Memorandum of Understanding, A Collaborative Partnership to Improve Student Outcomes

Purposeful Partnership for Student Success

The Virginia Department of Education (the Department) works in partnership with all school divisions to improve teaching and learning, set high expectations for all students, and promote student safety, wellbeing, and health. When a school division faces broader challenges that affect student learning, additional support may be provided through a memorandum of understanding (MOU).

An MOU is a formal agreement between the State Board of Education and local board of education that focuses on improving the school division as a whole. Rather than addressing issues one school at a time, the MOU helps strengthen systems, practices, and supports across the entire division. An MOU is established when challenges impact student learning. The MOU looks at the school division as a whole to strengthen systems, practices, and support.

Through an MOU, expectations, resources, and responsibilities are clearly aligned so everyone is working toward shared goals. The agreement outlines targeted support, clear timelines, and shared accountability to help the division make lasting improvements. This collaborative approach is designed to support divisions improve outcomes for all students.

Identifying School Divisions for a Memorandum of Understanding

Requirements for identifying a division to enter an MOU are defined in the Virginia Consolidated State Plan and Code of Virginia (8VAC20-132-300G and § 22.1-253.13:3).

A division is required to enter MOU status when:

• 40% or more of its schools are identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement and/or Additional Targeted Support and Improvement, or
• The division has 10 or more schools identified for Comprehensive Support and Improvement, or
• When the State Board of Education determines through its review process that the failure of schools within a division to meet the standards established by the Board is related to division-level failure to implement the Standards of Quality or other division-level action or inaction, the Board may require a division-level academic review. After the conduct of such review and within the time specified by the Board, each school board shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Board.

Requirements for Memorandum of Understanding Divisions

Once identified, the division must:

• Complete a division-level academic and resource review. Outcomes of the reviews inform the content in the MOU.
• Enter into an MOU with the Virginia Board of Education.
• Develop and submit a corrective action plan for approval. This plan must:
  
  • Define roles for the local board, division staff, school staff, and state staff.
  • Include specific or essential actions and timelines aligned to address findings from the division level academic and resource review.
  • Be incorporated into the division’s comprehensive, unified, long-range plan.

Exit criteria will be collaboratively determined between the State and local school boards and included in the MOU.

Support for Memorandum of Understanding Divisions

Memorandum of Understanding divisions receive extensive support from the Virginia Department of Education, including:

• Regular progress meetings with the Office of School Improvement.
• Financial support sessions with the Department’s Finance and Budget teams.
• Technical assistance and follow-up activities provided by Office of Instruction, Office of Excellence and Best Practice, or other Department teams.
• Priority placement in professional learning opportunities led and/or sponsored by the Department.
• Approval for new or modified instructional programs, new licensed staff hires, and use of federal funds to ensure alignment with improvement goals.
• Training for local school boards and leadership teams.
• External partners and consultants to assist with leadership and instructional improvement.
• Monitoring protocols to track progress on corrective action plans and school performance indicators.
• Support with selection of new/interim superintendent in the event of a vacancy at the division superintendent level.

Additionally, school divisions under a Memorandum of Understanding receive targeted assistance and oversight from the Virginia Department of Education and the Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) to ensure progress and accountability. These supports include:

• Bi-Annual Leadership Meetings: Twice a year, the local school board meets with the Virginia Board of Education. At a minimum, these meetings include the Division Superintendent, Local School Board Chair, State Superintendent, and VBOE President. These sessions review progress, address challenges, and reinforce accountability.
• Leadership Transition Support: In the event of a superintendent vacancy, the division must provide the VBOE President and State Superintendent with the credentials of applicants or interim superintendent candidates within a timeframe specified by the VBOE.
• Local Division Provides Quarterly Progress Reports to the local school board: The division provides reports that share the progress towards meeting improvement goals, implementation status of the corrective action plan, student performance data, and next steps.
• Present Annual Reports to the Virginia Board of Education: The division provides a comprehensive annual report detailing progress towards improvement goals, implementation status of the corrective action plan, student performance data, and priority areas for continued focus in the upcoming school year.
• An Ex-Officio State Participant to the Local School Board to attend all regular school board meetings: The Board identifies an ex-officio, non-voting representative who attends all regular school board meetings and provides monthly written updates to the Board of Education and the Superintendent.

These supports are designed to help divisions implement systemic changes and sustain improvement over time.

Resources

For more information about the Memorandum of Understanding process, history, and requirements, please refer to the following resources:

• Virginia Board of Education Presentation: Memorandum of Understanding: History and Proposed Modifications
• Virginia Standards of Quality: § 22.1-253.13:3
• Standards of Accreditation: 8VAC20-132-300
• Virginia’s ESSA Plan: Virginia Consolidated State Plan