1. Review of the Standards of Quality (SOQ)
Zachary Robbins
Director of Policy
Virginia Board of Education
November 14, 2018

2. Review of the Standards of Quality
Overview of Standards of Quality
Constitutional Authority
Board’s Role with the SOQ
History of the SOQ
Review Content of Each Standard
Review 2016 Board SOQ Recommendations
Discussion & Timeline

3. The Standards of Quality
The Constitution of Virginia requires the Board of Education to prescribe standards of quality for the public schools of Virginia.
These Standards of Quality (SOQ) are found in the Code of Virginia at §§ :1 through :10 and encompass the requirements that must be met by all Virginia public schools and school divisions.

4. The Standards of Quality
Instructional programs
Standard 6 –
Planning/Public Involvement
Standard 2 –
Personnel/Staffing ratios
Standard 7 –
School board policies
Standard 3 – Accreditation/Assessments
Standard 8 –
Compliance
Standard 4 –
Graduation Requirements
Standard 9 –
VIP incentive program
Standard 5 –
Professional Development
Standard 10 –
SOL Innovation Committee

5. Constitutional Authority
Standards of quality; State and local support of public schools “Standards of quality for the several school divisions shall be determined and prescribed from time to time by the Board of Education, subject to revision only by the General Assembly.” Article VIII, § 2, Constitution of Virginia

6. Constitutional Authority
“The General Assembly shall determine the manner in which funds are to be provided for the cost of maintaining an educational program meeting the prescribed standards of quality, and shall provide for the apportionment of the cost of such program between the Commonwealth and the local units of government comprising such school divisions.” Article VIII, § 2, Constitution of Virginia

7. Board’s Role with the SOQ
Section of the Code states:
To ensure the integrity of the standards of quality, the Board of Education shall, in odd-numbered years, exercise its constitutional authority to determine and prescribe the standards, subject to revision only by the General Assembly, by reviewing the standards and either (i) proposing amendments to the standards or (ii) making a determination that no changes are necessary.
If the Board proposes changes to the standards of quality, the budget estimates that are required to be reported pursuant to § shall take into consideration the Board's proposed standards of quality.

8. History of the Standards of Quality
1971 – New constitution effective
1971 – Board adopts first SOQ
1972 – General Assembly revises and adopts SOQ as uncodified law
1973 – Attorney General issues opinion clarifying constitutional SOQ procedures
1984 – SOQ codified into the Code of Virginia
2002 – Biennial SOQ requirement established

9. 1973 Attorney General Opinion
Clarified process of developing and funding SOQ:
Board of Education determines the Standards
General Assembly may revise the Standards
General Assembly must apportion costs between the state and localities. The legislature should consider:
Current educational needs and practices
Actual costs of education
Local ability to pay; fair and equitable share of costs among localities

10. Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning
Preamble: “The General Assembly and the Board of Education believe that the fundamental goal of the public schools of the Commonwealth must be to enable each student to develop the skills that are necessary for success in school, preparation for life, and reaching their full potential.”

11. Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning
“the quality of education is dependent upon the provision of (i) the appropriate working environment, benefits, and salaries necessary to ensure the availability of high-quality instructional personnel; (ii) the appropriate learning environment designed to promote student achievement; (iii) quality instruction that enables each student to become a productive and educated citizen of Virginia and the United States of America; and (iv) the adequate commitment of other resources.”

12. Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning
Directs the Board to establish learning objectives known as the Standards of Learning
Directs local school boards to provide instruction that is aligned to the Standards of Learning
Requires local school boards to provide a program of student services to aid with educational, social, and career development

13. Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning
Requires school divisions to implement programs addressing the needs of individual students:
Prevention, intervention and remediation programs to at- risk students
Early identification and intervention services for students with reading and mathematics deficiencies
Early identification and appropriate instruction for students with disabilities, English learners, and gifted students

14. Standard 1: Instructional programs supporting the Standards of Learning
Requires parents and students to be notified of opportunities such as career and technical programs, dual enrollment, advanced placement, Governor’s School programs

15. Standard 2: Instructional, administrative, and support personnel
Establishes minimum staff-to-student ratios for teachers, principals, assistant principals, librarians, counselors
These ratios are used to fund the state share of these positions
Provides that school boards determine appropriate support staffing
Support staff includes both administrative and student support positions, and does not differentiate among these positions. Examples include: school nurses, psychologists and social workers, central office administrative staff, administrative support, maintenance, and transportation
State share of funding for these positions is based upon statewide prevailing rates (artificially capped since 2009)

16. Standard 2: Instructional, administrative, and support personnel
Requires additional staffing based on student needs:
Special education as provided in the Appropriation Act and in Board regulations
Prevention, intervention, and remediation services as provided in the Appropriation Act
17 full time positions per 1,000 English learner students
Appropriation Act language waives several SOQ staffing requirements to provide flexibility

17. Standard 3: Accreditation, other standards, assessments
Directs the Board to establish Standards of Accreditation
Requires school boards to maintain accredited schools
Provides actions to be taken for schools not meeting standards
Directs the Board to “prescribe assessment methods to determine the level of achievement of the Standards of Learning objectives…”

18. Standard 4: Student achievement and graduation requirements
Directs local school boards to award diplomas to students that meet the graduation requirements prescribed by the Board of Education
Directs the Board of Education to include in its graduation requirements:
A Profile of a Virginia Graduate that identifies the knowledge and skills needed, giving consideration to the Five C’s
Completion of US/VA history, emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, use of an AED
Requires school divisions to notify parents of students with disabilities and English learners of right to education through age 21 and 22, respectively

19. Standard 5: Quality of classroom instruction and educational leadership
Requires Board of Education, school boards, school division staff to participate in high-quality professional development
Requires Board to provide guidance on high-quality professional development for teachers, principals, division superintendents, and other school staff
Directs local school boards to provide a high-quality professional development program
Establishes a consistent system for the evaluation of teachers, principals, and superintendents

20. Standard 6: Planning and Public Involvement
Requires comprehensive, unified long-range plans to be developed by the Board, local school boards, and individual schools.
Plans must be based on data collection, analysis, and evaluation and must address:
Strategies to improve student achievement, especially for at- risk students
The extent to which plan objectives are being achieved
Assessment of needs
Enrollment forecasts
Plans for integrating technology into instruction

21. Standard 7: School board policies
Requires school boards to maintain and follow up-to- date policies addressing specified topics, including a student code of conduct
Policies must be reviewed and updated as needed at least every five years
Policies must be publicly available and posted to the school division’s website

22. Standard 8: Compliance
Requires school boards to provide at a minimum the programs and services in the Standards of Quality with state and local funds
Requires school boards to annually report compliance with the SOQ to the Board
Directs the Board to report instances of noncompliance to the General Assembly
Authorizes the Board to seek school division compliance, including petitioning court to mandate or enforce compliance

23. Standards 9 and 10
Standard 9. Virginia Index of Performance incentive program
Directs the Board to establish the VIP program to recognize schools and school divisions for significant performance and achievements
Standard 10. Standards of Learning Innovation Committee
Establishes the committee to make recommendations on SOL assessments, growth measures, innovative practices

24. The Board’s 2016 SOQ Recommendations
The Board recommended the following staffing requirements:
Assistant Principal:
one full-time asst. principal for every 400 students K-12
School Psychologist:
one full-time school psychologist for every 1,000 students
Principal:
one full-time principal in every elementary school
Social Worker:
one full-time social worker for every 1,000 students
School Counselor:
one school counselor for every 250 students K-12
School Nurse:
one full-time school nurse for every 550 students
Board of Education, October 27, 2016 meeting

25. The Board’s 2016 SOQ Recommendations
Amend the Code to ensure that students and parents are made aware of CTE opportunities. [Adopted by General Assembly]
Provide additional resources to support professional development needs associated with the implementation of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate.
Shift the review of the SOQ from even to odd- numbered years to be more aligned with the legislative budget process. [Adopted by General Assembly]
Board of Education, October 27, 2016 meeting

26. The Board’s 2016 SOQ Recommendations
Propose an in-depth study be conducted to ensure the availability of data regarding the local deployment of SOQ positions.
Eliminate flexibility provisions in the Appropriation Act that waive or override staff to student ratios in the SOQ.
Eliminate the methodology in the Appropriation Act that artificially caps state-funded support positions at one support position for every 4.03 instructional positions.
Board of Education, October 27, 2016 meeting

27. Discussion
What areas of the SOQ could the Board amend to implement its current priorities?
Are there new standards needed to address the Board’s priorities?

28. Timeline for 2019 SOQ Review
November
2018
January
2019
March
April
June
July
SOQ Committee Meeting
Overview of SOQ and Review process
Identification of opportunities for policy changes in the SOQ
Presentation of workplan and timeline
Discussion of needs and issues related to specific Standards
Discussion of needs and issues related to specific Standards
N/A
 N/A
Full Board Meeting
  N/A
Board Retreat:
Presentation of stakeholder information
Discuss draft recs.
First Review of draft recs.
Final Review
Other Action
Stakeholder meetings