Virginia Board of Education prescribes 11 revisions to the SOQ for Public Schools

October 26, 2021
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By Linda Cicoira

The Virginia Board of Education prescribed 11 revisions to the Standards of Quality for public schools at a recent meeting.

The Constitution of Virginia requires the panel to prescribe standards regarding foundational instructional programs and support services for the schools, subject to revision only by the General Assembly. These policies drive approximately 85 percent of state funding for local school divisions.

The revisions include enhancing the At-Risk Add-On and state prevention, intervention, and remediation programs into a single fund distributed for instructional interventions based on concentrations of students in poverty. It includes language that directs school boards to fairly distribute experienced, effective teachers and other personnel among all schools, and prohibits the clustering of ineffective teachers in any school or group of schools.

A revision was prescribed to establish a new teacher leader program and to expand the teacher mentor program. Another policy set a minimum staffing ratio for reading specialists in grades K-5, determined by the number of students failing third-grade standard reading assessments. There was a revision to set a scaled staffing ratio based on proficiency level of students and the instructional staff required to support these students.

The prescription also establishes a statewide principal mentorship program, provides regional coordinators for support work-based learning, implements the profile of a Virginia graduate, and establishes a ratio of one school counselor per 250 students

The revision requires a full-time principal for every elementary school, regardless of enrollment; sets a ratio of one full-time assistant principal for each 400 students; moves the state K-3 class size reduction program from the Appropriation Act to the Standards of Quality, and establishes a ratio of four specialized student support personnel per 1,000 students for school nurses, social workers, psychologists, and other licensed health and behavioral positions.

The new revisions, and legislation necessary to enact them will be provided to Gov. Ralph Northam and the 2022 General Assembly, along with budget estimates required to support the plans, according to an announcement.

Board President Daniel Gecker said the panel “has again prescribed a strong set of research-driven … prescriptions that, if implemented, will address systemic inequities, help mitigate the impact of poverty on learning, and improve outcomes for all Virginia students.”

“As support continues to build … for these prescribed standards, we are hopeful that the General Assembly will adopt the policies embedded in them and make the necessary investments to strengthen Virginia’s public education system for all students,” Gecker added.

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