State Articles of Interest
Clarke County School Board OKs 2025-26 school calendar | Winchester Star | thefnp.com
Fairfax County 5th graders help make being the new kid less daunting – WTOP News
Loudoun County Public Schools launches new GED program in Adult Detention Center
General Assembly passes bill giving schools more say on classroom phone rules • Virginia Mercury
National Articles of Interest
Are schools ‘soft censoring’ books out of fear? | K-12 Dive
Special education enrollment climbs to nearly 8M | K-12 Dive
Concerns mount over potential loss of Medicaid funds for schools
How will cutting NAEP for 17-year-olds impact postsecondary readiness research? | K-12 Dive
AFT sues Education Department over anti-DEI guidance | K-12 Dive
Education Department approves more ARP spending extensions for districts | K-12 Dive
What can school leaders do to ensure ‘floating teachers’ feel supported? | K-12 Dive
How Philadelphia is putting 9th graders on track to success | K-12 Dive
DOE Updates
VDOE English Update
On February 27, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education will receive for initial review lists of recommended Virginia Literacy Act Supplemental and Intervention Programs for Grades 6-8. Beginning February 20, 2025, the recommended 6-8 Supplemental and Intervention Programs will be available for a 30-day public review and comment period via the VDOE website. It is anticipated that the Board will take final action on the recommended lists of Virginia Literacy Act Supplemental and Intervention Programs for Grades 6-8 at its March 2025 meeting.?? Additional information is available at?Intervention Instructional Program Guide & Supplemental Instructional Program Guide | Virginia Department of Education webpage.
New English Standards of Learning Resources Available from VDOE
New resources to support English teaching and learning have been released and are located on the 2024 English Standards of Learning webpage. The K-12 English Instructional Guides provide support to English and literacy educators as they implement the 2024 English Standards of Learning. This week your school division’s literacy leaders attended a webinar with an overview of the 2024 English Standards of Learning. Recordings and resources will be posted on the 2024 English Standards of Learning webpage as they become available.
Resources from ZearnZearn’s K-8 math platform supports Virginia educators to accelerate math learning for all students with free access for all divisions in the Commonwealth. Find out more about Zearn’s downloadable posters, webinar, and resources. Free access to Zearn includes the K-8 math platform offering more than 1,000 digital lessons, training for educators, and materials to support families and resources. Families can also use Zearn at no cost. Virginia educators (both current and new users) who would like to participate for the 2025-26 school year should reach out to their school or division leads to indicate their interest. Division leaders who are ready to opt in should contact Zearn.
