Feds Approve Amendments to Virginia’s K-12 Accountability and Support Plan

After awaiting a months-long review by the federal government, the Virginia Department of Education announced on Monday that it can fully implement its School Performance and Support Framework plan for how students will be assessed in public schools.

The approval was the final step in the regulatory process for Virginia to fully implement its goals of setting and assisting students in meeting high expectations and supporting learning loss recovery.

The board, supported by Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s administration, made the changes after its members said data from Virginia’s existing accountability system wasn’t clearly delineated when determining the quality of schools or student learning outcomes. In addition, the existing system used the process of accrediting schools as an accountability system to “foster” school improvement, instead of fostering the establishment of effective school-level educational programs, the board said.

Before submitting the changes for the state’s plan, the board overhauled and separated the existing accreditation system into two parts: an accreditation system, to assess whether schools meet all requirements laid out in state laws and regulations; and an accountability system, to provide “timely and transparent information on student and school performance.”

Virginia needed final approval from the U.S. Department of Education to avoid disruptions when the plan is fully implemented next school year.

The federal approval “means the new framework is fully in place and affirms our commitment to high expectations, transparency, and prioritizing resources to those students and schools most in need,” said Grace Turner Creasey, president of the Board of Education, who was appointed by Youngkin, in a statement on Monday.

“We are especially grateful that [the] Biden Administration’s approval recognizes that changing the Framework mid-school year would have been especially disruptive to schools and students,” Creasey said. “Having received this final federal approval, Virginia educators and families know the expectations set for their public schools and students remain in place and they can continue to work towards those goals without worry of the planning and preparations they have already completed being disregarded.”

During the review, some education leaders, including those in Northern Virginia, urged the Board of Education to delay implementation, claiming VDOE needed to define the framework measures and identify the types of support Virginia will provide to schools needing improvement.

However, the board proceeded with its plan after saying it received significant support from other parts of the commonwealth to move forward.

Youngkin proposed at least $50 million for “schools that need support the most” in his budget amendments sent to lawmakers last month, part of $1 billion in new funding for education in his proposal. The legislature will consider the governor’s proposed budget amendments in this year’s legislative session, which starts Wednesday.

by Nathaniel Cline, Virginia Mercury

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