include the Student Conduct Policy.
- Require that the school division policies be posted on the school division's website.
Mark E. Emblidge, President
Board of Education
Adopted in the Minutes of the Virginia Board of Education
November 29, 2006