Virginia Board of Education approves changes to accreditation, accountability systems
Virginia Board of Education on Wednesday approved the final touches on the state’s Every Student Succeeds Act plan, designed to address concerns with how schools were rated and student performance was measured to determine better how to direct state resources.
During the special meeting in Richmond, the board approved Virginia’s ESSA plan, readiness weighting for different grade levels, and the overall school performance and support framework proposal as part of its package of accountability system changes.
Compared to the existing system, the new regulations are splitting the state’s accreditation system into two: an accreditation system, to assess whether schools meet all requirements laid out in state laws and regulations; and an accountability system, to provide “timely and transparent information on student and school performance.”
VDOE staff said this plan helps meet the board’s goals of setting and assisting students in meeting high expectations and supporting learning loss recovery by ensuring the school performance framework holds schools accountable for actual performance.
