1. Assistant Superintendent for Policy and Communications
Progress Report on the Board of Education’s Development of a Profile of a Virginia Graduate
Dr. Cynthia A. Cave
Assistant Superintendent for Policy and Communications
June 2016

2. Profile of a Virginia Graduate
The Board of Education is developing a Profile of a Virginia Graduate to describe the knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences students should attain during their K-12 education to make them “life-ready.”
The Board is also considering changes to Virginia’s graduation requirements to align them with the Profile and revisions to our accountability system to reflect the new requirements and a broader look at schools.

3. Why Make Changes?
While Virginia’s graduation rate tops 90 percent, other outcome measures leave room for improvement:
Standard Diploma
65 percent of graduates who enrolled in a developmental mathematics class passed the End of Course Mathematics SOL test.
60 percent who enrolled in a developmental English class passed the End-of-Course Reading SOL.
Advanced Studies Diploma
While 70 percent of graduates enroll in a four-year institution immediately after high school, only 38 percent complete a bachelor’s degree in four years.
Almost 1 in 5 of these graduates is enrolled in a developmental English course. The same is true for mathematics.
Source: Virginia Longitudinal Data System.

4. Why Make Changes? Conversations with Workforce Leaders:
Discussions with businesses and the military about necessary work-ready skills and knowledge generated lists that include communication, interpersonal skills, responsibility, problem-solving, and innovation.
SOL Innovation Committee, Virginia General Assembly, and Governor:
The Board’s work is supported by recommendations made by the SOL Innovations Committee and legislation passed by 2016 General Assembly and signed by the Governor.

5. Developing a Profile of a Virginia Graduate
The Board has been thorough, informed, and inclusive in developing the Profile, and has received comments from stakeholders, including:
Superintendents
SOL Innovation Committee
High School Innovation Grantees
Higher Education Representatives
Governor’s STEM Academies
Career and Technical Education Centers
Students Completing a Capstone
English Language Learner Coordinators
Military Recruiters
Board’s Advisory Committee for Career and Technical Education
Principals
School Counselors
Teachers
Business Representatives
Parents
Local School Boards

6. Where are we in the process?
The Board has endorsed a framework to describe the knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences students should attain during their K-12 education to make them “life-ready.”

9. Proposals Endorsed by the Board
Expand Career Exposure, Exploration, and Planning
Encourage Internships and Work-Based Learning Experiences for All Students
Create a Category of “Requirements” for Diploma Expectations
Expand the Use of Locally-Developed Performance Assessments and Reduce the Number of Verified Credits

10. Expand Career Exposure, Exploration, and Planning

12. Expand Career Exposure, Exploration, and Planning
Enhance the Language of the Academic and Career (ACP) Plan Requirement in the SOA.
To ensure students are receiving the best information to make informed decisions about their future, a policy change is proposed to add new language to the ACP requirement to include critical decision-making actions in elementary school, middle school, and high school.

13. Proposal for Critical Decision-Making Stages and Elements in the K-12 School Experience
Could include:
Elementary School
Identifying Potential Career Cluster Area of Interest
Demonstrating Goal Setting
Middle School
Identifying Potential Career Pathway
Setting SMART Goals
Demonstrating Teamwork
High School
Work Based Learning/Industry Certifications/Capstone Project/Digital Badging

14. Academic and Career Plan Portfolio (ACPP) Proposal
The ACPP would be a document created in elementary school and part of a student’s K-12 record.
The ACPP would include information on interests, values, skills, awards, and recognitions necessary to assist students in making informed decisions regarding their future.
Demonstration of competence or mastery of critical decision elements would become a part of the portfolio.
ACPP could include counselor notes related to academic and career goals, class projects, interest inventory results, awards and recognitions, and digital badges.
The information contained in the ACPP from K-6 would serve as the foundation for creating the ACP in 7th grade.

15. Career Investigation Course Proposal
In this middle school course, students must:
assess their roles in society;
identify their roles as workers;
analyze their personal assets;
complete a exploration of career clusters and pathways;
select career fields or occupations for further study;
demonstrate Workplace Readiness Skills (personal, professional, and technical); and
create an Academic and Career Plan based on the their interests, values, and skills.

16. Career Investigation Course Proposal
There are three available methods for students to complete this course:
Career Investigation Phase I (9 weeks) – Exploratory Option
Career Investigation Phase I (18 weeks) – High School Credit
Career Investigation Phase I (36 weeks) – High School Credit

18. Encourage Internships and Work-Based Learning Experiences for All Students

20. Work-Based Learning (WBL) Methods
7 WBL methods of instruction are currently practiced in Virginia. They are listed below in order from the lowest to the highest degree of engagement:
Career Exploration WBL Methods
Job Shadowing
Mentorship
Introductory Internship
Pre-Professional WBL Methods
Extended Internship
Service Learning
Career Preparation WBL Methods
Clinical Experience
Student Apprenticeship
Cooperative Education

22. Job Shadowing Short-term, career-exploration
Interviews with a competent worker
Shadows the worker to observe the performance of a variety of job tasks

23. Mentorship Career exploration
Student learns about industry and workplace from experienced worker in field
More complex than job shadowing; less demanding than internship or service learning

24. Internship
Planned placement of student in a real workplace environment
Practice and development of career-related knowledge and skills
Introductory internship is short-term
Extended internship is over a summer, a semester, or an entire school year and involves a specified number of hours
Hands-on experience in a particular industry or occupation
Documentation of job-related experiences

25. Service Learning
The student engages in community-service work for a specified number of hours to gain developmental experience
Teachers and students work with local leaders to address community problems and issues
Results in service to the community and in personal, workplace-readiness-skill, academic-skill, and citizenship development for students

26. Career-Preparation Work Based Learning
Currently, Career-Preparation Work Based Learning Methods provide options for receiving standard credit towards graduation.
They are:
Clinical Experience
Student Apprenticeships
Cooperative Education

27. Clinical Experience
A form of cooperative education for Health and Medical Science students
Provides the student with an opportunity to integrate knowledge acquired in the classroom with clinical practice
Experiences place students in a variety of healthcare settings

28. Student Apprenticeship
Student provided with opportunities to use job skills
Reinforces academic instruction under guidance of a supervisor in a specific occupational area
Designed to lead students directly into an entry-level job, a registered apprenticeship, or a postsecondary program
Requires a significant number of on-site hours

29. Cooperative Education
Combines CTE classroom instruction with paid employment that is directly related to the student’s plan of study
The school and employer plan, coordinate, and supervise the instruction and employment so that each contribute direct to student’s career objectives and employability

31. Create a Category of “Requirements” for Diploma Expectations

32. Create a Category of “Requirements” for Diploma Expectations
In addition to existing standard credits and verified credits.
The Board supported using “requirements” to name expectations for graduation, which may be established by the Board of Education or the General Assembly but do not fall under the current categories of standard or verified credits.

33. Current Diploma Expectations (Credits)
Standard Diploma
Advanced Studies Diploma
Standard Units
Verified Credits
English 4 2
Math 3 1
Science
History/Social Science
Student-selected
Health and P.E.
Foreign Language, Fine Arts or CTE
Foreign Language
Fine Arts or CTE
Economics and Personal Finance
Electives
TOTAL 22 6 26 9

34. Diploma Expectations (Current and Potential New Requirements)
Standard Diploma
Advanced Studies Diploma
One virtual course, which may be noncredit-bearing
Training in first aid, CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators
Career and Technical Education (CTE) credential
Two sequential electives chosen from a concentration of courses
Potential New Requirements Under Consideration by the Board of Education
Applied Knowledge and Experiential Learning
Capstone Project
Demonstration of the 5 Cs
Career Exploration Decision-Making Points and
Career Investigation Course

35. Expand the Use of Locally-Developed Performance Assessments and Reduce the Number of Verified Credits

37. Expand the Use of Locally-Developed Performance Assessments and Reduce the Number of Verified Credits
Reduce the number of verified credits required to earn either a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma to four - one verified credit per core subject.
Mathematics Passing SOL Test or Substitute Test approved by the Board
English Passing SOL Test or Substitute Test approved by the Board
Science Passing SOL Test or Substitute Test approved by the Board
History/Social Science Completion of a local authentic assessment with focus on some or all of the 5 Cs

38. Expand the Use of Locally-Developed Performance Assessments and Reduce the Number of Verified Credits
Continue to allow locally-awarded verified credit to be substituted for history and social science for the Standard Diploma and extend the process to the Advanced Studies Diploma.
Change the eligibility criteria for earning locally awarded verified credit that is currently set forth in the Board’s guidance document.
Continue to allow students pursuing a Standard Diploma who complete a CTE program sequence and obtain a certification to substitute one credit for science or history and social science and extend the process to students pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma.

39. Advanced Studies Diploma
Credits (High School)
Content Area
ESSA Testing
Standard Diploma
Advanced Studies Diploma
Proposed
Standard Units
Verified Credits
English 1 4 2
Math 3
Science
History/Social Science
Student-selected
Health and P.E.
Foreign Language, Fine Arts or CTE
Foreign Language
Fine Arts or CTE
Economics and Personal Finance
Electives
TOTAL 22 6 26 9

40. Substitutions (High School)
ESSA Testing
Standard Diploma
Advanced Studies Diploma
Proposed
Locally-awarded verified credit may be substituted for Science and History/Social Science verified credit No
Yes
CTE certification or licensure exam may be substituted for student-selected verified credit
N/A
For CTE program sequence and certification or licensure exam, second credit may be substituted for Science or History/Social Science verified credit

42. Proposals for Further Consideration and Feedback
Establish one Virginia diploma (versus the current two)
Establish a requirement for Applied Knowledge and Experiential Learning
Capstone Project
Increase Mathematics Requirements (new options to align with career and academic planning goals)
Establish alternative options for Science (variable sequencing options and options to align with career and academic planning goals)

43. Planned Work & Timeline
July & August 2016:
The Board will consider changes to its accountability system to align with the Profile and ESSA.
Public comments will be elicited through public hearings:
Mid July – hearings in Williamsburg and Manassas
Late August – hearings in Abingdon and Lynchburg
Public comments will also be elicited through a VDOE Web site survey, and written correspondence.

44. Planned Work & Timeline
September 2016:
VDOE staff will present a draft of the Standards of Accreditation (SOA) to the Board for consideration – the revised SOA will include the Profile of a Virginia Graduate expectations, revised graduation requirements, and proposed changes to the accountability system.
Additional opportunities for public comment.
November 2016:
The Board will approve proposed revisions to the SOA based on stakeholder participation and submit for executive review.
The revised regulations will move forward pursuant to the Administrative Process Act.
The proposed changes must become effective for the freshman class of

45. Thank you!