Revised standards approved by the Virginia Board of Education now enter the final stage of the regulatory process, which includes a final review by the governor and secretary of education, and a final opportunity for public comments.
The board approved revisions to the standards schools must meet for state accreditation and the requirements students must meet to earn a high school diploma.
Final approval could come in January, with the new diploma requirements set to take effect with students entering the ninth grade next fall (class of 2022).
For schools, the revisions to the board’s Standards of Accreditation are designed to encourage continuous improvement for all schools, while placing increased emphasis on closing achievement gaps between student groups and providing a more comprehensive view of school quality, according to a release from the state Department of Education.
For students, the revised regulations reduce the number of Standards of Learning tests they need to pass to earn a diploma.
The new standards also implement the “Profile of a Virginia Graduate,” a set of expectations that includes increased emphasis on developing critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration and citizenship skills, in addition to academic achievement in English, mathematics, science and history.
The recent vote “follows a three-year process of outreach and dialogue focused on how the commonwealth’s accountability system should evolve to promote continuous improvement for all schools – including those that are fully accredited under the current system – and better prepare young people for the expectations of higher education and employers,” Board of Education President Dan Gecker said.
“Under these new standards, schools will be rewarded for the success of students who are on a trajectory toward meeting Virginia’s high expectations, even if they are not quite there yet,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said.
“This addresses an inequity in our current system which sometimes labels schools serving children in poverty as failing when in fact students are making great strides and showing high growth from one year to the next,” he added.
Under the revised standards, and beginning in 2018-2019, schools will be rated as either “Accredited” or “Accredited with Conditions” based on performance on multiple school quality indicators.
New indicators will include progress made by students toward proficiency in English and mathematics, achievement gaps in those subjects, absenteeism and dropout rates.
Schools that fail to implement state-required improvement plans could be rated as “Accreditation Denied.”
Course requirements for both the Advanced Studies Diploma and the Standard Diploma will remain the same but the number of required verified credits will be reduced to five (one each in English reading, English writing, mathematics, science and history/social science). In addition, schools will be required to provide opportunities for students to learn about career options aligned with their interests in their own communities and elsewhere.
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