State Articles of Interest
85% of Va. schools fully accredited – lowest number since 2017 system change
Va. school board settles with teacher fired for not using student’s pronouns
School sees more student engagement under new cellphone restrictions
Henrico School Board divided about whether to pursue collective bargaining
Nearly 85% of Virginia schools fully accredited this year, a decrease from last year
Dranesville Elementary Takes Joyful Approach to Reducing Chronic Absenteeism
D.C. area schools see rise in threats of violence, officials say – The Washington Post
Virginia school divisions doing a better job filling teacher vacancies
National Articles of Interest
What K-12 should know as SCOTUS begins October 2024 term
FCC releases cybersecurity resource guide for budget-constrained schools | K-12 Dive
These 6 steps are key for responding to anonymous school threats
Want to hone students’ critical thinking skills? Give them more opportunities for input | K-12 Dive
How should schools approach concerning behavior? | K-12 Dive
DOE Updates
ALL In with Lexia: Best Practices for Beginning the Year with SUCCESS!
Article: 2024-39-415
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals
Contact: Dr. Michelle Wallace, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction, Michelle.Wallace@doe.virginia.gov
The VDOE and Lexia® are proud to partner to help fulfill the Commonwealth’s priority to accelerate literacy growth for students through ALL In. To build on the SY 2024–2025 launch, the VDOE and Lexia have prepared this recommended timeline for October–November which is aligned to Lexia Implementation Best Practices. Divisions are encouraged to take these steps to create success for ALL In teams and students.?
Recommended Timeline
- By October 31:
- Division leadership reflects on first quarter’s implementation successes and opportunities through facilitating site-based engagement with the Blended Learning Reflection Guide to identify additional team needs and drive next steps for student literacy growth.?
- By November 27:?
- Division leaders assess student progress through a fall metrics review in partnership with their Lexia Success Manager, leveraging data and their Blended Learning Reflection Guide to strengthen implementation and plan for the second semester.
- Site-Based Leads and Educators build their capacity to employ data-driven practices within the blended learning model through engaging with professional learning centered on strengthening data routines.
- Educators consistently implement the on and offline components of the blended learning model to personalize learning for students through weekly data monitoring and facilitating of Lexia Lessons® and Lexia Skill Builders®, which they mark as delivered when students are flagged.
Resources:
- October Newsletter
- ALL In with Lexia Landing Page
- Professional Learning: Opt into flexible options or connect with your Lexia Success Manager to schedule division-specific professional learning.
- For more information, contact vatutoring@lexialearning.com
Statewide Access to New Teacher Support Program
The REACH Virginia program is now accessible to all school divisions as a collaborative network of new teacher mentor program leaders from across the Commonwealth. Funded by the General Assembly through the VDOE, this initiative provides resources to support new teachers, opportunities for professional development, and no-cost membership in the network. For more information or to join the program, email REACH Virginia Program Directors.
Virginia Literacy Act October Support Webinars
Article: 2024-39-421
Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers
Contact: Jill Nogueras, Associate Director of English Literacy K-12, Jill.Nogueras@doe.virginia.gov
In partnership, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) and members of Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) will host webinars to support divisions in the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act as related to gifted populations and English Learners. Webinars will be hosted following the schedule below:
- VDOE Virginia Literacy Act and Gifted Education Webinar on October 29, 9:30 a.m.-10:00 am.
- VDOE English Learners and the Virginia Literacy Act Webinar on October 29, 1:00 p.m. -1:30 p.m.
A Zoom link will be sent to division instructional leaders (literacy, gifted, and EL coordinators) who have been designated as such in SSWS to register for the webinar.? Division leaders will need to register to attend these sessions.??
Division leaders can reach out to vla@doe.virginia.gov for more information on registration.?
- New division literacy, gifted, or EL leaders will need to contact the school division Educational Registry Application (ERA) manager for the Single Sign-on for Web Systems (SSWS) platform to update contact information.
