Bill Text: VA SB306 | 2014 | Regular Session | Chaptered
Bill Title: Standards of Learning; assessments, reform.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2014-04-04 - Governor: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0622) [SB306 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2014-SB306-Chaptered.html
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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §§2.2-2101, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, and 22.1-253.13:3 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted and that the Code of Virginia is amended by adding in Chapter 13.2 of Title 22.1 a section numbered 22.1-253.13:10 as follows: §2.2-2101. (Effective until July 1, 2017) Prohibition against service by legislators on boards, commissions, and councils within the executive branch; exceptions. Members of the General Assembly shall be ineligible to serve on boards, commissions, and councils within the executive branch of state government who are responsible for administering programs established by the General Assembly. Such prohibition shall not extend to boards, commissions, and councils engaged solely in policy studies or commemorative activities. If any law directs the appointment of any member of the General Assembly to a board, commission, or council in the executive branch of state government that is responsible for administering programs established by the General Assembly, such portion of such law shall be void, and the Governor shall appoint another person from the Commonwealth at large to fill such a position. The provisions of this section shall not apply to members of the Board for Branch Pilots, who shall be appointed as provided for in § 54.1-901; to members of the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.3; to members of the Board of Trustees of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.25; to members of the Board of Directors of the New College Institute who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.31; to members of the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-5204; to members of the Board of Veterans Services, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2452; to members appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority pursuant to §23-231.15; to members of the Virginia Geographic Information Network Advisory Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2423; to members of the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee, who shall be appointed as provided for in § 22.1-253.13:10; to members of the Opportunity Educational Institution Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §22.1-27.1; to members of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, who shall be appointed as provided for in §22.1-346.2; to members of the Substance Abuse Services Council, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2696; to members of the Criminal Justice Services Board, who shall be appointed as provided in §9.1-108; to members of the Council on Virginia's Future, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2685; to members of the State Executive Council for Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families, who shall be appointed as provided in §2.2-2648; to members of the Virginia Workforce Council, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2669; to members of the Volunteer Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Service Award Fund Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §51.1-1201; to members of the Secure Commonwealth Panel, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-233; to members of the Forensic Science Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §9.1-1109; or to members of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation, who shall be appointed as provided in §2.2-2735. §2.2-2101. (Effective July 1, 2017) Prohibition against service by legislators on boards, commissions, and councils within the executive branch; exceptions. Members of the General Assembly shall be ineligible to serve on boards, commissions, and councils within the executive branch of state government who are responsible for administering programs established by the General Assembly. Such prohibition shall not extend to boards, commissions, and councils engaged solely in policy studies or commemorative activities. If any law directs the appointment of any member of the General Assembly to a board, commission, or council in the executive branch of state government that is responsible for administering programs established by the General Assembly, such portion of such law shall be void, and the Governor shall appoint another person from the Commonwealth at large to fill such a position. The provisions of this section shall not apply to members of the Board for Branch Pilots, who shall be appointed as provided for in § 54.1-901; to members of the Board of Trustees of the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center, who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.3; to members of the Board of Trustees of the Southern Virginia Higher Education Center, who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.25; to members of the Board of Directors of the New College Institute who shall be appointed as provided for in §23-231.31; to members of the Virginia Interagency Coordinating Council who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-5204; to members of the Board of Veterans Services, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2452; to members appointed to the Board of Trustees of the Roanoke Higher Education Authority pursuant to §23-231.15; to members of the Virginia Geographic Information Network Advisory Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2423; to members of the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee, who shall be appointed as provided for in §22.1-253.13:10; to members of the Opportunity Educational Institution Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §22.1-27.1; to members of the Board of Visitors of the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind, who shall be appointed as provided for in §22.1-346.2; to members of the Substance Abuse Services Council, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2696; to members of the Criminal Justice Services Board, who shall be appointed as provided in § 9.1-108; to members of the State Executive Council for Comprehensive Services for At-Risk Youth and Families, who shall be appointed as provided in § 2.2-2648; to members of the Virginia Workforce Council, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-2669; to members of the Volunteer Firefighters' and Rescue Squad Workers' Service Award Fund Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §51.1-1201; to members of the Secure Commonwealth Panel, who shall be appointed as provided for in §2.2-233; to members of the Forensic Science Board, who shall be appointed as provided for in §9.1-1109; or to members of the Southwest Virginia Cultural Heritage Foundation, who shall be appointed as provided in §2.2-2735. §22.1-253.13:3. Standard 3. Accreditation, other standards, assessments, and releases from state regulations. A. The Board of Education shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for accreditation pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§2.2-4000 et seq.), which shall include, but not be limited to, student outcome measures, requirements and guidelines for instructional programs and for the integration of educational technology into such instructional programs, administrative and instructional staffing levels and positions, including staff positions for supporting educational technology, student services, auxiliary education programs such as library and media services, course and credit requirements for graduation from high school, community relations, and the philosophy, goals, and objectives of public education in Virginia. The Board of Education shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for accreditation of public virtual schools under the authority of the local school board that enroll students full time. The Board shall review annually the accreditation status of all schools in the Commonwealth. Each local school board shall maintain schools that are fully accredited pursuant to the standards for accreditation as prescribed by the Board of Education. Each local school board shall review the accreditation status of all schools in the local school division annually in public session. Within the time specified by the Board of Education, each school board shall submit corrective action plans for any schools within its school division that have been designated as not meeting the standards as approved by the Board. When the Board of Education has obtained evidence through the school academic review process that the failure of schools within a division to achieve full accreditation status is related to division level failure to implement the Standards of Quality, the Board may require a division level academic review. After the conduct of such review and within the time specified by the Board of Education, each school board shall submit for approval by the Board a corrective action plan, consistent with criteria established by the Board and setting forth specific actions and a schedule designed to ensure that schools within its school division achieve full accreditation status. Such corrective action plans shall be part of the relevant school division's comprehensive plan pursuant to §22.1-253.13:6. With such funds as are appropriated or otherwise received for this purpose, the Board shall adopt and implement an academic review process, to be conducted by the Department of Education, to assist schools that are accredited with warning. The Department shall forward a report of each academic review to the relevant local school board, and such school board shall report the results of such academic review and the required annual progress reports in public session. The local school board shall implement any actions identified through the academic review and utilize them for improvement planning. B. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall develop and the Board of Education shall approve criteria for determining and recognizing educational performance in the Commonwealth's public school divisions and schools. Such criteria, when approved, shall become an integral part of the accreditation process and shall include student outcome measurements. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall annually identify to the Board those school divisions and schools that exceed or do not meet the approved criteria. Such identification shall include an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of public education programs in the various school divisions in Virginia and recommendations to the General Assembly for further enhancing student learning uniformly across the Commonwealth. In recognizing educational performance in the school divisions, the Board shall include consideration of special school division accomplishments, such as numbers of dual enrollments and students in Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, and participation in academic year Governor's Schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall assist local school boards in the implementation of action plans for increasing educational performance in those school divisions and schools that are identified as not meeting the approved criteria. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall monitor the implementation of and report to the Board of Education on the effectiveness of the corrective actions taken to improve the educational performance in such school divisions and schools. C. With such funds as are available for this purpose, the Board of Education shall prescribe assessment methods to determine the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives by all students. Such assessments shall evaluate knowledge, application of knowledge, critical thinking, and skills related to the Standards of Learning being assessed. The Board shall (i) in consultation with the chairpersons of the eight regional superintendents' study groups, establish a timetable for administering the Standards of Learning assessments to ensure genuine end-of-course and end-of-grade testing and (ii) with the assistance of independent testing experts, conduct a regular analysis and validation process for these assessments.
The Board of Education shall make publicly available such assessments in a timely manner and as soon as practicable following the administration of such tests, so long as the release of such assessments does not compromise test security or deplete the bank of assessment questions necessary to construct subsequent tests, or limit the ability to test students on demand and provide immediate results in the web-based assessment system. The Board shall include in the student outcome measures that
are required by the Standards for Accreditation end-of-course or end-of-grade The Standards of Learning assessments administered to students in grades three through eight shall not exceed (a) reading and mathematics in grades three and four; (b) reading, mathematics, and science in grade five; (c) reading and mathematics in grades six and seven; (d) reading, writing, mathematics, and science in grade eight; and (e) Virginia Studies and Civics and Economics once each at the grade levels deemed appropriate by each local school board. Each school board shall annually certify that it has provided instruction and administered an alternative assessment, consistent with Board guidelines, to students in grades three through eight in each Standards of Learning subject area in which a Standards of Learning assessment was not administered during the school year. Such guidelines shall (1) incorporate options for age-appropriate, authentic performance assessments and portfolios with rubrics and other methodologies designed to ensure that students are making adequate academic progress in the subject area and that the Standards of Learning content is being taught; (2) permit and encourage integrated assessments that include multiple subject areas; and (3) emphasize collaboration between teachers to administer and substantiate the assessments and the professional development of teachers to enable them to make the best use of alternative assessments. Local school divisions shall provide targeted mathematics remediation and intervention to students in grades six through eight who show computational deficiencies as demonstrated by their individual performance on any diagnostic test or grade-level Standards of Learning mathematics test that measures non-calculator computational skills. In addition, to assess the educational progress of students,
the Board of Education shall The Standards of Learning requirements, including all related assessments, shall be waived for any student awarded a scholarship under the Brown v. Board of Education Scholarship Program, pursuant to §30-231.2, who is enrolled in a preparation program for the General Education Development (GED) certificate or in an adult basic education program to obtain the high school diploma. The Board of Education may adopt special provisions related to the administration and use of any Standards of Learning test or tests in a content area as applied to accreditation ratings for any period during which the Standards of Learning content or assessments in that area are being revised and phased in. Prior to statewide administration of such tests, the Board of Education shall provide notice to local school boards regarding such special provisions. D. The Board of Education may pursue all available civil remedies pursuant to §22.1-19.1 or administrative action pursuant to § 22.1-292.1 for breaches in test security and unauthorized alteration of test materials or test results. The Board may initiate or cause to be initiated a review or investigation of any alleged breach in security, unauthorized alteration, or improper administration of tests, including the exclusion of students from testing who are required to be assessed, by local school board employees responsible for the distribution or administration of the tests. Records and other information furnished to or prepared by the Board during the conduct of a review or investigation may be withheld pursuant to subdivision 11 of §2.2-3705.3. However, this section shall not prohibit the disclosure of records to (i) a local school board or division superintendent for the purpose of permitting such board or superintendent to consider or to take personnel action with regard to an employee or (ii) any requester, after the conclusion of a review or investigation, in a form that (a) does not reveal the identity of any person making a complaint or supplying information to the Board on a confidential basis and (b) does not compromise the security of any test mandated by the Board. Any local school board or division superintendent receiving such records or other information shall, upon taking personnel action against a relevant employee, place copies of such records or information relating to the specific employee in such person's personnel file. Notwithstanding any other provision of state law, no test or examination authorized by this section, including the Standards of Learning assessments, shall be released or required to be released as minimum competency tests, if, in the judgment of the Board, such release would breach the security of such test or examination or deplete the bank of questions necessary to construct future secure tests. E. With such funds as may be appropriated, the Board of Education may provide, through an agreement with vendors having the technical capacity and expertise to provide computerized tests and assessments, and test construction, analysis, and security, for (i) web-based computerized tests and assessments, including computer-adaptive Standards of Learning assessments, for the evaluation of student progress during and after remediation and (ii) the development of a remediation item bank directly related to the Standards of Learning. F. To assess the educational progress of students as
individuals and as groups, each local school board shall require the use of
Standards of Learning assessments, alternative assessments, and other
relevant data, such as industry certification and state licensure examinations,
to evaluate student progress and to determine educational performance. Each
local school shall require the administration of appropriate assessments to The Board of Education shall not require administration of the Stanford Achievement Test Series, Ninth Edition (Stanford Nine) assessment, except as may be selected to facilitate compliance with the requirements for home instruction pursuant to §22.1-254.1. The Board shall include requirements for the reporting of the Standards of Learning assessment scores and averages for each year as part of the Board's requirements relating to the School Performance Report Card. Such scores shall be disaggregated for each school by student subgroups on the Virginia assessment program as appropriate and shall be reported to the public within three months of their receipt. These reports (i) shall be posted on the portion of the Department of Education's website relating to the School Performance Report Card, in a format and in a manner that allows year-to-year comparisons, and (ii) may include the National Assessment of Educational Progress state-by-state assessment. G. Each local school division superintendent shall regularly review the division's submission of data and reports required by state and federal law and regulations to ensure that all information is accurate and submitted in a timely fashion. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall provide a list of the required reports and data to division superintendents annually. The status of compliance with this requirement shall be included in the Board of Education's annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly as required by §22.1-18. H. Any school board may request the Board of Education for release from state regulations or, on behalf of one or more of its schools, for approval of an Individual School Accreditation Plan for the evaluation of the performance of one or more of its schools as authorized for certain other schools by the Standards of Accreditation pursuant to 8 VAC 20-131-280 C of the Virginia Administrative Code. Waivers of regulatory requirements may be granted by the Board of Education based on submission of a request from the division superintendent and chairman of the local school board. The Board of Education may grant, for a period up to five years, a waiver of regulatory requirements that are not (i) mandated by state or federal law or (ii) designed to promote health or safety. The school board shall provide in its waiver request a description of how the releases from state regulations are designed to increase the quality of instruction and improve the achievement of students in the affected school or schools. The Department of Education shall provide (a) guidance to any local school division that requests releases from state regulations and (b) information about opportunities to form partnerships with other agencies or entities to any local school division in which the school or schools granted releases from state regulations have demonstrated improvement in the quality of instruction and the achievement of students. The Board of Education may also grant local school boards waivers of specific requirements in §22.1-253.13:2, based on submission of a request from the division superintendent and chairman of the local school board, permitting the local school board to assign instructional personnel to the schools with the greatest needs, so long as the school division employs a sufficient number of personnel divisionwide to meet the total number required by §22.1-253.13:2 and all pupil/teacher ratios and class size maximums set forth in subsection C of §22.1-253.13:2 are met. The school board shall provide in its request a description of how the waivers from specific Standards of Quality staffing standards are designed to increase the quality of instruction and improve the achievement of students in the affected school or schools. The waivers may be renewed in up to five-year increments, or revoked, based on student achievement results in the affected school or schools. §22.1-253.13:10. Standards of Learning Innovation Committee. The Secretary of Education, upon receiving recommendations for appointments from the Virginia Parent Teacher Association, Virginia Education Association, Virginia School Boards Association, Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals, Virginia Association of Elementary School Principals, Virginia Association of School Superintendents, Virginia State Reading Association, Virginia School Counselor Association, and Virginia Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, shall establish and appoint members from each of the specified groups to the Standards of Learning Innovation Committee (Committee). The Committee shall also include (i) four members of the Virginia House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of the House of Delegates; (ii) two members of the Virginia Senate, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules on the recommendation of the Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and Health; at least one (iii) parent of a currently enrolled public school student, (iv) public elementary school teacher, (v) public secondary school teacher, (vi) public secondary school guidance counselor, (vii) school board member, (viii) public school principal, (ix) division superintendent, (x) curriculum and instruction specialist, (xi) higher education faculty member, (xii) business representative, and such other stakeholders as the Secretary deems appropriate. Members of the Committee should reflect geographic diversity and rural and urban school systems as far as practicable. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, the President of the Board of Education or his designee, and the Secretary of Education or his designee shall serve ex officio. All other members shall be appointed for terms of two years. The Committee, under the direction of the Secretary, shall periodically make recommendations to the Board of Education and the General Assembly on (a) the Standards of Learning assessments, (b) authentic individual student growth measures, (c) alignment between the Standards of Learning and assessments and the School Performance Report Card, and (d) ideas on innovative teaching in the classroom. 2. That the Board may reduce the number of Standards of Learning assessments administered to students as long as the number and type of assessments meet the minimal requirements established by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended. However, the number and type of assessments required by the Board shall not be less than the number and type of assessments required by the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 as of January 1, 2014. |
