1. SURN Leadership Conference
Dr. Steven R. Staples
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Commonwealth of Virginia
June 20, 2017
Williamsburg, Virginia
Virginia Department of Education

2. SURN Leadership Conference
Dr. Steven R. Staples
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Commonwealth of Virginia
June 20, 2017
Williamsburg, Virginia
Virginia Department of Education

3. “The task of the leader
is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.”
-Henry Kissinger

4. Virginia Public Education
1.3 Million Enrolled Students
More than 1,850 Public Schools
132 Distinct School Divisions
100,000 Teachers

5. The Changing Face of Student Enrollment in Virginia
Education Briefing: Diversity in Ed Pipeline
2016
The Changing Face of Student Enrollment in Virginia
Source: VDOE Fall Membership Data
Virginia Department of Education

6. Number of Languages Reported in Virginia Schools
223

7. Student Demographics
English Language Learner (ELL) students represent twelve percent (12%) of the statewide student enrollment or 154,020 students.
Economically Disadvantaged students represent thirty-eight percent (38%) of the state wide student enrollment or 487,834 students.
More than half of Virginia students (50.22%) identify as non-white.

8. Performance Data

9. English Reading and Writing SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

10. English Reading and Writing SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

11. Math SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

12. Math SOL Pass Rate All Schools, 2015-16

13. “One of the tests of leadership before it becomes an emergency.”
is the ability to
recognize a problem
before it becomes an emergency.”
-Arnold Glasow

14. Leadership is needed to bring needed change
Not just state level
Not just division level
Every school…..Every Classroom

15. The Beginnings . . . The Committee of Fifteen The Committee of Ten
1895
Outlined elementary education
Noted need to align with secondary education
The Committee of Ten
1915 (after preliminary discussion in 1893)
Cardinal Principles of Secondary Education
Organized the secondary program of education and U.S. high schools
Envisioned the secondary educational experience as “workforce preparation” for the coming Industrial Revolution

16. Charles Eliot, President of Harvard University
Guiding principle was that all students should receive the same high-quality liberal arts education
All public-high-school students should follow a college preparatory curriculum, regardless of their backgrounds, their intention to stay in school through graduation, or their plans to pursue higher education.
As Eliot, author of the final report, put it, “every subject which is taught at all in a secondary school should be taught in the same way and to the same extent to every pupil so long as he pursues it, no matter what the probable destination of the pupil may be, or at what point his education is to cease.…”
Source: “The Traditional High School:” Jeffrey Mirel

17. The Beginnings . . . . . . A Bit Later
In 2014 the Virginia Board of Education began their work to reform high school graduation requirements with a simple question:
Are Virginia’s high school graduates well prepared for what comes next?

18. Board of Education Engagement Process
24 Stakeholder Meetings
Multiple panel presentations before the Board
4 Public Hearings (summer, 2016)
Manassas
Lynchburg
Williamsburg
Abingdon

19. The answer to the question was a resoundingNO

20. Not an Indictment of the Work
All groups indicated that high school students and staff were working hard
They were just working hard at things that did NOT connect to the “next steps…..”
The Industrial Age model was not aligned with 21st century workforce needs

21. 21st Century Careers Virginia Employment Commission Data:
45 fastest growing/good pay (>$45,000 jobs) in Va. next 10 years
25 require 2 years or less after high school
Some require only certification after high school
“Guarantee” of quality of life for 4 year degree in question
The Challenge: How to better connect high school outcomes to 21st century workforce needs?

22. Changing Student Needs
Based on multiple meetings with the Virginia Chamber of Commerce, the Virginia Business Council, higher education, and military recruiters…..
“5 C’s” (communication, collaboration, creative problem-solving, critical thinking, citizenship)

23. “Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
-Warren G. Bennis

24. Structure of Schools and the Profile of a Virginia Graduate

25. “Profile of a Virginia Graduate”
Current Graduation Requirements
Include only academic expectations
Earning “credits” by completing courses
Completing “verified credits” through SOL Exams
Students are expected to show they have acquired knowledge
Colleges and employers noted “gaps” in these graduates

26. Reforming Expectations for High School Graduation
The Virginia Board of Education is reforming graduation requirements to respond to those gaps and better prepare students for expectations in the 21st century to create:
Smoother transitions to “what comes next” after high school
An awareness that “content knowledge”, while important, is not sufficient
Stronger alignment with future projection of workforce needs
Student experiences in higher order thinking and problem-solving

27. How? The State Board Identified Priority Areas for Profile of a Graduate
EXPAND the use of performance assessments and REDUCE the number of credits verified by SOL tests
INCREASE internships and work-based learning experiences
INCREASE career exposure, exploration, and planning
EMPHASIZE the “5 Cs” (critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship)

28. In Virginia, the Life-ready Individual will,
During His or Her K-12 Educational Experience:
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE
Achieve and apply appropriate academic and technical knowledge
Attain and demonstrate productive workplace skills, qualities, and behaviors
“WHAT” Students Need to Know
Different Types of Assessments
Blended Content
5 C’s Approach
Connections to Real World Issues
Elementary Exposure
Middle Exploration
HS Focus on Career Clusters
Aligned Program of Study
Multiple Pathways
All Students
Transitions from School to Worksite
Continuum of Options
More than Learning About
Work on a Real World Community Problem
Research and Present
Capstone Project
CAREER PLANNING
WORKPLACE SKILLS
Align knowledge, skills, and personal interests with career opportunities
COMMUNITY &
CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY
Build connections and value for interactions with diverse communities

29. Accreditation and Accountability Reform ESSA State Plan

30. “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.”
-Martin Luther King, Jr.

31. Unintended Outcomes of Current Accountability System
List of “failing” schools paralleled poverty %
Sanctions “demoralized” community & staff
High quality staff refused to work in “failing” schools
Test Prep dominated school day & year
Teachers reverted to “drill & kill” methodology – not best practice approaches
Non-tested subjects pushed out of school day
Parent/community backlash – “anti-testing”
Key Point here is “new” system is working to fix some of these – the intent of Accountability Reform is to “do this better” and “fairer”

32. Insanity is doing the same things over and over again but expecting different results
Albert Einstein

33. “Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great.”
-John D. Rockefeller

34. State Board Reform Philosophy of Accountability
4 Main Principles:
Provide comprehensive picture of school quality
Drive continuous improvement for all schools
Build on strengths and address gaps and unintended outcomes in current system
Inform areas of VDOE technical assistance and use of school improvement resources
In previous discussions, we’ve heard consensus from you about some key principles for state accountability and I’ve listed them here on the slide.
For Virginia, our accountability system should provide:
a comprehensive picture of school quality (includes multiple measures),
drives continuous improvement (focus on achievement for ALL students),
builds on strengths and addresses gaps in current system (recognizes that we’ve learned some things from our experience with current and previous accountability systems)
and importantly, provides a system that informs technical assistance and drives school improvement resources (targeted interventions vice a one size fits all approach).

35. Matrix Approach for State Accreditation and ESSA
Level 1
(At Standard)
Level 2
(Near Standard)
Level 3
(Below Standard)
DRAFT
Criteria
Number of schools
DRAFT/PROPOSED

36. Proposed Accreditation Indicators
Performance Levels
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Combined Rate for English Reading and Writing*
75% or higher
(state benchmark)
Between 66% and 74%
65% or lower
Combined Rate for Math*
70% or higher
Between 66% and 69%
Pass Rate for Science*
Achievement Gaps: English Reading and Writing*
Less than 10 points below state benchmark
10 or more points below state benchmark
Achievement Gaps: Math*
Less than 5 points below state benchmark
5 or more points below state benchmark
*Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by decreasing the assessment failure rate by 10% or more

37. Proposed Accreditation Indicators
Performance Levels
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Graduation Completion Index†
88 or higher
Between 81 and 87
80 or lower
Dropout Rate‡
6% or lower
Between 7% and 8%
9% or higher
Chronic Absenteeism‡
15% or lower
Between 16% and 24%
25% or higher
College and Career Readiness Index
85% or higher
Between 71% and 84%
70% or lower
†Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by increasing the index value by 10% or more
‡Schools can improve the performance level on the indicator by decreasing the rate by 10% or more

38. Developing Achievement Indicators
Pass rate (with recovery) on state assessments for reading and writing
Achievement
Student Growth
English Learner
Progress
Pass rate (with recovery) on state assessments for math
Pass rate on state assessments for science
Year-over-year gains in reading based
on progress tables
Year-over-year gains in math based
on progress tables
Year-over-year gains towards English proficiency based on ACCESS for ELLs assessment

39. Role of ESSA Under ESSA, State Accountability Systems must address:
Academic achievement;
Academic progress;
Graduation rates;
Progress in English Learners gaining proficiency; and
One or more other indicators of school quality.

40. Proposed Accreditation Indicators
Category
Indicator
Required by ESSA?
Achievement
English Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments, student growth and English Learner progress)
Math Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments and student growth)
Science Academic Indicator (includes passing state assessments)
English Academic Achievement Gap (examines all reporting groups)
Math Academic Achievement Gap (examines all reporting groups)
Testing at each level

41. Proposed Accreditation Indicators
Category
Indicator
Required by ESSA?
Graduation/ School Progress
Graduation and Completion Index
Dropout Rate (high schools)
Student Engagement
Chronic Absenteeism (elementary and middle schools)
College and Career Readiness
College and Career Readiness Index (includes advanced coursework, CTE credentials, and work-based learning)

42. “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.”
-Publilius Syrus

43. Superintendent of Public Instruction Commonwealth of Virginia
Q & A
Dr. Steven R. Staples
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Commonwealth of Virginia