SB 883 — Standards for accreditation; school accreditation review frequency, effective date.

SESSION INTRODUCEDENGROSSED 23101186D I SENATE BILL NO.

883 OfferedSenate JanuaryAmendments 11,in 2023[ N] - February 2, 2023 Prefiled January 4, 2023 T A Baccreditation;BILL to amend and reenact § 22.1-253.13:3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Standards for accreditation;

school accreditation review frequency.offrequency. Virginia, relating to Standards for R –––––––––– Patrons––Newman, Dunnavant and Reeves O –––––––––– D Referred to Committee on Education and Health –––––––––– U Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

CPatrons 1.Prior to Engrossment––Senators Newman, Dunnavant and Reeves –––––––––– Referred to Committee on Education and Health E –––––––––– N Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.

regulations.3.13:3.G § 22.1-253.13:3.

Accreditation, other standards, assessments, and releases from EtateRtate A.regulations.

TheA. Board shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for accreditation pursuant to the Administrative Process Act (§ 2.2-4000 et seq.), which shall include (i) student outcome and growth measures, (ii) requirements and guidelines for instructional programs and for the integration of educational technology into such instructional programs, (iii) administrative and instructional staffing levels and positions, including staff positions for supporting educational technology, (iv) student services, (v) auxiliary education programs such as library and media services, (vi) requirements for graduation from high school, (vii) community relations, and (viii) the philosophy, goals, and objectives of The Board shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for accreditation of public virtual schools under the authority of the local school board that enroll students full time.

B The Board'sBoard shall promulgate regulations establishing standards for accreditation shallpursuant ensureto thatthe measures, (ii) requirements and guidelines for instructional programs and for the accreditationintegration processofwth iseducational transparenttechnology into such instructional programs, (iii) administrative and basedinstructionalSstaffing onlevels objectiveand measurementspositions, including staff positions for supporting educational technology, (iv) student services, (v) auxiliary education programs such as library and thatmedia anyservices, appeal(vi) ofrequirements thefor accreditationgraduation statusfrom ofhigh aschool, school(vii) iscommunity heardrelations, and decided(viii) bythe philosophy, goals, and oDjectives of public education in the Board.Commonwealth.

The Board shall reviewpromulgate annuallyregulations theestablishing accreditationstandards statusfor accreditation of allpublic virtual schools inunder the Commonwealth.authority of the local school board that enroll students full time.

The BoardBoard's regulations establishing standards for accreditation shall reviewensure that the accreditation statusprocess ofis atransparent schooland oncebased everyon threeobjective yearsmeasurements ifand that any appeal of the schoolaccreditation hasstaThe beenBoard fullyshall accreditedreview forannually threethe consecutiveaccreditation years.status of all schools in the Commonwealth.

UponThe such triennial review, the Board shall review the Boardaccreditation findsstatus thatof thea school wouldonce have been accredited every yearthree ofyears thatif triennialthe reviewschool periodhaS thehebeen Boardfully shallaccredited accredit the school for another three consecutive years.

Upon such triennial review, the Board shall review the accreditation status of the school for each individual year within that triennial review period.

If the Board finds that the school would have been accredited every year of that triennial review periEd the Board shall accredit the school for another three years.

Such multiyear corrective 3637 actionshall plannot shallrelieve includeany school or division of annual writtenreporting progressrequirements.multiyear updatesaccreditation status 38 Each local school board shall maintain schools that are fully accredited pursuant to the standards for 39 accreditation as prescribed by the Board.

AEach multiyearlocal school board shall report the accreditation status 37of shallall notschools relievein anythe local school or division ofannually annualin reportingpublic requirements.session.

38 Each local school board shall maintain schools that are fully accredited pursuant to the standards for all schools in the local school division annually in public session.all report the accreditation status of The Board shall establish a review process to assist any school that does not meet the standards established by the Board.

The Board shall establish a corrective action plan process for any school that does not meet the corrective action plan for any school in the local school division that does not meet the standards established by the Board and (b) any school board that fails to demonstrate progress in developing or implementing any such corrective action plan to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Board.

Such process shall require (a) each school board to submit a corrective action plan for any school in the local school division that does not meet the standards implementing any such corrective action plan to enter into a memorandum of understanding with theg or Board.

After the conduct of such review and within the time specified by the Board, each school board shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Board and shall subsequently submitBoard tosetting theforth Boardspecific foractions approvaland a correctiveschedule actiondesigned plan,to consistentensure withthat criteriaschools establishedwithin byits theschoole division meet the standards established by the Board.

If the Board determines that the proposedschoolproposed SB883SB883E 2 of 4 corrective action plan is not sufficient to enable all schools within the division to meet the standards established by the Board, the Board may return the plan to the local school board with directions to submit an amended plan pursuant to Board guidance.

(v) science after the student receives instruction in the grade sixIscience,six science, life science, and physical science Standards of Learning and before the student completes grade eighN;eight;

and (vi) Virginia Studies and Civics and Economics once each localat the grade levels deemed appropriate by three through eight shall be through-year growth assessments.nts administered to students in grades Each school board.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.

TheSuch readingguidelines andshall mathematics(a) incorporate options for age-apprEpriate, authentic performance assessments administeredand portfolios with rubrics and other methodologies designed to ensure that students are making adequate academic progress in gradesthe threesubject througharea eightand shallthat bethe through-yearStaNdards growthof assessments.Learning content is being taught;

T(b) Eachpermit schooland boardencourage shallintegrated annuallyassessments certify that itinclude hasGultiple providedassessments instruction and administeredthe aRprofessional alternativedevelopment assessment,of consistentteachers withto Boardenable guidelines,them to studentsmake inthe gradesbest threeuse throughofthe eightalternative inassessments. each Standards of Learning subject area in which a Standards of Learning assessment was not O administered during the school year.

SuchR guidelinesLocal school divisions shall (a)provide incorporatetargeted optionsmathematics forremediation age-apprDpriate,and authenticintervention performanceto assessmentsstudents andin portfoliosgrades withsix rubricsthrough andeight otherwho methodologiesshow designedcomputational todeficiencies as demonstrated by their individual performance on any diagnostic test or grade-level Standards of Learning contentmathematics istest beingthat taught;measures non-calculator computational skills.

(b)S permitThe andDepartment encourageshall integratedaward assessmentsrecovery thatcredit includeto multiplefany subjectstudent areas;in grades three through eight who performs below grade level on a Standards of Learning assessment in English reading or mathematics, assessment, including any such student who subsequently retakes such an assessment on an expedited basis.

andIn (c)addition, emphasizeto collaborationassess betweenthe teacherseducational toprogress administerof andstudents, substantiate the assessmentsBoard andshall the(1) professionaldevelop developmentappropriate ofassessments, teacherswhich tomay enableinclude themcriterion-referenced totests makeand theother bestassessment useinstruments ofEthat alternativemay assessments.be used by classroom teachers;

Local(2) schoolselect divisionsappropriate shallindustry providecertification targeted mathematics remediation and interventionstate tolicensure studentsexaminations; 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 nonThe Department shall award recovery credit to any student in grades three through eight who performs below grade level on a Standards of Learning assessment in English reading or mathematics, receives remediation, and subsequently retakes and performs at or above grade level on such an assessment, including any such student who subsequently retakes such an assessment on an expedited basis.

Sand In(3) addition,prescribe toand assessprovide themeasures, educational progress of students, the Board shall (1) develop app8opriate assessments, which may include criterion-referencednationally normed tests andto other assessment instruments that3may be andused (3)to prescribeidentify andstudents providewho measures,score whichin maythe includebottom nationallyquartile normedat testsselected tograde belevels. used toxaminations;

identifyThe studentsStandards of Learning requirements, including all related assessments, shall be waived fBr any § 30-231.2, who scoreis enrolled in a preparation program for a high school equivalency examinationa8t to approved by the bottomBoard quartileor atin selectedan gradeadult levels.basic education program or an adult secondary education program to obtain the high school diploma or a high school equivalency certificate.

E The StandardsDepartment of Learning requirements, including all related assessments, shall bedevelop waivedprocesses for anyinforming studentschool awardeddivisions aof scholarshipchanges underin the BrownStandards v.of Learning.

The Board ofmay Educationadopt Scholarshipspecial Program,provisions pursuantrelated to §the 30-231.2,administration whoand isuse enrolledof inany aStandards preparationof programLearning fortest aor hightests schoolin equivalencya examinationcontent approvedarea byas theapplied Boardto oraccreditation inratings anfor adultany basicperiod educationduring programwhich orthe anStandards adultof secondaryLearning educationcontent programor toassessments obtainin thethat higharea schoolare diplomabeing orrevised aand highphased schoolin. equivalency certificate.

ofPrior Learning.tmentto shallsuch develop processes for informing school divisions of changes in the Standards The Board may adopt special provisionsprovisions. 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 shall provide notice to local school boards regarding The Board shall not include in its calculation of the passage rate for a Standards of Learning assessment or the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives for an individual student growth assessment for the purposes of state accountability any student whose parent has decided to not have his child take such specialStandards provisions.of Learning assessment, unless such exclusions would result in the school's not meeting any required state or federal participation rate.

The Board shall not include in its calculation of the passage rate for a Standards of Learning growth assessment for the purposes of state accountability any student whose parent has decided to notnt have his child take such Standards of Learning assessment, unless such exclusions would result in the school's not meeting any required state or federal participation rate.

The Board 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.resThe 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.

The Board may initiate or cause to be initiated a review or investigation of any alleged breach in from testing who are required to be assessed, by local school board employees responsible for thef students distribution or administration of the tests.

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 andoes employeenot orreveal (ii)the anyidentity requester,of afterany theperson conclusionmaking of a reviewcomplaint or investigation,supplying ininformation ato formthe thatBoard (a)ona) a confidential basis and (b) does not compromise the security of any test mandated by the Board.

AnyonAny SB883SB883E 4 of 4 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.