11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Mission Statement

The mission of the Department of Education is to lead and facilitate the development and implementation of a quality public education system that meets the needs of students and assists them in becoming educated, productive, and responsible citizens.

Vision Statement

The vision of the Department of Education, in cooperation with the Board of Education, local school boards, and other partners, is to create an excellent statewide system of public education that equips all students with the knowledge and skills to excel in postsecondary education and careers and to become capable, responsible, and self-reliant citizens.

Service Performance and Productivity

• Summary of current service performance
  The Standards of Learning (SOL) program has produced such significant and widespread increases in student achievement that the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is able to focus more of its attention and resources on school divisions that have not shared in this success. The department also is implementing an incentive program for high-performing schools and school divisions that reflects Governor Timothy M. Kaine’s goal of encouraging excellence while continuing to maintain accountability for minimum competency standards.
  
  School Improvement Activities
  Aggressive interventions by VDOE’s Office of School Improvement and well-defined partnerships between the Board of Education and local schools boards have produced positive results in districts previously identified as low performing. For example:
  • Lee County Public Schools underwent a voluntary division-level academic review in 2004. By November 2006, Lee County had met all of the objectives of its corrective action plan and was released by the Board from the division-level academic review process.
  • Richmond Public Schools was released from the division-level academic review process in February 2007 after 42 out of the city’s 49 schools earned full accreditation. Technical assistance from VDOE is now focused on the seven Richmond schools still not meeting state and federal standards for achievement.
  
  In the most aggressive intervention to date, the Petersburg School Board agreed in November 2006 to a memorandum of understanding with the Board of Education and a corrective action plan including the following goals:
  • Raising student achievement during the first year of the memorandum to the point that at least a third of the division’s schools achieve full accreditation and at least five meet all benchmarks under No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).
  • By the end of second year, at least seven schools must achieve full accreditation and make adequate yearly progress under NCLB.
  
  Virginia Index of Performance
  The department is implementing an incentive program approved by the Board in July 2007 to reward and recognize fully accredited schools and school divisions making significant progress toward academic excellence. The Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) award points to schools and divisions based on the percentage of students achieving at the advanced level on Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments and progress made toward educational goals advocated by Governor Timothy M. Kaine and adopted by the Board.
  
  In addition to earning points for advanced achievement on SOL tests, schools and divisions earn bonus points for progress toward excellence in other areas, including increasing:
  • Enrollment of at-risk four-year-olds in the Virginia Preschool Initiative
  • The percentage of students reading at grade level by the third grade
  • Enrollment in Algebra I by grade 8
  • Enrollment of high school students in college-level courses
  • High school graduation rates
  • The percentage of graduates with advanced diplomas and industry certifications
  
  Eligible school divisions and schools earning at least 80 out of a possible 100 points will receive a Governor’s VIP Award for Educational Excellence. To qualify, schools and divisions also must meet all state and federal achievement benchmarks for two consecutive years and meet or exceed all VIP objectives, which reflect Governor Kaine’s competence to excellence agenda.
  
  Schools and divisions that do not qualify for a Governor’s VIP Award for Education Excellence may qualify for one of the following recognitions:
  • VIP Excellence Award for meeting state and federal achievement standards for two consecutive years and earning a VIP score of 80 points or more.
  • VIP Competence to Excellence Award for meeting state and federal achievement benchmarks for two consecutive years and earning a VIP score between 75 and 80 points.
  • VIP Rising Star Award for meeting state and federal achievement standards for two consecutive years while significantly improving VIP scores.
  
  VIP awards will be announced annually in the fall based on achievement during the previous school year. Awards may include banners, plaques and monetary awards.
  
  NAEP
  Results from the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) show that the reading and mathematics skills of Virginia students continue to improve and that the commonwealth’s students remain among the nation’s highest achievers in these subjects.
  
  Average achievement for Virginia fourth- and eighth-grade students in reading and mathematics on the 2007 tests was significantly higher than that of students nationwide and in the South. Students in only two states performed at what the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) considers a statistically higher level on the fourth-grade reading test, and students in only five states achieved at a higher level on the eighth-grade reading test. The performance of Virginia’s fourth graders was especially noteworthy as overall achievement increased in both reading and mathematics.
  
  In no state did African-American fourth and eighth graders perform at a statistically higher level in reading and mathematics than African-American students in Virginia. African-American fourth graders in Virginia also narrowed the achievement gap with White students in reading by six points. For the first time since the NAEP began in the early 1990s, a majority - 60 percent - of African-American fourth graders demonstrated reading proficiency at or above the Basic level. Virginia also was the only state where African American students improved their performance in mathematics at both grade levels from 2005 to 2007.
  
  In addition, Hispanic students outperformed peers nationwide in reading and math. Hispanic achievement in Virginia in both grades 4 and 8 was 12 points higher than the national averages.
  
  The achievement of Virginia students on the NAEP is especially satisfying in light of the fact that it was a steep decline in reading achievement on the NAEP in the early 1990s that awakened educators and policy makers in the Commonwealth to the need for more rigorous standards for both students and schools.
  
  No Child Left Behind
  Seven out of ten of the commonwealth’s public schools met or exceeded increased No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) achievement objectives in reading and mathematics during the 2006-2007 school year. Overall achievement in both subjects increased compared with the previous year.
  Highlights of the 2006-2007 results are as follows:
  • Results from testing in 2006-2007 also showed that high school students increased their achievement on all Standards of Learning (SOL) tests in English reading, English writing, mathematics, history and science required for graduating with a Standard or Advanced Studies diploma.
  • Middle school students also contributed to an overall four-point increase in mathematics achievement by making significant gains in performance on rigorous, grade-level mathematics assessments introduced during the 2005-2006 school year.
  • Of the 1,823 open schools that earned Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) ratings, 72 percent met the federal education law’s requirements for AYP despite higher benchmarks for reading and mathematics.
  • The AYP benchmarks for achievement in reading and mathematics were each four points higher than during the previous school year.
  • Virginia as a state met or exceeded all of the objectives for participation in statewide testing and achievement except in the reading performance of limited English proficient (LEP) students.
  • Fifty-eight of Virginia’s 132 school divisions made AYP during 2006-2007, compared with 72 during the previous year.
  • In 23 school divisions, all schools made AYP.
  • Achievement in mathematics rebounded during 2006-2007 as students improved on their performance on grade-level tests first introduced during 2005-2006 in grades 4, 6 and 7. Overall, 80 percent of Virginia students tested last year in mathematics passed, compared with 76 percent in 2005-2006.
  • Middle school students improved upon their performance on mathematics tests introduced during 2005-2006, and high school students increased achievement on all three end-of-course mathematics tests linked to the commonwealth’s diploma requirements.
  • Overall mathematics achievement of African-American and Hispanic students increased with noteworthy gains on tests in Algebra and Geometry.
  • Overall achievement in reading increased slightly with 85 percent of Virginia students passing SOL and other tests in reading during 2006-2007 compared with 84 percent during 2005-2006.
  • African-American and Hispanic students made significant gains on the English SOL reading test required for graduation with a Standard or Advanced Studies diploma:
  • Science achievement increased overall and in all student subgroups during 2006-2007. Eighty-eight percent of Virginia students passed tests in science, compared with 85 percent during 2005-2006.
  • Student achievement increased on the four high school history/social science tests.
  • Twelve Title I schools made AYP for a second consecutive year, and by doing so, exited school-improvement status.
  • Seventy-three percent of Virginia’s 699 Title I schools made AYP based on achievement during 2006-2007.
  • Fourteen Title I schools entered or remained in “year two” of improvement status, and in addition to offering transfers, must also provide supplemental educational services or tutoring free-of-charge to children who request these services.
  • Fourteen Title I schools also entered or remained in “year three” of improvement status. These schools must offer transfers and tutoring, and take at least one of several corrective actions specified in the law to raise student achievement.
  • Six Title I schools entered “year four” of improvement status. School divisions must begin developing alternative governance plans for these schools while continuing to offer transfers and tutoring, and continuing to implement corrective action.
  • Two Richmond middle schools entered or remained in “year five” of school improvement.
  • Vernon Johns Middle in Petersburg moved into “year six” of improvement after not making AYP for a seventh consecutive year. Vernon Johns Middle also must continue implementation of its alternative governance plan to increase achievement.
• Summary of current productivity
  The staff of the Department of Education focus efforts on promoting leadership and service among administrators and educators who teach the children enrolled in Virginia’s public schools. The department also provides resources and services that directly impact children and their schools. The Department of Education provides the following services:
  • Assists local school divisions in the design and implementation of instructional programs with emphasis on the implementation of high academic standards designed to increase student achievement, including technical expertise and leadership in the areas of professional development, parental involvement, positive educational environments and the interpretation of federal and state initiatives, policies, regulations and guidelines.
  
  • Provides workshops and other training opportunities for educators and works collaboratively with public and private agencies, associations, foundations and consortia to address educational needs and concerns.
  
  • Provides leadership, coordination and support of instructional programs related to pre-K through twelfth grade, including English, mathematics, science and history/social science.
  
  • Coordinates the Virginia Preschool Initiative, Even Start, the Early Intervention Reading Initiative and Reading First, English-language arts; the fine arts; health, physical education and driver education; gifted education and Governor’s schools; history, social sciences and international education; mathematics; science; school counseling; and foreign languages.
  
  • Manages test development, administration, scoring and reporting of results for the various statewide assessment programs including include the Standards of Learning testing program, the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program, the Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program, the Virginia Grade Level Alternative and the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
  
  • Distributes state, federal, or special funds to school divisions and provides technical assistance to school divisions in the areas of accounting, budget, pupil transportation, school nutrition programs, facilities and energy and procurement.
  
  • Oversees payments to school divisions, including entitlement payments and state and federal reimbursement requests; processing central office transactions; reporting required state and federal financial information; and providing technical assistance related to payments, reports and compliance to locality and department employees.
  
  • Conducts, coordinates and oversees scientifically based research and analyses conducted by the department and in cooperation with partner agencies and organizations.
  
  • Promotes student learning and achievement by assisting schools and school divisions in the implementation of effective instructional strategies and best practices including school-level and division-level academic reviews, school improvement planning, and innovative programs such as the Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS).
  
  • Provides information and technical assistance regarding public education funding to school divisions, the General Assembly, state agencies and professional organizations.
  
  • Maintains the Standards of Quality funding model, other state and federal financial reports, and the Literary Fund school construction loan program.
  
  • Administers and monitors the United States Department of Agriculture programs in Virginia localities: National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Afterschool Snack, Summer National School Lunch and Summer School Breakfast.
  
  • Provides technical assistance to local school divisions on pupil transportation and school facilities issues, including developing school bus specifications; conducting trainer certification; and assisting on matters of school planning, construction and maintenance.
  
  • Assists local school divisions with implementation of the requirements under the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 through professional development, technical assistance, and program monitoring activities.
  
  • Operates as the designated agency to coordinate all secondary adult education and literacy services in the commonwealth.
  
  • Provides technical assistance and oversight for career and technical courses and programs.
  
  • Provides technical assistance regarding laws and regulations, federal special education program monitoring and accountability, due process procedures and hearings, interagency agreements (such as the Comprehensive Services Act), school health programs, Medicaid reporting and parent information programs.
  
  • Revises state special education regulations, addresses inquiries related to these regulatory provisions, and provides training to parents and school administrators and other consumers, on these requirements
  
  • Provides oversight and supervision for the two Virginia schools for the deaf and the blind.
  
  • Oversees a variety of programs that directly and indirectly support students in school and community settings, including the program areas of Safe and Drug Free Schools, school safety and student conduct, dropout and truancy prevention, child abuse and neglect, character education, family life education, and homeless education.
  
  • Provides technical assistance for school health services, parent information/ombudsman services, school psychology, school social work, state operated programs for students with disabilities, and Instructional Support Team Initiatives (IST) in Virginia.
  
  • Maintains the responsibility for monitoring local compliance with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act ( IDEA) and civil rights laws to ensure the correction of deficiencies in program operations.
  
  • Administers licensing of private day and residential schools for children with disabilities, management of Schools for Students with Disabilities Fund and technical assistance to education agencies on the management of student scholastic records.
  
  • Assists the Board of Education, the Governor and the General Assembly in the development of legislation, regulations and policies that promote student learning and achievement and to provide timely and accurate information about public education in the commonwealth.
  
  • Maintains working relationships with the news media and educational organizations to ensure the timely distribution of accurate information about the agency and Virginia’s public schools
  
  • Provides support to the General Assembly by tracking legislation, providing information to its members and advising agency personnel of critical issues identified by the General Assembly, both when in session and out-of-session
  
  • Oversees preparation programs for school personnel, including implementation of state and federal regulations assuring high quality preparation of teachers, administrators, central office personnel and other educators required by regulation to hold a license to practice in the preK-12 schools.
  
  • Implements the process of licensing school personnel required by the Board of Education.
  
  • Manages and analyses education data for accountability purposes, media production services, distance learning programs, educational technology leadership training and technical assistance, grant distribution and management, technology planning, software and materials review, instructional television liaison and library media services
  
  • Provides a quality and timely human-resource program based on positive customer service for employees and external clients and to promote fair and consistent human resources practices.

Initiatives, Rankings and Customer Trends

• Summary of Major Initiatives and Related Progress
  Major Initiative1: To improve the quality standards for all public schools in Virginia.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Expanded list of industry, professional or trade association examinations and occupational competency assessments to meet requirements of SOA (CTE/Advanced Mathematics Seal and student-selected verified credit): 2/23/2005; 11/29/2006
  
  Reviewed/approved requests for waivers of provisions of the SOA: 2/23/2005
  
  Reviewed and amended the SOA, effective September 2006
  
  Initiated regulatory review process to revise certain sections of the SOA: 2/28/2007
  
  Approved special provisions of SOA related to the use of test scores in calculating accreditation ratings for 2005-2006: 7/2005
  
  Reviewed the Standards of Quality and initiated discussion on possible areas for revision: April 2006 planning session
  
  Approved requests from local school boards for increased graduation requirements: 4/20/2005; 6/28/2006
  
  Revised and updated the Guidance document Governing Certain Provisions of the SOA: 9/27/2006
  
  Approved requests for Conditionally Accredited Rating from Richmond City and Sussex County: 10/25/2006
  
  Adopted revisions to the Standards of Quality and forwarded prescribed amendments to the 2007 General Assembly: 11/29/2006
  
  Board’s SOQ Committee examined current school safety initiatives and reviewed and discussed proposed amendments to the SOQ, which were subsequently adopted by the full Board.
  
  Major Initiative 2: To provide leadership to help schools and school divisions close the achievement gap and increase the academic success of all students.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Adopted list of approved textbook and instructional materials for mathematics, English and literature, and foreign language: 1/12/205
  
  Adopted revised Standards of Learning in the following subjects:
  Computer Technology for Grades K-12: 6/25/2005
  Fine Arts: 4/26/2006
  English Language Proficiency: final adoption scheduled for Fall 2007
  Foreign Language: 2/28/2007
  Economics and Financial Literacy: 4/26/2006
  
  Initiated revision of SOL for Health, Physical Education, and Driver Education: completion date is scheduled for early 2008
  
  Initiated revision of History and Social Science SOL: completion date is scheduled for early 2008
  
  Initiated new SOL for new, optional high school mathematics course: completion date is scheduled for Fall 2007
  
  Approved adjustments to cut scores for reading subtest of Stanford English Language Proficiency Test when used as a substitute for the Standards of Learning Grade 3 English test and the grade 5 and 8 Standards of Learning Reading tests: 5/25/2005
  
  Approved locally developed and/or selected English Language Proficiency assessments for LEP: 10/26/2005
  
  Set or reviewed cut scores for the following:
  SOL End-of-course English: Reading and Algebra II tests: 11/30/2005
  SOL Mathematics and Reading tests in grades 3 through 8: 5/24/2006
  SOL Writing tests for grades 5 and 8: 5/25/2006
  Virginia Alternate Assessment Program: 7/26/2006
  Literacy and numeracy assessments required for Modified Standard Diploma: 7/26/2006
  Mathematics and reading for Virginia Grade Level Alternative (VGLA): 11/29/2006
  ACT: Plan, the TABE Algebra/Geometry test and the Cambridge International Examination when used as substitute tests: 4/26/2006
  SAT I Writing test when used as a substitute test for the SOL end-of-course English: Writing test: 2/28/2007
  
  Approved the establishment of the Mountain Vista Governor’s School: 1/11/2006
  
  Approved a graduation rate formula: 11/29/2006
  
  Initiated a revision of the Regulations Governing Educational Services for Gifted Students:
  
  Board’s Committee on Dropout and Graduation Rates held briefings on national and state perspectives and effective practices for the prevention of high school dropouts; sponsored a panel of Virginia principals to learn more about reasons for and prevention of dropping out;
  
  Board’s Literacy Committee received detailed briefing on the proposed English Language Proficiency Standards, the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Research Study, and members participated in meetings with USED regarding LEP assessments; sponsored panel discussions on successful practices, interventions, and literacy approaches at middle and high schools
  
  Board’s Literacy Committee sponsored the statewide Literacy Policy Summit-- Closing the Achievement Gap: A Focus on Adolescent Literacy: 5/1/2007
  
  Major Initiative 3: To ensure meaningful, on-going professional development for professional educational personnel.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Adopted criteria for implementing experiential learning credits for alternate route applicants seeking initial licensure: 9/21/2005
  
  Major Initiative 4: To support accountability for all schools, with a focus on assisting chronically low-performing schools and school divisions.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Reviewed and approved local division remedial plans: annually
  Approved alternative accreditation plans for schools in Chesterfield, Hampton, Henrico, and Richmond City: 11/30/2005; Greensville County: 7/27/2005; extended approval for Hampton and Henrico: 9/27/2006;
  
  Approved withholding accreditation rating of Nandua High School and Oak Grove Elementary: 9/21/2005
  
  Examined findings of the school-level academic review process: 7/27/2005
  
  Promulgated regulations for conducting division-level academic reviews: 10/25/2006
  
  Reviewed and modified the school-level academic review process: 9/21/2005
  
  Revised the Remediation Recovery Guidelines: 10/26/2005
  
  Adopted report on regional alternative education programs: annually
  
  Adopted report on state-funded remedial programs: annually
  
  Met with Petersburg City school officials to examine and discuss status of the Memorandum of Understanding: 10/25/2007; 11/29/2006
  
  Released Lee County (11/29/2006) and Richmond City (2/28/2007) from the division-level academic review process
  
  Clarified pass rates required for the new reading and mathematics tests in grades 4, 6, and 7 for the 2006-2007 accreditation ratings: 2/15/2006
  
  Board’s Literacy Committee received detailed briefing on the proposed English Language Proficiency Standards, the Limited English Proficiency (LEP) Research Study, and members participated in meetings with USED regarding LEP assessments; sponsored panel discussions on successful practices, interventions, and literacy approaches at middle and high schools
  
  Board’s Committee on School and Division Accountability advised the Board on findings: review process for alternative accreditation plans for special purpose schools, reviewed the SOA guidance document; requests for the accreditation rating of Conditionally Accredited; and the Memorandum of Understanding framework
  
  Board’s Committee on School and Division Accountability met with representatives of Petersburg, Richmond City, Lee County, and Sussex County to examine the progress under the memorandum of Understanding and the division-level review process
  
  Major Initiative 5: To work cooperatively with partners to help ensure that young children are ready for school.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Received information on the following preschool standards:
  
  o Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Standards for Literacy and Mathematics: 1/12/2005
  o Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Standards for Science, History and Social Science, and Personal and Social Development: 10/26/2005
  o Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Standards for Physical and Motor Development and for Personal and Social Development: 2/28/2007
  
  Received and implemented a grant from the National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE) for Early Childhood Education: 6/2006
  
  Participated in meetings and activities of the Governor’s Start Strong Council
  
  Participated as a member of NASBE’s national study group on creating high quality early learning environments
  
  Board’s Quality Preschool Program Committee examined the Virginia Preschool Initiative, the Virginia Preschool Initiative Start-Up and Expansion Grants, and discussed the Early Childhood Alignment Project: 9/26/2006
  
  NASBE grant committee members observed Virginia Preschool Initiative classrooms in Arlington: 2/2007
  
  
  Major Initiative 6: To assist teachers to improve the reading skills of all students, kindergarten through grade 12.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Set cut score for the Virginia Reading Assessment test: 7/27/2005
  
  Sponsored the Literacy Summit in May 2007, bringing together local school superintendents, school board members, and other key policy leaders.
  
  Major Initiative 7: To continue efforts to enhance the training, recruitment, and retention of highly qualified teachers, educational support personnel, and administrators, with a focus on the needs of “hard to staff” schools.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Examined and revised Praxis I cut scores as recommended by ABTEL: 2/23/2005
  
  Approved Continuing Program Status or Approval with Stipulations for several college and university teacher training programs: on-going
  
  Reviewed and aligned “Highly Qualified” policies to requirements for special education teachers under IDEA: 4/20/2005
  
  Acted on recommendations of the Board’s special committee on teacher licensure assessments and revised licensure regulations accordingly: 2005
  
  Developed and adopted policies to be implemented in the Virginia Approved Programs for the Virginia Communications and Literacy Assessment, 11/30/2005
  
  Set cut scores for the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment: 3/22/2006
  
  Adopted a High Objective Uniform State Standard of Evaluation (HOUSSE) for Visiting International Faculty (VIF) cultural exchange teachers: 3/29/2007
  
  Adopted new provisions for the Regulations Governing the Review and Approval of Education Programs in Virginia: 2005, 2006, Final on 9/29/2007
  
  Adopted new provisions for the Regulations Governing the Licensure of School Personnel: 2005, 2006, Final on 9/29/2007
  
  Major Initiative 8: To provide leadership for implementing the provisions of state and federal laws and regulations smoothly and with minimal disruption to local divisions.
  
  Accomplishments: 2005-2007 to date:
  
  Adopted amendments to Virginia’s Consolidated State Application Accountability Plan under NCLB: 2005, 3/22/2006; 10/25/2006; 1/10/2007
  
  Received updates and briefings on the status of the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind at Hampton and Staunton: 4/20/2005
  
  Received status reports on the requests for waivers and amendments under NCLB: 4/20/2005; 5/25/2005; 6/22/2005; 5/24/2006; 6/28/2006
  
  Requested additional flexibility in the inclusion of the performance of students with disabilities in the calculation of Adequately Yearly Progress: 5/25/2005
  
  Conducted the business of the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind Foundation: annually
  
  Reviewed proposals submitted under the Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act (PPEA) for the consolidation of the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind: 7/27/2005
  
  Reviewed options prepared by Trammell Crow under the PPEA related to the consolidation of the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind: 9/21/2005
  
  Adopted appeals process for Supplemental Educational Services Providers Under the No
  Child Left Behind Act of 2001: 5/30/07
  
  Reviewed and adopted additions and deletions to the Board-approved list of Supplemental Educational Services Providers under NCLB: quarterly
  
  Adopted a response to the NCLB compliance monitoring report on highly qualified teachers: 9/27/2006
  
  Reviewed annual status report on public charter schools in Virginia: annually
  
  Received a report from the Virginia Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education: annually
  
  Authorized the Virginia Department of General Services to proceed with the design work to consolidate the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind: 9/27/2006
  
  Adopted a plan to identify provisions of NCLB that are not integral or necessary to Virginia’s statewide educational program and the waiver and exemption requests made by the Board: 9/27/2006
  
  Adopted the 2007-2008 transitional state plan for the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006: 3/29/2007
  
  Examined a report on the implementation of the Supplemental Educational Services requirement under NCLB: 2/28/2007
• Summary of Virginia's Ranking
  The Commonwealth’s public schools and students continue to receive national recognition for achievement and innovation. For example:
  • Education Week, in its January “Quality Counts 2007” report, labeled Virginia students as the most likely to succeed in the nation. Education Week stated that the typical student in the Commonwealth – quoting now – “enjoys higher achievement and is more likely to finish high school and continue on to college than in other states.”
  • This same publication, in its “Technology Counts 2007” report, awarded Virginia an “A-minus” for its use of technology to support learning. Only one other state received a higher grade.
  • The College Board this year, in its annual Advanced Placement Report to the Nation, celebrated Virginia’s entry into the select handful of states in which 20 percent or more of high school seniors achieve a grade of 3 or better on at least one AP examination.
  • The College Board also recognized Virginia for narrowing the “equity gap” for African-American students. The equity gap is the difference between enrollment and representation in AP courses. Hispanic participation in AP courses and testing also has increased dramatically.
  • 2006 marked the third consecutive year in which more of our students graduated with an Advanced Studies Diploma than a Standard Diploma.
  • The average ACT score among Virginia high school graduates increased significantly last year as the number of test-takers in the state continued to rise.
  • The influential Thomas B. Fordham Institute last year awarded Virginia an “A” for its coverage of world history in the History and Social Science Standards of Learning (SOL) and praised the standards as “a model of clarity.” The Fordham institute previously awarded our U.S. History standards a “B” based on a review that did not include the supporting curriculum framework.
• Summary of Customer Trends and Coverage
  All Virginia residents are potential customers of the Department of Education’s services through the department’s work with public school officials in the 132 local school divisions in Virginia. Department staff members respond to all inquiries and requests for information that come to the department from any source: school personnel, potential teachers, parents, other state agencies, other states, professional/civic organizations, and political leaders. In 2005-2006, there was a total of 126,812 instructional positions in the 1,822 public schools in Virginia.
  
  Public school enrollment in Virginia was 1.2 million in 2006. Virginia’s enrollment projections show that the number of students attending the state's public schools will continue to increase–and to set new records–in each of the next five years. In 2010, fall membership will be at least 30,000 students higher than in 2005. However, growth is centered in certain areas, while other areas are expected to shrink in enrollment.

Future Direction, Expectations, and Priorities

• Summary of Future Direction and Expectations
  Future direction:
  Growth in the enrollment of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students:
  • In Virginia, the Limited English Proficient population has doubled in just the past five years, and this trend is expected to continue. In 1994, Virginia’s public schools enrolled a total of 20,000 LEP students. In 2006, that number had increased to 78,216.
  
  • The latest data (2006-2007) show that more than 90 percent of Virginia’s school divisions now have Limited English Proficient (LEP) students enrolled. While more than two-thirds of Virginia’s LEP students are enrolled in a division in the northern Virginia region, pockets of sizable concentrations of LEP students dot many areas of the state.
  
  • For 2006-2007, some divisions report the LEP students represent as much as 31 percent (Arlington) to 40 percent (Harrisonburg) of the total student population. Manassas City and Manassas Park have 34 percent and 36 percent, respectively.
  
  Diversity of economic and educational opportunity factors:
  • For the 2006-2007 school year, slightly more than one-third (33.5 percent) of the students in Virginia’s public schools were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. The percent varies widely across the school divisions, from a high of more than 75 percent to a low of 9 percent.
  
  • Based on the latest census data (2000), more than 700,000 adults in Virginia are without high school credentials. Virginia has the 21st highest percentage of adults, 18.5 percent, without high school diplomas among the 50 states.
  
  • On the other side of the economic spectrum, Virginia has the highest percentage of the workforce in science and engineering occupations of the 50 states. The relatively high percentage reflects Virginia's large knowledge-intensive sector.
  
  • Clearly, this is a case of the educational haves and have-nots with profound implications for the economic well-being of our citizens and the state as a whole. The public schools have a huge role in providing the education necessary for equal opportunities for economic success.
  
  Teacher preparation and teacher shortages:
  • The student population is going up while Virginia’s ability to attract and hire teachers is going down.
  
  • Data from Virginia’s 2001-2002 teacher supply and demand survey concur with national projections: significant and growing shortages throughout the country, particularly in the endorsement areas of science, mathematics, foreign languages, and special education.
  
  • Finding and retaining minority teachers continues to be a significant challenge statewide.
  
  • The same teacher shortage areas show up year after year in the Virginia Department of Education’s annual surveys, showing the persistent problem for staffing our public schools.
  
  Future Expectations:
  In light of these and other critical needs of the public schools, the Department of Education staff is challenged to maintain quality service. The expectations of the department include the following:
  
  • Providing technical assistance to divisions and schools that do not make Adequate Yearly Progress under the NCLB provisions.
  • Helping school divisions meet complex requirements of state and federal laws and regulations.
  • Maintaining and improving the system of school accreditation .
  • Helping to provide strong career and technical education programs .
  • Revamping and improving the academic review process, including the division-level review process.
  • Expanding instructional support services (i.e., guidance counseling programs, school safety programs).
  • Ensuring quality teacher preparation and licensure programs and policies.
  • Helping to provide high quality professional development for classroom teachers and other school personnel.
  • Helping to devise alternative education programs to address student needs.
  • Maintaining services and support for high achieving students.
  • Eliminating the achievement gap among groups of students.
  • Addressing the needs of minority and ESL students.
  • Advocating for and partnering with other entities involved in early childhood education programs, especially those programs for the birth to age 5 group.
  
  Future Priorities:
  Major policy decisions to make during the next two years include the following areas:
  • Career and technical education state plan and regulations;
  • Special education regulations;
  • Standards of Accreditation, including graduation rates and graduation policies in the accountability system and establishing the technical diplomas;
  • Standards of Learning in history (2008), mathematics (2009), English (2010), and science (2010), followed by the curriculum framework and textbook adoption; and
  • Standards of Quality.
  
  Other key priorities will be policies and programs designed to address concerns in the following areas:
  • Preparing students for a global economy
  
  • 21st century knowledge and skills
  
  • Recognizing and rewarding excellence
  
  • Foreign languages for all students and at early grades
  
  • Increasing teacher diversity
  
  • Leadership (principals)
  
  • School safety and security
  
  • Standards for Supplemental Education Services providers (under NCLB)
  
  • Helping students make major transitions (also to post-secondary)
  
  • Assisting low-performing schools
  
  • Cultural diversity
  
  • Appropriate Standards of Learning assessments for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students
• Summary of Potential Impediments to Achievement
  Especially difficult challenges include:
  
  • Providing technical assistance to local divisions that need help to train and retain teachers, principals, and instructional support staff in times of increasing shortages of qualified persons to fill these positions;
  • Helping schools and divisions as they work with children who have widely varying learning needs such as students who do not speak English; students with disabilities that affect learning; and children who may face difficult personal circumstances such as high poverty, high crime in their neighborhoods, and other circumstances that obstruct their learning at school; and
  • Addressing the time-consuming and complex requirements of the state and federal laws and regulations governing public school programs.
  
  Changes in existing federal and state statutes and regulations require amendments to Board of Education regulations. The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is an example of a federal law that will require extensive changes in Virginia’s procedures and regulations.
  
  The revision of the state regulations governing special education is required to ensure compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), and with its federal implementing regulations, at 34 C.F.R. Part 300, effective October 13, 2006. Alignment with these federal requirements is required to ensure Virginia’s continued eligibility for federal special education funding, which will total $268.7 million in 2006-2007.
  
  In addition, the federal Carl D. Perkins Act requires that the Board of Education revise its six-year plan for Career and Technical Education programs and, possibly, the regulations for this program.
  
  As a result of this, major changes in federal laws and regulations can have a significant impact on department which advises the Board of Education on needed changes in regulations and communicates such changes to local school divisions and to the public.

Statutory Authority

Constitution of Virginia Authority:

The Department of Education is unique among state agencies because it has an extensive constitutional foundation that affects its role and structure.

Article VIII, Section 4 of the Constitution establishes the Board of Education and imposes a number of functions upon the Board. The Department of Education provides the staff and other resources to implement the constitutional and statutory requirements placed on the Board of Education.

Article VIII, Section 6 of the Constitution establishes the position of Superintendent of Public Instruction. The position of Superintendent of Public Instruction works with the Board of Education, and serves as the director of the Department of Education. The Department of Education provides the staff and other resources to implement the constitutional and statutory requirements placed on the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Article VIII, Section 2 of the Constitution vests the Board of Education with the authority to prescribe standards of quality for the public schools, subject to revision by the General Assembly.

Article VIII, Sections 4 of the Constitution vests the Board of with the general supervision of the public school system.

Article VIII, Section 5 provides for the powers and duties of the Board of Education. Among the powers and duties prescribed, the Board has power, subject to criteria and conditions prescribed by the General Assembly, to divide the Commonwealth into school divisions; to make annual reports to the Governor and General Assembly concerning the condition and needs of public education; to identify school divisions that have failed to meet the standards of quality; to prescribe qualifications of division superintendents; and to approve textbooks and other instructional materials for use in courses in the public schools.

Article VIII, Section 8 of the Constitution of Virginia vests the Board of Education with the responsibility for administering the Literary Fund.

Code of Virginia Authority:

The Code of Virginia further defines the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction based upon those foundations created in the Constitution.

Title 22.1, Chapter 2: The Board of Education is required to establish regulations regarding human research to be conducted or authorized by the department or public schools, including the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind at Staunton, the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled at Hampton, and any proprietary schools certified by the Board.

Title 22.1, Chapter 2: In cooperation with the Board of Correctional Education, the Board of Education is directed to promulgate regulations for the reenrollment in the public schools of children who have been in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.

Title 22.1, Chapters 2 and 13.2: The Board of Education is directed to provide for accreditation of public elementary, middle, and high schools and may provide for accreditation of private schools, in accordance with standards prescribed by it, and it may recommend standards for private nursery schools.

Title 22.1, Chapters 2 and 19: The Board is authorized to make regulations to carry out the school laws.

Title 22.1, Chapter 3: Designated as secretary to the Board of Education, the Superintendent of Public Instruction is statutorily directed to assist in the "uniform enforcement of the provisions of school laws in cooperation with the local school authorities," to provide certain forms required by attendance officers, teachers, and other school officials, and to perform "such other duties as the Board of Education may prescribe." The superintendent is designated as the state educational agency for purposes of receipt and disbursement of federal school lunch funds, and as such may require the audit of local decentralized cafeteria funds. The superintendent also is the designated state official for the Interstate Agreement on Qualification of Educational Personnel.

Title 22.1, Chapter 4: The Board of Education has authority to approve establishment of joint or regional schools and make regulations governing their administration.

Title 22.1, Chapters 4 and 6: The Board of Education has power, subject to criteria and conditions prescribed by the General Assembly, to fix and alter the boundaries of school divisions; to prescribe qualifications, duties, and minimum salaries of division superintendents and to remove or discipline them.

Title 22.1, Chapter 7: The Board of Education has authority to prescribe duties of local school boards in addition to those specified by statute.

Title 22.1, Chapter 8: The Board of Education is directed, with the Auditor of Public Accounts, to establish and require a modern system of accounting for all school funds.

Title 22.1, Chapters 8, 12, 13 and 15: The Board of Education is vested with responsibility for apportioning to localities state funds appropriated for public school purposes, and it may provide for awarding scholarship loans to individuals preparing to teach.

Title 22.1, Chapter 9: The Board of Education is authorized to prescribe minimum standards for erection or alteration of public school buildings not specifically addressed by the Uniform Statewide Building Code. In doing so, the Board may prescribe standards for public school buildings to insure that physically handicapped persons will have ready access to, and use of, such buildings.

Title 22.1, Chapter 10: The Board of Education is responsible for management and investment of the Literary Fund and may lend money from that to local school boards for construction or alteration of buildings.

Title 22.1, Chapter 12: The Board of Education is authorized to make regulations governing the provision of pupil transportation. It may make regulations governing the construction, design, operation, equipment, and color of public school buses and may prohibit operation of nonconforming buses. Drivers of public and private school buses are required to submit physical examination forms prescribed by the Board.

Title 22.1, Chapter 13: The Board of Education is authorized to approve textbooks and other instructional materials and to promulgate regulations governing the purchase, distribution, and care of textbooks. The Board of Education may prescribe programs of instruction in some particular subjects and is authorized to promulgate regulations for the implementation of various pilot programs. The Board of Education has the duty to prepare and supervise the implementation by each school division of a program of special education designed to educate and train children with disabilities and to supervise educational programs for children with disabilities by other public agencies. It is authorized to prescribe regulations to provide a range of assessment procedures for the evaluation of children with disabilities. It may prescribe procedures to afford due process in resolving disputes concerning such programs and placements. The Board of Education is directed to develop standards of learning and curriculum guidelines for a family life education curriculum in grades K through 12. The Board is required to promulgate regulations establishing standards for remediation programs that receive state funding and establishing a formula for determining the level of funding necessary to assist school divisions in providing transportation services to students required to attend such programs. The Board of Education is designated as the State Board of Career and Technical Education to carry out the provisions of the federal Vocational Education Act of 1963, as amended. The Board of Education has the responsibility for preparing, supervising and implementing a program designed to educate and train children detained in regional and local detention homes, and also supervises those programs of evaluation, education and training provided to school-age children by the Department of Health; the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services; the children's teaching hospital associated with the Eastern Virginia Medical School; the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals; and the University of Virginia Hospitals. It is authorized to issue regulations to make these programs conform to applicable federal and state laws and regulations. The Board may enter into contracts with the relevant state agency, institution, detention facility, or local school division for the hiring and supervision of teachers.

Title 22.1, Chapter 13.2: The Board of Education is required to prescribe standards of quality for the public schools, subject to revision by the General Assembly.

Title 22.1, Chapter 14: The Board of Education is authorized to establish guidelines and develop model student conduct policies to aid local school boards in the implementation of such policies. The Board is authorized, in consultation with the Office of the Attorney General, to develop guidelines on constitutional rights and restrictions relating to prayer and other religious expression in the public schools. In addition, the Board is directed to promulgate regulations for reporting any incidents involving attempted or actual physical injury, death, or substance abuse on school property or at school-sponsored activities to the school principal, the school division superintendent, and the Department of Education.

Title 22.1, Chapter 15: The Board of Education is required to set criteria for teacher education programs, in cooperation with the State Council of Higher Education, and may issue guidelines to implement clinical faculty programs that are designed to teach public school teachers to improve skills in supervising and evaluating student teachers. The Board of Education may prescribe forms for teachers' contracts and prescribe grievance procedures and, with its approval, the superintendent may enter into agreements with other states for reciprocal acceptance of educational personnel. The Board of Education is authorized to prescribe regulations for the licensure of teachers and school personnel. It is authorized to promulgate regulations for implementation of a school breakfast program.

Title 22.1, Chapter 16: The Department of Education shall participate in the interdepartmental regulation of residential facilities for children promulgated under agency 22VAC 42.

Title 22.1, Chapter 19: The Board is charged with the operational control of the Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind at Staunton and the Virginia School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled at Hampton. It has the duty to prescribe regulations for the governance of the schools and to prescribe procedures and criteria for determining admission to and the appropriate placement in the schools.

Additional authority is included in the following titles and chapters of the Code of Virginia:

Title 2.2, Chapter 10 provides for the administration of a comprehensive program of employee relations management that includes alternatives for resolving employment disputes.

Title 2.2, Chapter 12 provides for the establishment, administration, and maintenance of a human resources program that includes compensation and classification, performance evaluation, recruitment, employee training and management development, equal employment opportunity, employees’ awards and recognition.

Title 2.2, Chapter 29 provides for the administration of a personnel system based on merit principles and objective methods.

Title 2.2, Chapter 30 provides for the administration of a grievance procedure for the immediate and fair resolution of employment disputes.

Title 2.2, Chapter 31 provides for the administration of the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act.

Title 2.2, Chapter 32 provides for the administration of the Workforce Transition Act of 1995.

Title 51.1, Chapter 4 provides for the administration for a retirement system for state employees.

Title 51.1, Chapter 5 provides for the administration of group insurance plans for state employees.

Title 51.1, Chapter 6.1 provides for the administration of cash match plans for state employees.

Title 51.1, Chapter 11 provides for the administration of a sickness and disability program for state employees.

Title 60.2, Chapter 1provides for the administration of a comprehensive unemployment program including the requirement to post and maintain posters related to unemployment insurance.

Title 65.2, Chapter 1 provides for a program of workers’ compensation to compensate injured state employees.

Title 65.2, Chapter 6 provides for the requirements of giving notice of an accident, filing of workers’ compensation claims, and obtaining medical attention and examinations.

Title 65.2, Chapter 9 provides for employers to maintain records of accident reports for workers’ compensation purposes.

Federal Authority

Several federal laws, as amended place the responsibility for implementation with the Board of Education or Superintendent of Public Instruction. Such federal laws include:

National School Lunch Act P.L. 108-265
Child Nutrition Act P.L. 108-265
Elementary and Secondary Education Act P.L. 107-110
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act P.L. 108-446
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Improvement Act P.L. 107-110
Workforce Investment Act P.L. 105-220
Children’s Internet Protection Act P.L. 106-554
Vocational and Technical Education Act P.L. 105-332

Customers

Anticipated Changes To Agency Customer Base

Major challenges are ahead for Virginia’s public schools as teachers and other educators address the varied and complex learning needs of their students. Full accreditation is a goal not yet achieved by all of Virginia’s schools, and educators seek better and proven strategies and instructional methods to help students improve their academic performance. All teachers need solid professional development to learn new skills and sharpen their current ones, and maintaining a highly qualified teaching force is critical to the goals of our public schools.

During the past several years, Virginians have seen continuous improvement in student academic performance and in school accreditation results. Clearly, high academic achievement is a high priority for the citizens of this state. However, the test results also show that there remains a persistent and troubling achievement gap among groups of students, and many need costly, intensive instructional support to succeed in school. In Virginia, the English as a Second Language (ESL) population has doubled in just the past five years, and this trend is expected to continue. For the 2004-2005 school year, slightly more than one-third (33.5 percent) of the students in Virginia’s public schools were eligible for free and reduced-price lunch. This percentage has grown each year, and this trend is expected to continue, as well.

Partners

Products and Services

• Description of the Agency's Products and/or Services:
  The activities of the Department of Education are largely prescribed by the Constitution of Virginia, the Code of Virginia, federal laws and regulations, and the Board of Education. The department is the key agency supporting public education in Virginia. The major services of the department are as follows:
  • Provide guidance and technical assistance to local school divisions and local superintendents.
  • Coordinate, oversee, and regulate numerous programs that are required by state and federal law in public schools, including the state Standards of Learning and the Standards of Accreditation programs.
  • Disperse funds appropriated for public education to local school divisions.
  • Oversee and coordinate licensure of school personnel and accreditation of teacher preparation programs.
  • Provide leadership in all curricula areas to ensure that appropriate organizations, educators, and other affected institutions understand Board of Education policies related to the Standards of Learning objectives.
  • Interpret federal and state regulations, notify appropriate school personnel of changes in education policy, and explain the potential effect of changes for schools and communities.
  • Conduct studies assigned by the Governor, the General Assembly, and the Board of Education, and assist state officials and other state agencies with issues related to public education.
  • Develop procedures and identify resources to support local school initiatives undertaken in response to policies established by the Governor, General Assembly, and Board of Education.
  • Administer and report the results of statewide testing programs, including the Standards of Learning tests, and collect and report data on many aspects of public education.
  • Serve as a clearinghouse of information to promote best instructional practices and professional development.
  • Communicate with other educational agencies (national, state, and local) and with businesses, community agencies, the media, and citizens.
  • Maintain oversight of the two Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind at Hampton and Staunton.
• Factors Impacting Agency Products and/or Services:
  As the Board of Education, the Governor, the General Assembly, and federal legislation change the mandates for the Department of Education, the volume and frequency of services offered by the department will be impacted. The Department of Education operates under state mandates, many of which, like the Standards of Quality, contain multiple mandates. These mandates guide the majority of the agency’s priorities and activities and affect virtually everything the agency does. Although many state mandates apply to school divisions, the department is a critical partner in interpreting the requirements and assisting the local school divisions in implementing them. The Department of Education plays a critical role in ensuring the delivery of quality educational services in Virginia's public schools, and provides supervisory and administrative services as well as technical support for public education.
  
  The demand on department staff to provide and broker technical assistance is expected to increase as new accreditation requirements go into effect. Schools rated Accreditation Denied or Accredited with Warning will need immediate and, in some cases, intense assistance from department staff. The demand for technical assistance will also increase as the NCLB requirements related to adequate yearly progress (AYP) are implemented, possibly resulting in additional schools under NCLB sanctions. Independent contractors will need to be hired in order to complete the required academic reviews of the troubled schools.
• Anticipated Changes in Products or Services:
  It is expected that the revised federal regulations for several major programs will impact the services provided by the Department of Education. The following federal legislation will likely have new regulations issued: Carl D. Perkins Act, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the Workforce Investment Act (WIA).
  
  The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is expected to be re-authorized during the next biennium, thereby leading to expected major policy changes for the Department of Education and the Board of Education.

Finance

• Financial Overview:
  The Department of Education encompasses two state agencies – Direct Aid to Public Education (Agency 197) and Central Office Operations (Agency 201). Funding for the majority of public education in local school divisions, required by either the Constitution of Virginia, state statutes, federal regulation and statutes, or appropriations by the General Assembly, flows through Direct Aid to Public Education, while funding for all other Department of Education activities is included in Central Office Operations. In addition, the Department of Education provides agency direction, leadership, and oversight for the two Virginia Schools for the Deaf and Blind (Hampton and Staunton) because the Board of Education serves as the governing board for the two schools.
• Financial Breakdown:

  	FY 2009			FY 2010
  	General Fund	Nongeneral Fund		General Fund	Nongeneral Fund
  Base Budget	$56,416,667	$63,896,509		$56,416,667	$63,896,509
  Change To Base	$0	$1,379,981		$200,000	$1,094,664
  Agency Total	$56,416,667	$65,276,490		$56,616,667	$64,991,173

  This financial summary is computed from information entered in the service area plans.

Human Resources

• Overview
  To accomplish its mission, the Department of Education (DOE) must employ individuals who possess specific knowledge and skills that are directly related to the services provided. Increasing reporting requirements and the complexity of federal regulations such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 continues to increase the knowledge, skill, ability, and competency levels required of our staff in all organizational functional areas: finance, instruction, policy, special education, student assessment and school improvement, teacher education and technology.
  
  Approximately 52 percent of the positions within the Department are assigned to education administration roles. Job duties include developing, implementing, evaluating, and administering educational programs to increase and enhance educational learning. Educational coordinator positions require extensive knowledge of a specialized area and program administration, knowledge of school divisions, state and local government policies and procedures, and state agency functions. Administrator positions are responsible for managing or directing programs, projects, and staff and providing complex duties including the direction of services, development of standards of student achievement, and educational program content. Executive administrators provide leadership to increase student learning and achievement and to improve delivery of essential education services in the Commonwealth.
  
  Qualified candidates for the majority of our positions come from administrative positions within large school divisions around the Commonwealth. The responsibilities of the Department also require expertise from the private sector, including such areas as budget, finance, and technology.
• Human Resource Levels

  Effective Date	7/1/2007
  Total Authorized Position level	339
  Vacant Positions	-30
  Current Employment Level	309.0
  Non-Classified (Filled)	3
  Full-Time Classified (Filled)	306		breakout of Current Employment Level
  Part-Time Classified (Filled)	0
  Faculty (Filled)	0
  Wage	57
  Contract Employees	4
  Total Human Resource Level	370.0		= Current Employment Level + Wage and Contract Employees

• Factors Impacting HR
  Turnover
  DOE experienced a turnover rate of 11.6% during FY07 (does not include state agency transfers), compared with a turnover state rate of 11.9% among all agencies statewide. When the employee state agency transfer data is included, the annualized DOE turnover rate during FY07 was 15.4%.
  
  Retirement
  DOE also has a workforce with a higher mean age (52 years old) than the overall State workforce (45.8 years old), and has a large number of employees that are eligible for retirement. State produced data on retirement eligibility is far from adequate in reflecting the actual likelihood of DOE retirements, due to not reflecting the VRS service of many DOE employees in Virginia public school systems, and the purchase of VRS service credit. Adjusted retirement data more closely reflects reality for DOE employees eligible to retire with an unreduced retirement. Within 4 years, it is anticipated that 38% of the entire agency will be eligible for unreduced retirement, with a higher percent for the Executive Team and the Leadership Team.
• Anticipated HR Changes
  The mission of the Department of Education is to lead and facilitate the development and implementation of a quality public education system that meets the needs of students and assists them in becoming educated, productive, and responsible citizens. In order to fulfill its mission, the Department must maintain a highly qualified, high performing workforce.
  
  With an increasing turnover rate, recruitment delays, and an aging workforce, additional resources will be needed to support recruitment activities, increase training and professional development opportunities, offer competitive hiring salaries, address internal alignment and expand employee reward and recognition programs.

Information Technology

• Narrative overview of the current state of IT in the agency:
  The Office of Educational Information Management collects, processes, and reports educational information that enables the Department of Education to meet the reporting requirements of state and federal laws and regulations. The Office is responsible for the Department of Education's Student Information Program, System Development, and Data Administration. The Office administers the agency agreement with VITA for infrastructure services.
  
  Virginia is the first state to implement statewide technology integration assistance for teachers. The Standards of Quality sets a standard of 1 Instructional Technology Resource Teacher for every 1,000 students. These technologically and content proficient teachers will help other teachers to structure their teaching to use available technology effectively in their classrooms.
  
  IT: Current State/Issues
  The Virginia Department of Education has a strong information management program that is supported by a Systems Development Life Cycle, a Database Architecture, Information Architecture, and Information Security program. These elements of information management work together to ensure that education data collected and reported by the VDOE are of the highest possible quality.
  
  o The agency struggles to respond to an increasing demand for education data and a backlog of requests for system development.
  o The agency expects a high-level of internal customer satisfaction with the technology infrastructure and tools made available to each staff member on the agency network.
• Narrative description of the factors impacting agency IT:
  o Federal laws such as the No Child Left Behind Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act have significant data reporting requirements for the agency which are in turn passed on to school divisions.
  o School divisions do not have the capacity to meet the increasing data collection needs of the agency.
  o The agency is dependent on an external entity for technology infrastructure support.
• Describe any anticipated or desired changes to agency IT:
  o The agency will make education data and performance indicators more accessible to staff and other stakeholders via web-based reports and query tools.
  o The agency will continue to build its student information program, specifically the capacity for longitudinal analysis of student data.
  o The agency will enhance its staff systems, providing additional capability that will enhance the preparation, recruitment, and retention of qualified teachers and administrators.
  o The agency financial systems will be enhanced to enable the agency to manage and allocate funds more effectively.
  o The agency school information systems will be updated to reflect changing state and federal accountability laws and regulations.
• IT Current Services:

  	Cost - Year 1		Cost - Year 2
  	General Fund	Non-general Fund	General Fund	Non-general Fund
  Projected FY2010 VITA Service Fees	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Changes (+/-) to VITA Infrastructure	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Estimated VITA Infrastruture	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Specialized Infrastructure	$75,000	$75,000	$75,000	$75,000
  Agency IT Staff	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Non-agency IT Staff	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Other Application Costs	$509,824	$56,132	$509,824	$56,132
  Agency IT Current Services	$584,824	$131,132	$584,824	$131,132

  Comments:
  [Nothing entered]
• Proposed IT Investments

  	Cost - Year 1		Cost - Year 2
  	General Fund	Non-general Fund	General Fund	Non-general Fund
  Major IT Projects	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Non-major IT Projects From $100,000 - $1 Milliona Total Cost	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Non-major IT Projects Below $100,000 Total Cost	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Major IT Procurements - Stand-alone	$0	$0	$0	$0
  Non-major IT Procurements - Stand-alone	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000
  Total Proposed IT Investments	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000

• Projected Total IT Budget

  	Cost - Year 1		Cost - Year 2
  	General Fund	Non-general Fund	General Fund	Non-general Fund
  Agency IT Current Services	$584,824	$131,132	$584,824	$131,132
  Total Proposed IT Investments	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000	$500,000
  Agency Projected Total IT Budget	$1,084,824	$631,132	$1,084,824	$631,132

Capital

• Current State of Capital Investments:
  [Nothing entered]
• Factors Impacting Capital Investments:
  [Nothing entered]
• Capital Investments Alignment:
  [Nothing entered]

Goal 1

The Board of Education's constitutional responsibility is “to determine and prescribe” the Standards of Quality (SOQ) for Virginia’s school divisions. Revising and updating the SOQ to ensure that the standards are adequate and appropriate for today’s schools and students is ongoing. The SOQ was updated in 2006, effective July 1, 2007; the Standards of Accreditation (SOA) were last revised in 2006 and are undergoing additional revisions in 2007. Standards of Learning (SOL) are revised by content area according to an existing schedule (established in the Code of Virginia). In the fiscal year ahead, the Board will undertake review of a significant part of its education regulations.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

• We will increase the number of at-risk four-year-olds who are being served by the Virginia Preschool Initiative.
  Objective Measures

  • Number of children served in VPI.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: The Virginia Preschool Initiative uses state funds to serve four-year-olds who are at-risk for school failure and not presently receiving services from Head Start. Provide programs for at-risk four-year-old children that include: Quality preschool education Health services Social services

    Frequency Comment: Data will be reported annually and by school year.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 11,343 as of 2005-2006 school year

    Measure Target Value:

    15000

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 15,000 as of 2010 school year

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: Division-level verification of VPI enrollment.

• We will increase the percent of students who successfully complete Algebra I by the eighth grade.
  Objective Measures

  • Percentage of students successfully completing Algebra I by the eighth grade.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: Specific course enrollment counts are not available; therefore, the agency is using the SOL end-of-course pest passed by eighth grade students as a proxy measure. Data are available by December of each year.

    Frequency Comment: Data will be reported based on results for the school year rather than the fiscal year.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    30

    Date:

    12/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 30% as of 12/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    45

    Date:

    12/1/2010

    Measure Target Description: 45% as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: Reports from local school divisions and reports from test scoring contractor. Calculation: Number of eighth-grade students passing the statewide Algebra I end-of-course test compared to the total number of students enrolled in the eighth grade statewide.

• We will increase the career readiness of high school students enrolled in Career and Technical Education programs.
  Objective Measures

  • Selected occupational competency assessments from the National Occupational Competency Testing Institute (NOCTI) are used in awarding student-selected verified credit. Industry certifications are also used.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: industry certifications have been approved by the Board of Education for the student-selected verified credit option. Career and technical education teachers must be certified in at least one industry certification before their students can be eligible for the student-selected verified credit that

    Measure Baseline Value:

    Date:

    12/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 10,115 as of 12/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    15000

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 15,000 as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: Reports from local school divisions. Calculation: Total number of licenses and certificates awarded to Virignia's students during a school year.

• We will increase the percent of schools that are Fully Accredited.
  Objective Measures

  • Percent of schools rated Fully Accreditaed.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: The Standards of Quality require that all public schools in Virginia must be accredited by standards set by the Board of Education. “Accreditation” means a process used by the agency to evaluate the educational performance of public schools.

    Frequency Comment: Data are available in October of each year. Data are reported by school year rather than fiscal year.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    91

    Date:

    9/30/2007

    Measure Baseline Description: 91% as of 9/30/2007

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    12/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100% as of 12/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: Reports from local school divisions and statewide assessment reports for each public school. Calculation: Total number of schools receiving the rating of Fully Accredited compared to the total number of schools.

• We will increase the high school graduation rate.
  Objective Measures

  • Percentage of high school students who exit high school with a diploma.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: The NGA report defines the recommended graduation rate as “… a measure of on-time completion, with most students, but not all, expected to finish in four years.”

    Frequency Comment: Data will be reported by school year rather than fiscal year.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    74

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 74 as of 1/1/2005

    Measure Target Value:

    80

    Date:

    1/1/2010

    Measure Target Description: 80 as of 1/1/2010 Target subject to revision pending baseline graduation rate to be calculated with a new formula recommended by the National Governors Association and adopted by the Board of Education.

    Data Source and Calculation: Data sources: Total number of students who earn a diploma divided by the total number of students who entered ninth grade four years earlier. Target subject to revision pending baseline graduation rate to be calculated with a new formula recommended by the National Governors Association and adopted by the Board of Education. The new calculation goes into effect for the graduating class of 2008.

• We will increase the proportion of high school students earning an Advanced Studies Diploma.
  Objective Measures

  • Percentage of high school students earning the Advanced Studies Diploma.
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: To receive an Advanced Studies Diploma, students must earn at least 24 standard credits by passing required courses and electives and also earn nine verified credits by passing end-of-course Standards of Learning (SOL) tests (or substitute tests approved by the Board of Education), including tests in English

    Measure Baseline Value:

    51

    Date:

    11/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 51% as of 11/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    57

    Date:

    12/1/2010

    Measure Target Description: 57% as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: Reports from local school divisions on the type of diplomas awarded. Calculation: Total number of students earing the Advanced Studies Diploma compared to the total number of students receiving a diploma.

Goal 2

The Board of Education’s priority for providing challenging academic standards is that they be student-centered, results-oriented, and supportive of local flexibility. This priority also provides the foundation of what the Board wants to achieve: a successful and accountable system of public education for all of Virginia’s citizens. This goal specifically addresses the “achievement gap,” the disparity in academic performance between groups of students. The Board has the opportunity to provide leadership to help schools and school divisions eliminate the achievement gap through greater use of disaggregated data, including test results and graduation rates by subgroups. The Board can emphasize the importance of using data throughout the public school system to manage school performance. The term “achievement gap” addresses a measurable disparity in the academic performance of various groups of students that the Board is committed to addressing. At the same time, the Board wants to ensure that the top performing students continue to increase their academic achievement. Staff recommended replacing “academic success” with “academic achievement” since achievement can be more easily quantified and measured for all students.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

Goal 3

A priority of the Board of Education is to support highly effective school accountability and improvement at the local school and at the division level as well. This has been a key area of action by the Board for many years and will continue to be one. There is a great deal of data available to measure the performance of the state’s public schools and its students. The Board has a number of ways to support school accountability, including taking the lead in developing solutions for schools and school divisions that are not meeting accountability requirements.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

Goal 4

Research shows that from the time of birth to the first day of kindergarten, childhood development proceeds at a pace exceeding that of any subsequent stage of life. Efforts to understand this process have revealed the many remarkable accomplishments of the pre-school years, as well as the serious problems that confront some young children and their families. Striking disparities in what children know and can do are evident well before they enter kindergarten. This objective reflects the commitment of the Board to ensure that all children are adequately prepared for school when they enter it. Leadership for and oversight of programs for pre-school-age children are predominately out of the purview and authority of the Board of Education. Nonetheless, the Board recognizes that getting pre-school age children ready to enter school is critically important to later success in school, as high quality intervention helps children to succeed. The strong link between a child’s early learning environment and later school success is clear; therefore the Board of Education will seek new and effective ways to work cooperatively with other agencies and organizations concerned with the development of children of pre-school age.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

Goal 5

This objective reflects the Board’s understanding that certain basic skills (i.e., “literacy”) are critical for all children if they are to perform successfully in school. The Board has little ability to directly assist teachers to improve the reading or “literacy” skills of children in Virginia. However, the Board does have the ability to influence policy in areas that affect the teaching and learning of reading, for example, teacher preparation and teacher licensure. Current activities under this objective are focused on elementary level and adult initiatives.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

Goal 6

In developing this objective, the Board of Education believed it could play an important role in coordinating and exploring effective strategies for ensuring quality and results, chiefly through efforts in principal training and professional development. The direct influence that the Board can have on the recruitment, retention, and development of teachers is limited. In the past, activities that the Board has undertaken/approved under this objective have primarily focused on teachers and have not extended to school administrators, even though effective school leadership is an essential component of successful schools. Opportunities are available to the Board for supporting professional development for educators, particularly at the leadership level within the schools. For example, the Board can develop partnerships with professional organizations that do provide ongoing training and development opportunities for their members, it can align its efforts with what is currently required of local school divisions, it can evaluate license renewal policy, and identify and disseminate national “best practices” for recruiting and retaining teachers.

Goal 7

This is a critical function of the Board. The Board can consider processes that it can set up to help it evaluate the impact of specific regulations on local school divisions. Any such evaluation, however, will need to balance the benefit (quality education) of regulations with the cost (disruption to local school divisions).

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.

Goal 8

All citizens want safe schools in which students, teachers and support staff can concentrate on learning and not have to worry about crime and violence. The Virginia Board of Education supports programs and policies for school-wide and division-wide safety and prevention plans that consistently address the needs of all students and encourage a safe and healthy learning environment. The Board is committed to policies that provide a positive learning environment for all children and teachers. Through partnerships, resources, data collection, and evaluation, the Board of Education can do much to address the needs of children as well as those who are providing services that protect our children.

• Elevate the levels of educational preparedness and attainment of our citizens.
• Be recognized as the best-managed state in the nation.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Public Education Instructional Services (201 181 01)

The Public Education Instructional Services service area:

Provides technical assistance in setting and reviewing academic learning standards and career and technical education competencies;

Provides technical assistance in the development and review of the state assessment program;

Provides assistance for schools and divisions failing to meet targeted levels of student achievement;

Provides instructional resources and training to school division personnel to assist them in delivering high-quality educational programs in an effective manner;

Develops programs and materials and serves as a clearinghouse of information to promote best practices and professional development;

and

Provides a limited number of programs and opportunities at the student level.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Factors include changes in federal and state laws, regulations, policies, or change of interpretation; and funding levels.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  Updates as necessary to reflect federal and state legislation, policies, and regulations.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Instructional services products can be found at several locations on the Department of Education Web page. These include academic standards and career and technical education competencies, numerous curriculum support documents, curriculum supplements, Web sites, posters, maps and other materials useful for providing high quality instruction. Many K-12 general education resources are located at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/sol.html, and include the following key documents and resources: Virginia Standards of Learning for all subjects and grade levels Standards of Learning Sample Scope and Sequence Guides for English, Science, Mathematics, and History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Sample Scope and Sequence Guides for English, Science, Mathematics, and History and Social Science SOL Instructional and Training Materials Compilation (PDF format) Also included are links to instructional Web-based resource pages to assist teachers and students. A sample includes: Mali: Ancient Crossroads of Africa Virginia Indian History and Social Science Web Site: An Online Resource for the Classroom Virginia Studies: Ready Resources for the Classroom NCS Mentor Graduation regulations and related high school support materials are found at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/2plus4in2004/index.shtml Career and Technical Education materials can be found at: http://www.doe.virginia.gov/VDOE/Instruction/CTE/ and specific course competencies are located at: http://www.cteresource.org/tasklists/index.html.

• We will provide targeted technical assistance to school divisions that have schools with the greatest needs and student subgroups at risk, based on indicators established by the Department of Education.
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of critical need divisions receiving technical assistance and targeted professional development
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 100% as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100%

    Data Source and Calculation: The Department will track the number of schools considered to have critical needs based on indicators established by the Department (denominator) and the number of schools receiving targeted technical assistance and professional development services (numerator)

• We will increase the number of children reading proficiently by the third grade.
  Objective Measures
  • We will increase the percentage of third graders passing the third grade reading Standards of Learning test
    Measure Class:

    Governor's Key

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Key Summary: The agency will track the pass rate on the third grade reading Standards of Learning (SOL) tests.

    Frequency Comment: Updated results will be reported in October of each year.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    84

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 84% as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    95

    Date:

    12/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 95% as of 12/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: The department will track the pass rate on the third grade reading SOL tests.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Program Administration and Assistance for Instructional Services (201 181 02)

The Program Administration and Assistance for Instructional Services service area is responsible for interpreting and administering federal and state grants and policies related to general instruction, and providing technical assistance in the implementation of these grants and policies to all school divisions in the commonwealth.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Factors include changes to state and federal laws, regulations, policies, and funding levels.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  Updates as necessary to reflect state and federal legislation, policies, and regulations.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Superintendent’s Memoranda
  • Grant applications and guidance documents
  • Policy Documents
  • Grant Awards
  • Contracts
  • Financial Reports
  • Data systems and tools
  • Technical Assistance for grant and contract management

• We will maximize the use of federal education funding in the state education agency (SEA).
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of total SEA federal allocation spent within the allowable period for federal grants issued by the US Department of Education.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Frequency Comment: Due to the auditing process for accounting for the funds, the data lag for a two-year reporting period. The agency will report the most recent data available.

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 100% as of FY 2004

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100% as of 6/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data Source: Reports to the department from local school officials.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Compliance and Monitoring of Instructional Services (201 181 03)

The Compliance and Monitoring of Instructional Services service area is responsible for ensuring that all school divisions in the commonwealth comply with federal and state laws, regulations, and policies in implementation educational programs, particularly the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, and the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1998. DOE staff collaborates with school divisions and personnel to interpret policy and monitor compliance with requirements of laws and regulations.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Factors include changes in state and federal laws, policies, and regulations; and funding levels.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  Updates as necessary to reflect state and federal legislation, policies, and regulations.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Products and services include monitoring documents, policy guidance documents, and federal and state reports.

• We will implement the programmatic, regulatory, and fiscal requirements of federal and state programs related to instructional services in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations.
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of compliance with the USED's federal program progress monitoring report for No Child Left Behind.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Measure Baseline Value:

    66.35

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 66.35 in 2006

    Measure Target Value:

    90

    Date:

    12/30/2011

    Measure Target Description: 90% by 12/30/2011

    Data Source and Calculation: The Department of Education will receive a federal program monitoring (FPM) report from the United States Department of Education (USED) for Title I, Part A – Improving Basic Programs; Title I, Part B, Subpart 3 – Even Start; Title I, Part D – Neglected and Delinquent; and Title X, Part C - Homeless Education identifying percent of areas in need of improvement. Measure is the remaining proportion of areas--those not in need of improvement.

  • Percentage of compliance with the USED federal program monitoring of the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1998.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    1/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 100% as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    12/1/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100% as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: The Department of Education will receive a federal program monitoring (FPM) report from the United States Department of Education (USED) for the Carl D. Perkins Act of 1998 resulting in 80 percent compliance, with 20 percent or less citations for areas requiring improvement.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Adult Education and Literacy (201 181 04)

The Adult Education and Literacy service area supports workforce development by implementing educational programs that improve adult literacy levels and increase basic education attainment in the adult population (ages 18 and older). This service area oversees educational programs for adults without a secondary education; youth, ages 16-18, who require an alternative educational program to maintain their participation in secondary education; and non-native adults for whom English is a second language.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Limited number of staff
  
  Limited funding for administration
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  Changes in the Workforce Investment Act reauthorization, which is currently in committee in Congress, will drive changes in products and services.
  
  Continued job growth will demand a highly skilled workforce, requiring adults to earn a GED to be eligible for skills training.
  
  Demand for GED programs will increase.
  
  Growth of immigrant families in Virginia will maintain a high demand for English literacy programs. Demand for English literacy programs will increase. Proposed federal funding reduction (75 percent) will decrease the number of adult education programs in the state.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Product: Program and content standards, such as English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and GED Content Standards
  • Product: Policy documents, such as adult assessment policies
  • Product: Requests for proposals
  • Product: Grant application packets (this office issues)
  • Product: Grant awards
  • Product: Contracts
  • Product: Superintendent’s memos
  • Product: Federal, state, and private organization grant applications (this office responds to for funding)
  • Service: Technical assistance to local programs, such as visits to help programs develop improvement plans, workshops on regulations, or phone responses to questions
  • Service: Staff development, such as training in using data for decision making
  • Service: Administration of GED Tests
  • Product: Curriculum guides, such as a guide for using health literacy to teach GED content
  • Service: Professional development, such as training in grant writing
  • Service: Management of the statewide data system
  • Service: Policy interpretation
  • Service: Solicitation of private funding to support initiatives
  • Service: Collaboration with state partners for required services and new initiatives
  • Service: Financial management, grant management, and reimbursement of funds
  • Service: Support to legislative committees and commissions
  • Service: Counseling to GED test takers
  • Product: Data systems and tools, such as the Web-based adult education data system
  • Product: Marketing and recruitment materials, such as GED testing information
  • Product: GED certificates and transcripts
  • Product: Reports - Informational, data, financial, legislative, evaluation, monitoring
  • Product: State plan for adult education
  • Product: Technology plan for adult education
  • Product: Guidance on using the data system

• We will expand the General Educational Development (GED) program
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of school divisions offering GED testing
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Measure Baseline Value:

    46

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 46% as of 1/1/2005

    Measure Target Value:

    95

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 95% as of 6/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: GED certificates and transcripts will be issued within two weeks of the request being received by DOE. Data - The Office of Adult Education and Literacy monitors the response to customer requests monthly. Calculation – Comparison to previous year's data.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Special Education Instructional Services (201 182 01)

The special education instructional services area plans and implements technical assistance and professional development for the provision of special education and related services to students with disabilities age 2 through 21.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Changes in federal requirements, policies, and guidance
  Court decisions
  Staff turnover
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  The overall products and services are expected to remain the same; however, due to changes in the federal and state requirements, documents and training content will need to be modified or new products will need to be developed. In addition to revising the information, this service continues to explore better ways to assist local educational agencies to use research-based methods to build their capacity to educate students with disabilities.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • PRODUCTS - Technical assistance documents
  • PRODUCTS - Training modules/curricula
  • PRODUCTS - Other teacher resources
  • SERVICES - Training events
  • SERVICES - Review/Approval of local applications and plans
  • SERVICES - Information dissemination
  • SERVICES - Broker/link to resources
  • SERVICES - Consulting
  • SERVICES - Grants/contract management

• We will improve the success of special education students enrolled in the public schools.
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of special education students who pass SOL tests
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    50

    Date:

    1/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 50 as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    55

    Date:

    12/1/2010

    Measure Target Description: 55 as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: The agency determined the baseline for the first time in 2006. The results of the statewide (SOL) tests administered to students with disabilities will be reported.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Special Education Administration and Assistance Services (201 182 02)

The Special Education Administration and Assistance Services service area implements the federal and state data collection/reporting requirements and the requirements for management and disbursement of federal and state dollars for special education programs.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Changes in federal data requirements
  
  Changes in funding procedures
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  It is anticipated that VDOE will be required to make additional data available to school divisions and to the public with new reporting requirements under the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Finance Services Review and approval of applications for special education subgrants (federally funded). Technical assistance to LEAs in developing and managing federal special education funding. Administer program of state assistance to LEAs providing services to children with disabilities in approved regional programs. Manage internal budget for Office of Special Education and Student Services. Provide required state and federal financial reports pertinent to special education funding. Responsible for sub-recipient monitoring, including review and follow-up of local audits of special education funding accounts. Review and approval of all claims for reimbursement under special education subgrant assistance programs.
  • Data Services Collection of required data from school divisions and state operated programs. Reporting required data to U.S. Department of Education. Providing information to school divisions and to the public. Training/technical assistance provided to school divisions and state operated programs.

• We will improve the post-school opportunities for students with disabilities
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of increase of youth with disabilities graduating from high school with an Advanced or Standard diploma.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Measure Baseline Value:

    51.5

    Date:

    1/1/2005

    Measure Baseline Description: 51.5% as of 1/1/2005

    Measure Target Value:

    55

    Date:

    4/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 55% as of 4/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data source: VDOE end-of-year report by local school divisions. Calculation: The graduation rate is determined by the number of students with disabilities receiving an Advanced or Standard diploma divided by the number of all students with disabilities or completing high school, or some measure of the population of potential diploma-earners with disabilities.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Special Education Compliance and Monitoring Services (201 182 03)

The Special Education Compliance and Monitoring Services service area monitors the implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia. Products and services include:

Customer service such as professional development, training, and technical assistance

Regulatory development to establish requirements for implementing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
Development of guidance documents to implement the Regulations Governing Special Education Programs for Children with Disabilities in Virginia

Approval of local annual plans for providing special education and related services

Procedures and mechanisms as dispute resolution, due process hearings, and mediation to resolve disagreements between a parent and a local educational agency

Monitoring systems to ensure compliance with the federal and state requirements in school divisions, state-operated programs and private schools for children with disabilities

Application approvals for private schools for children with disabilities

Licensing of private special education day schools and children’s residential facilities

State plan for implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Customer assistance requests are expected to increase due to changes in federal law and court cases. This will increase requests for training and need for technical assistance documents.
  
  The implementation of new federal law will increase the likelihood of litigated issue hearings and court challenges to permit decisions.
  
  Staff turnover impedes the delivery of area products and services due to time needed for recruiting and hiring new staff.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  The demand for customer services is anticipated to increase because of changes in the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004.
  
  There is anticipation that more employees will leave their positions and take employment with school divisions or other employers where salaries are substantially higher. The agency will be faced with increasing difficulty attracting the same level of experienced employees at current state salaries.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • Special education guidance and technical assistance documents for parents, school personnel, hearing officers, mediators, and other customers
  • Professional development and training
  • Listing of free and low cost legal and advocacy resources
  • Special education self-assessment instruments
  • Compliance monitoring activities
  • State Plan for Section 504
  • Complaints resolution
  • Investigation of serious incident reports from private residential facilities
  • Mediation
  • Due process
  • State special education regulations
  • Approval of applications for private schools for students with disabilities
  • Issuance of licenses/certificates to operate private schools for students with disabilities

• We will enhance the quality of services provided to students with disabilities through monitoring and complaint investigations.
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of identified noncompliance findings corrected within the federally required timelines.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 100% as of 1/1/2005

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100% as of 6/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data (Sources/elements) - Monitoring documents maintained in the Office of Federal Program Monitoring. Calculation – Number of noncompliance findings corrected within one year of the date of the local self-assessment report to VDOE or the agency's report of findings to the division superintendent divided by the number of noncompliance findings.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Student Assistance and Guidance Services (201 182 04)

The Student Assistance and Guidance Services service area provides information, training, and technical assistance for the promotion of student physical and mental health and safety and the removal of barriers to learning for all students, including those with disabilities. Barriers to learning can include unsafe or unhealthy school environments, risky behaviors, truancy, inappropriate or unlawful student behavior at school, physical and mental health problems, and learning difficulties related to social environments.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  The factors that constrain and influence the agency’s ability to produce the above products and services are:
  
  Changes in federal law requirements
  Changes in state law requirements
  Distribution of resources (positions and funding)
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  It is anticipated that revisions to materials prepared for schools and parents will have to be revised to reflect the changes brought about under the 2004 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Subsequent training will need to be developed.
  It is anticipated that VDOE will be required to make additional data available to school divisions and to the public with new reporting requirements under the 2004 IDEA.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • The department provides the following products to all 132 school divisions: Informational materials, including manuals, handbooks, guidelines, videos and CDs Training Modules Resources for parents, teachers, and school specialists Reports
  • The department provides the following services to all 132 school divisions: Consultation Technical support Training and institutes Information dissemination Grants/Contract management Collection of required data from school divisions and state operated programs Reporting required data to U.S. Department of Education Providing information to school divisions and to the public

• We will promote safe and drug-free environments in Virginia's public schools
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of schools on the watch list (as defined by the department) that receive technical assistance training on school safety and drug abuse prevention
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    100

    Date:

    1/1/2005

    Measure Baseline Description: 100% as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    10/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100 as of 10/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data (Sources/elements) annual reports of technical assistance programs provided to schools on the watch list. Calculation: The annual percentage change of incidents of discipline, crime, and violence in relation to enrollment reported statewide from all school divisions.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Test Development and Administration (201 184 01)

The Test Development and Administration service area coordinates the development and administration of the tests that comprise the Virginia Assessment Program and that are administered to public school students across the Commonwealth.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Virginia's movement toward an increase in the web-based delivery of test items and a concomitant decrease in the delivery of tests in a paper/pencil mode will affect the delivery of products and services.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  The demand on support provided to school divisions in administering the tests that comprise the Virginia Assessment Program is expected to increase as more tests are administered in a web-based delivery format. More immediate solutions to test administration problems are required when students are being tested via a computer and interacting with a web-based delivery system. Implementation of alternate test forms for limited English proficient students in science in 2007-2008 will also impact the test development service area.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • This service area oversees the development and administration of tests in both paper/pencil and web-based formats. In this capacity, this service area oversees the development of products such as test booklets and the administrative manuals used by school division staff in administering Virginia's tests. In addition, this service area supports school division personnel in administering the tests that comprise the Virginia Assessment Program and responds to inquiries regarding test development and administration from policy makers and the general public. To comply with the requirements of NCLB, in 2005-2006, tests measuring reading and mathematics in grades 4, 6, and 7 are being added. The addition of these tests has necessitated revisions in the test blueprints at grades 3, 5, and 8 as these tests were previously cumulative and covered content from lower grade levels (i.e. the grade 5 mathematics test covered standards for grades 4 and 5). In addition "plain language" versions of the mathematics tests for grades 3-8 have been added to comply with NCLB as well as an alternate assessment for special education students that measures grade level content standards.

• We will improve efficiency of assessment administration by increasing the number of Standards of Learning (SOL) tests taken by students via web-based system.
  Objective Measures
  • Increase in the number of SOL tests taken by students using a web-based delivery system.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Measure Baseline Value:

    Date:

    1/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 704,217 as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    900000

    Date:

    4/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 900,000 as of 4/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data Sources - Number of SOL tests taken by students via a web-based delivery system during a testing cycle (i.e., summer, fall, and spring administrations) Calculation – Target is based on multiplying number of SOL tests taken by students via a web-based delivery system in the previous testing year by 1.10.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

School Improvement (201 185 01)

The School Improvement service area assists schools and school divisions in meeting the academic requirements of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia and the requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. Technical assistance is provided through the academic review process, division-level review process, and the Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS) initiative. The Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131-300.C.4) require a school to be rated “accredited with warning" (in specified academic area or areas) if its pass rate on any Standards of Learning (SOL) assessment does not meet required benchmarks. Any school rated “accredited with warning” must undergo an academic review in accordance with the guidelines adopted by the Board of Education (8 VAC 20-131-340). The service area provides on-going technical assistance throughout the school year to schools in developing and implementing a school improvement plan. House Bill 1294, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law on April 15, 2004, authorizes the Board of Education to require division-level academic reviews in school divisions where findings of school-level academic review show that the failure of the school to reach full accreditation is related to the local school board’s failure to meet its responsibilities under the Standards of Quality. The process by which division-level reviews are to be conducted has been established in 8 VAC 20-700-10 et seq., Emergency Regulations for Conducting Division-Level Academic Reviews. Divisions meeting the criteria for division-level reviews are provided with technical assistance from the service area to develop and implement corrective action plans. The PASS initiative provides technical assistance to the lowest-performing schools that have been identified as schools in improvement under NCLB. Schools and their respective divisions receive technical assistance in the area of academic improvement, parental involvement, and community support.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  As Virginia continues to raise the required academic achievement benchmarks over time to higher levels as required by the NCLB so that 100 percent of all students meet proficient levels on Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments in 2013, the potential number of schools that require intensive support and are rated "accredited with warning" or "accreditation denied" could increase. Additional personnel and other resources may be needed to support the effort of technical assistance required in 8 VAC 20-131-340 to decrease the number of schools rated "accredited with warning" or "accreditation denied." NCLB requires Virginia to provide SOL assessments in grades 3-8 in English and mathematics. The new SOL tests in grades 4, 6, and 7 could impact schools’ pass rates on SOL assessments and potentially increase the number of schools that are rated "accredited with warning." As a result of the increase in the number of schools rated "accredited with warning" or "accreditation denied", the number of division-level reviews completed by the service delivery area could increase as well.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  If the number of schools rated "accredited with warning" or "accreditation denied" increases, the services provided to schools and districts will need to expand, requiring additional resources and personnel to meet the requirements of the Code of Virginia to provide an academic review to those schools accredited with warning. Direct assistance to the lowest-performing schools through the schools’ participation in the Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS) initiative would need to expand if the number of warned schools increases. An increase in the number of schools rated "accredited with warning" or "accreditation denied" could require the departement to require an increased number of division-level reviews. Additional resources and personnel will be needed to meet the requirements of the Code of Virginia to provide technical assistance through the division-level review.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • The academic review process provides an in-depth review of schools rated "accredited with warning." The academic review team assists schools rated "accredited with warning" in developing and implementing school improvement plans that are followed by the service delivery area (as part of the review process) for three years. The division-level review team assists divisions in developing and implementing corrective action plans that will ensure the academic improvement of the divisions’ schools. The Partnership for Achieving Successful Schools (PASS) initiative assists the lowest performing Title I schools in improvement to increase student achievement for all students, and subsequently, close the achievement gap between all students and the required NCLB subgroups (ethnicity, disadvantaged, students with disabilities, and limited English proficiency).

• We will increase the number of schools rated Fully Accredited.
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of schools rated Fully Accredited.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Up

    Measure Baseline Value:

    91

    Date:

    1/1/2006

    Measure Baseline Description: 91% as of 1/1/2006

    Measure Target Value:

    100

    Date:

    10/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 100% as of 10/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Date source: annual results of the SOL testing program. Calculation: The number of public schools that met or exceeded the requirements for full accreditation compared to the total number of public schools.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

School Nutrition (201 185 02)

The School Nutrition service area provides oversight and technical assistance to public school divisions and public residential child care institutions (RCCI) by administering the regulatory requirements of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 and Board of Education regulations intended to establish and maintain high quality, nutritious, accessible, cost effective school nutrition programs. The service area conducts Coordinated Review Effort (CRE) and School Meals Initiative (SMI) reviews to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations; develops and implements professional development initiatives for school nutrition managers, school nutrition directors, and division staff to support the nutritional and educational goals of the school nutrition programs; provides technical assistance to schools and RCCI in the implementation of the school nutrition programs; and administers an electronic system to collect operational and financial data, provide data reports for program analysis, and facilitate payment of federal and state reimbursement to school divisions and RCCI. Approximately 10 percent of the funding for this service area is derived from state funds while the remaining 90 percent is from federal sources. A minimum state funding requirement is mandated by federal regulation for participating states.

• Factors Impacting the Products and/or Services:
  Increased turnover of local school division central office school nutrition staff has led to increased requests for technical assistance and greater numbers of school division participants in DOE School Nutrition Program sponsored professional development programs.
  
  Increased school division outsourcing of management of local school nutrition programs has led to increased monitoring of food service management contract requirements.
  
  The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 amended regulatory requirements for the school nutrition programs. These amendments include changes in free and reduced price meal eligibility determination requirements, changes in verification of free and reduced price meal eligibility, implementation of local food safety programs, and development and implementation of local wellness policy requirements. Implementation of these changes, increased monitoring of school division compliance with the amended regulations, and an increased need for technical assistance has created a significant increase in demand on service area personnel time and resources to assist SFAs in meeting program requirements.
• Anticipated Changes to the Products and/or Services
  The demand for DOE School Nutrition Program technical assistance, monitoring, and oversight is anticipated to increase as local school divisions face continuing operational and regulatory compliance challenges.
• Listing of Products and/or Services
  • The school nutrition service area annually conducts regulatory compliance reviews of 20 percent of the total number of school divisions and RCCI (known collectively as school food authorities or SFA) that participate in the USDA school nutrition programs. Regulatory compliance reviews for 100 percent of participating SFAs are completed on a five year cycle as required by federal regulation. An annual report of the compliance reviews conducted and the results of the reviews is produced and reported to USDA. Quarterly reports of the number of meals claimed by SFAs for reimbursement and the amount of reimbursement paid by meal program and eligibility category are produced and reported to USDA. An annual report of the number of students eligible for free and reduced price meals is compiled and posted to the DOE Web site for use by local, state, and federal agencies to determine the number and percentage of economically disadvantaged students by school and school division. The data are used to determine funding levels and to determine eligibility for federal, state, and local initiatives. The service area provides technical assistance to 100 percent of the participating SFAs by conducting on-site needs assessments, analyzing data reported through the School Nutrition Program Web system, and developing and distributing technical resources. Eight regional school nutrition program specialists conduct semi-annual regional workshops for division level school nutrition program coordinators to provide regulatory information and to facilitate regional cooperation among school divisions to enhance the operational effectiveness of the programs. The service area provides professional development opportunities in nutrition, food service operations, food safety and sanitation, and other topics to school nutrition managers, school nutrition division level coordinators, and other division staff through annual summer workshops and, as requested, to individual school divisions during the school year.

• We will fully utilize School Nutrition funds
  Objective Measures
  • Percentage of school divisions that increased their reimbursements from federal and state funding sources.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Output

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    95.5

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: 95.5% of 132 participating school divisions increased federal reimbursement in 2004-2005 as compared to 2003-2004. 92.4% of 132 participating school divisions increased federal reimbursement in 2005-2006 as compared to 2004-2005.

    Measure Target Value:

    95.5

    Date:

    6/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 95.5% as of 12/1/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data Source: Division reports of expenditures for School Lunch programs.

• We will increase the number of students that participate in the USDA School Nutrition programs
  Objective Measures
  • Increase in the number of students that participate in the USDA School Nutrition programs.
    Measure Class:

    Other

    Measure Type:

    Outcome

    Measure Frequency:

    Annual

    Preferred Trend:

    Maintain

    Measure Baseline Value:

    11.22

    Date:

    Measure Baseline Description: Student participation in the USDA School Breakfast Program (SBP) increased 11.22% in 2004-2005 as compared to 2003-2004

    Measure Target Value:

    11.2

    Date:

    10/30/2010

    Measure Target Description: 11.2% increase as of 10/30/2010

    Data Source and Calculation: Data Source: Reports from local school divisions on the student participation in the USDA School Breakfast Program (SBP) and calculating the change in participation from one year to the next.

11/23/2009   5:20 am

Department of Education (201)

Pupil Transportation (201 185 03)

The pupil transportation service area is responsible for developing and implementing services to school divisions that support and promote: interpretation and application of state and federal laws and regulations relative to pupil transportation; approved standards and practices for transporting students; a well-trained cadre of school bus drivers; and high quality school bus maintenance procedures. These services are designed with the purpose of promoting high quality, safe, and efficient transportation of public school students to and from school and school-related activities. These goals are met through training and technical assistance.