Good evening, Readers! We have a great update for you with information touching on the Secretary of Education, House Education bills, and House Appropriations Amendments.
This morning, the House Education Committee met at 8 a.m. VSBA staff attended. The meeting began with a visit from the new Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni. As you are aware, the 19th secretary is a public school teacher in Prince William County. According the Secretary, he believes his two key traits for the position are passion, which comes from teaching 8th grade civics, and leadership, which he learned serving as a Marine. He recognized the challenges in education such as ensuring career pathways exist, as well as access to affordable higher education, and equity. It is the Secretary's intent to travel to all regions of the Commonwealth to hear specific concerns from parents and school divisions.
This morning, the House Education Committee met at 8 a.m. VSBA staff attended. The meeting began with a visit from the new Secretary of Education, Atif Qarni. As you are aware, the 19th secretary is a public school teacher in Prince William County. According the Secretary, he believes his two key traits for the position are passion, which comes from teaching 8th grade civics, and leadership, which he learned serving as a Marine. He recognized the challenges in education such as ensuring career pathways exist, as well as access to affordable higher education, and equity. It is the Secretary's intent to travel to all regions of the Commonwealth to hear specific concerns from parents and school divisions.
In response to questions
from members of the Committee, the Secretary stated that
Governor Northam's K-12 priorities include solving the teacher shortage,
creating career pathways, and making college affordable. The Secretary wants to
highlight the good work that teachers are doing across the Commonwealth and
promote best practices for recruiting and retaining teachers.
On discipline issues,
the Secretary expressed a desire to keep kids in schools whenever possible.
However, he recognized the budgetary limits of some divisions and the need for
more community engagement and mentorship programs.
Regarding home
schooling, the Secretary stated it is his belief that it is a family’s choice
to make and that the Commonwealth needs to continue to invest in public
education because not every family has the opportunity to home school.
Addressing the achievement
gap, Secretary Qarni shared his humble beginnings in Baltimore and the need to
address this issue in Virginia. He stated that inequity is real across the
Commonwealth and within school divisions. In trying to close the achievement
gap, some best practices the Secretary promoted were cultural sensitivity and
awareness of early trauma care. He also stressed the importance of increasing
college and teacher diversity.
In regards to Workforce
Readiness, the Secretary expressed support for promoting post-secondary school
pathway choice, that includes college, the military, or business. He expressed
a desire to work with local school divisions to give them the options needed to
create flexible programs the need to have a statewide conversation showing the
value of career pathways.
After the Secretary
spoke, the Committee addressed the following bills of interest to VSBA.
HB 80 (Krizek) - This bill would require the Board of Education, in its regulations
providing for teacher licensure by reciprocity, to permit third-party
verification of any documents required to be submitted by the applicant as part
of the application packet. The committee reported this bill unanimously (19-0).
HB 84 (Bell) - This bill would require
any local school board that does not offer any elective course in American Sign
Language to (i) grant academic credit for successful completion of an American
Sign Language course offered by a comprehensive community college or a virtual
education provider on the same basis as the successful completion of a foreign
language course and (ii) count completion of any such American Sign Language
course toward the fulfillment of any foreign language requirement for
graduation. VSBA offered an amendment in subcommittee that the the term
"virtual education provider" be changed to "multidivision online
provider approved by the Board of Education," to clarify that the online
course must be one that is approved. The committee reported the bill
unanimously (19-0).
HB 121 (Rasoul) - This bill would require the Department of Education to establish an
interagency taskforce composed of state and local agencies and entities in the
areas of early childhood development, health, social services, community
engagement, family engagement, higher education, and workforce development for
the purpose of developing a program for the establishment of community schools
whereby public elementary and secondary schools serve as centers for the
provision of such community programs and services to students and their families
as may be necessary on the basis of the unique needs of the student population
to be served. The committee reported and referred the bill to the
Appropriations Committee (15-5).
HB 176 (R. Bell) - This bill would
require the Department of Education to
develop and implement a pilot program in two local school divisions in the
Commonwealth to partner with the appropriate school board employees in each
such local school division to (i) identify the resources, services, and
supports required by each student who resides in each such local school
division and who is educated in a private school setting pursuant to his
Individualized Education Program; (ii) study the feasibility of transitioning
each such student from his private school setting to an appropriate public
school setting in the local school division and providing the identified
resources, services, and supports in such public school setting; and (iii)
recommend a process for redirecting federal, state, and local funds, including
funds provided pursuant to the Children's Services Act, provided for the
education of each such student to the local school division for the purpose of
providing the identified resources, services, and supports in the appropriate
public school setting. The committee reported and referred the bill to House
Appropriations unanimously (20-0).
HB 215 (Knight) - This bill would declare eligible for a one-year provisional license
through the Virginia Career Switcher Alternative Route to Licensure Program any
individual who has (i) completed the application process, (ii) received a
baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
education, (iii) completed the requirements for an endorsement in a teaching
area or the equivalent through verifiable experience or academic study, (iv)
received qualifying scores on the professional teacher's assessments prescribed
by the Board of Education, and (v) completed at least 30 credit hours of
teaching experience as an adjunct professor at an institution of higher
education. VSBA spoke in support of the bill and suggested clarifying language
in subcommittee. In Committee, a substitute was offered which took into account the suggestions made by VSBA and other changes, including requiring that such teachers be required to complete training on CPR and child abuse and neglect reporting. The committee reported the substitute unanimously (19-0).
HB 688 (McQuinn) - This bill would require local school boards to provide alternative
education programs for suspended students. VSBA staff spoke passionately in
opposition to this bill in subcommittee given the scope of the unfunded mandate
it would create. We also sent an action alert to our membership on this bill.
The Speaker’s office requested that the bill be referred to appropriations. The
committee reported and referred to Committee on Appropriations. (11-9).
HB 1156 (Wilt) - Requires
the Board of Education, in its regulations governing licensure, to provide for
licensure of teachers with an endorsement in dual language instruction
pre-kindergarten through grade six. VSBA spoke in support of the bill in
subcommittee. The committee reported the bill (18-1).
HB 1508 (L.R. Adams) - This bill declares it to be the policy of the Commonwealth that
school boards that are unable to fund the total amount required by the
locality's composite index of local ability to pay to reach the prevailing
funded salary for (i) qualified instructional positions funded under the
Standards of Quality, as set out in Direct Aid to Public Education in the
general appropriation act, and (ii) support services positions shall receive,
to the extent practicable, state funds for qualified instructional positions
and support services positions in addition to those state funds that the school
board receives for public school purposes. The committee reported and referred the bill to
House Appropriations (11-8).
HB 1600 (Bourne) - This bill would reduce the maximum length of a long-term suspension
from 364 calendar days to 45 school days. VSBA staff worked with the patron and
other members of the subcommittee to amend the language to allow for
suspensions longer than 45 days for repeat offenses and for
aggravating circumstances defined by local school boards in a written
policy. The committee reported the bill with the substitute language (18-2).
HB 199 (Sullivan) - This bill would require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to
establish and appoint members to the Digital Citizenship, Internet Safety, and
Media Literacy Advisory Council (Council), including at least one teacher,
librarian, representative of a parent-teacher organization, school
administrator, and individual with expertise in digital citizenship, Internet
safety, and media literacy. This would have no local requirement and would
provide additional resources on this subject to local divisions. The VSBA spoke
in support of the bill in subcommittee. The committee reported and referred the
bill to House Appropriations (20-1).
HB 231 (Hope) - This bill would clarify that in a county with the county manager plan
of government (Arlington County), the county may have an elected school board
notwithstanding the default method of school board appointment as set out in
the Code. The committee reported the bill unanimously (20-0).
HB 443 (Carroll Foy) - This bill would require the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to provide for the substitution of computer coding course credit for any foreign language course credit required to graduate, except in cases in which such foreign language course credit is required to earn an advanced diploma offered by a nationally recognized provider of college-level courses. The committee reported the bill (12-7).
HB 443 (Carroll Foy) - This bill would require the Board of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to provide for the substitution of computer coding course credit for any foreign language course credit required to graduate, except in cases in which such foreign language course credit is required to earn an advanced diploma offered by a nationally recognized provider of college-level courses. The committee reported the bill (12-7).
HB 1118 (VanValkenburg) - This bill would establish the SAT School Day Fund (the Fund) and
requires the Board of Education to establish and maintain the SAT School Day
Program (the Program) whereby the Board utilizes funds made available through
the Fund to enter into a contract with the College Board to enable each public
high school junior in the Commonwealth to participate in the SAT free of charge
during a select school day. The committee reported and referred the bill to
House Appropriations (15-1).
HB 1265 (Cline) - This bill would require each education preparation program offered by a
public institution of higher education or private institution of higher
education that leads to a degree, concentration, or certificate for reading
specialists to include coursework or other training in the identification of
and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for
students with dyslexia or a related disorder. The committee reported the bill
with a substitute (17-0).
Following
the full committee meeting, House Education Subcommittee #2 met. Bills of
relevance to VSBA discussed were:
HB 13 (Kory) - Instructional positions;
students identified as having limited English proficiency. Requires state
funding to be provided pursuant to the general appropriation act to support 20
full-time equivalent instructional positions for each 1,000 students identified
as having limited English proficiency. Current law requires state funding to
support 17 such positions for each 1,000 such students. VSBA supports this
bill. The subcommittee recommend the bill be reported and referred to House
Appropriations (6-1).
HB 45 (Kory) - This bill would require any family life education curriculum offered in
any elementary school, middle school, or high school to include instruction on
the importance of the personal privacy and personal boundaries of other
individuals and tools for a student to use to ensure that he respects the
personal privacy and personal boundaries of other individuals. The subcommittee
recommended the bill be reported (8-2).
HB 168 (Murphy) - This bill would establish
a maximum class size of 24 students in science laboratory classes in grades six
through 12. The subcommittee recommended the bill be reported and referred to
House Appropriations unanimously (7-0).
HB 336 (Cole) - This bill would make several changes relating to the provisions for
special education programs for students with blindness or visual impairment,
including (i) requiring each local school board to provide instruction in
Braille and the use of Braille for such students unless the student's
Individualized Education Program (IEP) team determines, after a critical
assessment of the student, that instruction in Braille or the use of Braille is
not appropriate to the student's educational needs and (ii) requiring a
critical assessment to be administered to each student with blindness or visual
impairment triannually and after any significant change in the student's
vision. The bill defines "critical assessment" as an assessment of a
student with blindness or visual impairment conducted by a licensed Teacher of
the Visually Impaired that includes (a) a functional vision assessment
conducted in an educational setting; (b) an assessment of reading media that is
designed for and intended to be administered to students, is administered in
the student's native language and in accordance with any instructions, and
contains appropriate objective components such as font size, sustained reading
speed, and fluency; (c) an assessment of the student's reading comprehension
and writing skills; and (d) consideration of the student's current and future
needs, including consideration of the student's current and future technology
support needs. VSBA is opposed to this bill. An amendment in the nature of
a substitute was adopted, and the subcommittee recommended to report and
refer to House Appropriations (6-1).
HB 791 (Pogge) - This bill would exclude school nurse positions from requirements for
student support positions and instead requires each local school board to
employ at least one full-time equivalent school nurse position in each
elementary school, middle school, and high school in the local school division
or at least one full-time equivalent school nurse position per 550 students in
grades kindergarten through 12. The subcommittee
recommended the bill be reported and referred to House Appropriations
unanimously (7-0).
HB 810 (O'Quinn) - This bill would decrease from 24 to 12 the number of hours currently
required in regulation for classroom training and from 24 to three the number of
hours currently required in regulation for behind-the-wheel training for
applicants previously trained and approved to operate a school bus who were not
removed from a prior position operating a school bus for cause. Current law
leaves the setting of such hourly requirements to the Department of Education.
The bill contains technical amendments. An amendment in the nature of a
substitute was adopted and the subcommittee recommended to report the bill
unanimously (8-0). This bill will likely be combined with Del. Landes' HB914 in full committee.
HB 1085 (Yancey) - A substitute for this bill was adopted in subcommittee. The substitute would require school boards which have military installations within their divisions to adopt and implement policies allowing for students residing on base or in base housing to enroll in another school in the school division if space is available. The policy may have other conditions on such enrollment. The subcommittee recommend
to report the substitute (6-3).
HB 1380 (Robinson) - This bill would reduce from 35 to 29 the maximum class size in grades
four through six. VSBA opposes this bill. The subcommittee recommended to
report and refer the bill to House Appropriations unanimously (9-0).
HB 914 (Landes) - This bill would
codifiy hourly requirements that (i) decrease from 24 to six the number of
hours currently required in regulation for behind-the-wheel training for school
bus operator applicants who do not possess a commercial driver's license; (ii)
decrease from 24 to four the number of hours currently required in regulation
for classroom training and from 24 to three the number of hours currently
required in regulation for behind-the-wheel training for applicants currently
possessing a commercial driver's license; and (iii) decrease from 24 to four
the number of hours currently required in regulation for classroom training and
from 24 to three the number of hours currently required in regulation for
behind-the-wheel training for applicants previously trained and approved to
operate a school bus who were not removed for cause from a prior position
operating a school bus. Current law leaves the setting of such hourly
requirements to the Department of Education. The bill contains technical
amendments.The subcommittee adopted a substitute and recommended the bill be
reported unanimously (7-0). This bill will likely be combined with Del. O'Quinn's HB810 in full committee.
VSBA staff then attended House Appropriations Elementary and
Secondary Subcommittee to review budget amendments impacting education. The subcommittee
did not vote on the amendments. Member amendments relevant to VSBA that were
presented in subcommittee are listed below:
Delegate
Aird, Item 128#2h - Establish
Expertise at the DOE
"This amendment provides $300,000 each year from the
general fund to the Department of Education to establish a group of expert
staff to oversee and support the school divisions with the development and
implementation of authentic and performance-based assessments as part of local
alternative assessments required by § 22.1-253.13:3.c,
Code of Virginia, and changes in the revised Standards of Accreditation as it
related to social studies education across kindergarten through grade twelve.
Funds will allow for an engaging process of feedback and support with a
division or group of divisions."
(This
amendment adds $1.3 million each year from the general fund to increase the
Virginia Teacher Scholarship Program to expand the number of scholarships and
loans that may be awarded. The requested additional funding will increase the
number of scholarships available to students for the top five critical teaching
shortage disciplines and for minorities in any content area. The primary
purpose of the Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan program is to provide
financial support as an incentive to students who are pursuing a teaching
career in one of Virginia's critical teaching areas. Since FY 2008, the
appropriation has been $708,000 per year. Scholarship amounts are based on
$10,000 per year for full time students and pro-rated for part-time students.
In FY 2016, there were 76 scholarship recipients.)
(This
amendment provides $4.3 million each year from the general fund to the Virginia
Preschool Initiative for the state's share of increasing the per pupil amount
from the current $6,150 that is reflected in the introduced biennial budget, to
$6,500.)
(This
amendment adds $7.2 million the first year and $7.1 million the second year
from the general fund to the At-Risk Add-on supplement by increasing the
maximum add-on based on the following percent ranges: from 13.0 percent to 14.0
percent the first year and from 14.0 percent the second year to 15.0 percent.)
(This amendment
provides $500,763 the first year from the general fund to Hampton City school
division for its Academics of Hampton. The one-time funding would pay for
development of course curriculum that is focused on the workforce needs of
employers within the Hampton Roads region, materials and equipment needed to
implement an academy in each of the high schools.)
(This
amendment adds $35.7 million the first year and $28.5 million the second year
from the general fund to the At-Risk Add-on supplement by increasing the
maximum add-on based on the following percent ranges: from 13.0 percent the
first year and from 14.0 percent the second year to 18.0 percent in both years.
This amendment also broadens how these funds may be spent in support of at-risk
students.)
Delegate
Ware, Item 135#20h - Vision Screening Grants
(This
amendment provides $391,000 each year from the general fund to offset a portion
of costs realized by school divisions that provide vision screening tests to
eligible students as prescribed in Chapter 312, Acts of Assembly of the 2017
Session.)
(This
amendment adds $2.4 million each year from the general fund to expand the
Positive Behavioral Interventions & Support initiative.)
(This amendment
adds $1.5 million each year from the general fund to the Teacher Residency
Program.)
Delegate
Bourne, Item 136#7h - Local Composite Index Hold Harmless Grants
(This amendment
provides $31.4 million the first year and $20.0 million the second year from
the general fund to school divisions to pay for a local composite index hold
harmless grant to school divisions such that they would receive a 100% hold
harmless grant amount to offset any deduction related to the change in their
fiscal year 2018-2020 local composite index as compared to the fiscal year
2016-2018 local composite index in the first year and a 50% hold harmless grant
amount to offset any deduction related to the change in the fiscal year
2018-2020 local composite index as compared to the fiscal year 2016-2018 local
composite index in the second year. The 'No Loss' allocation of $11.5 million
in the first year that was included in the introduced budget is eliminated and
the related funds are redirected to offset a portion of the first year cost of
this amendment.)
Delegate
Robinson, Item 136#23h – HB1380 Class Size Limits
(This amendment provides $6.1 million the first year
and $6.2 million the second year from the general fund for the fiscal impact of
House Bill 1380, which establishes a maximum class size of 29 students in
grades four through six. The funding included in this amendment is contingent
on the passage of House Bill 1380.)
Delegate
Sickles, Item 128#1h - Information Technology
Industry Certifications
(This amendment provides $200,000 each year from the general
fund for costs related to students and teachers pursuing information and
technology industry certifications.)
Delegate
Sickles, Item 136#2h – Increase Support COCA to 24.61%
(This amendment provides $23.9 million the first year and
$24.5 million the second year from the general fund to increase the percentage
rate for the SOQ funded support positions from 10.61 percent as reflected in
new biennial budget fiscal year 2018-2020, to 24.61 percent.)
Delegate
Sickles, Item 135#3h – Wolf Trap Model STEM
Program
(This amendment adds $125,000 each year
from the general fund to the Wolf Trap Model STEM Program initiative.)
Delegate
James, Item 130#4h - District Choice Assessment
Program
(This amendment provides $500,000 each year from the general
fund to the Department of Education to establish a two-year pilot for the
District Choice Assessment Program. The pilot would enable school divisions to
offer their eleventh grade students an opportunity to be assess for college or
career readiness. The new funding may help increase the number of low-income
students that take ACT, SAT and WorkKeys tests.)
Delegate
James, Item 132#1h - eMediaVA
(This amendment provides $400,000 the first year from the
general fund for the eMediaVA initiative. eMediaVA has emerged as a pivotal
mechanism that enables competency-based personalized learning. Expanding
funding would help ensure that eMediaVA is available to all students in
Virginia and remain free to the school divisions to access.)
Delegate
James, Item 135#14h - New Norfolk Technical
Center
(This amendment adds $500,000 each year from the general fund
to the Norfolk Technical Center to expand career and technical education
programs at the center for the high demand, high skill occupations within the
Hampton Roads region.)
Delegate
Kory, Item 136#11h - English As a Second
Language
(This amendment provides $11.0 million the first year and
$11.7 million the second year from the general fund to increase the number of
funded English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) teachers from 17 to 20 per 1,000 ESL
students. These ESL teachers are in addition to the teachers funded through the
Basic Aid formula. This amendment request is pursuant to the passage of House
Bill 13.)
Delegate
Murphy, Item 136#12h - HB168 Class Size Limits
(This amendment provides $6.0 million each year from the
general fund for the fiscal impact of House Bill 168, which establishes a
maximum class size of 24 students in science laboratory classes in grades six
through 12. The funding included in this amendment is contingent on the passage
of House Bill 168.)
Delegate
VanValkenburg, Item 130#1h – New SAT School Day
Fund
(This amendment provides $5.7 million each year from the
general fund for the Department of Education to deposit into the 'SAT School
Day Fund' as pursuant to and with the passage of House Bill 1118.)
Delegate
VanValkenburg, Item 133#1h – Teacher School
Climate Survey
(This amendment provides $150,000 each year from the general
fund and directs the Department of Education to develop a school climate survey
and make available to all teachers. The survey would evaluate school-level
teaching conditions and the impact such conditions have on teacher retention
and student achievement. In addition, the survey would include questions
regarding school leadership, teacher leadership, teacher autonomy, demands on
teachers' time, student conduct management, professional development,
instructional practices and support, new teacher support, community engagement
and support, and facilities and other resources. Survey participation would be
voluntary and anonymous.)
Delegate
VanValkenburg, Item 136#13h - Expand Use of
At-Risk Add-on Program Allocation (language only)
(This language amendment expands the possible options for
school divisions to spend the funding they receive from the At-Risk Add-on
supplement to include hiring additional school counselors to reduce the
divisions current counselor to student ratio. The new language also requires
school divisions to report how the At-Risk Add-on funds are spent each year and
requires the Department of Education to report the information to the Chairmen
of House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees.)
Delegate
Reid, Item 136#15h - HB350 Full-day
Kindergarten Program
(This amendment provides $3.3 million the first year from the
general fund to Loudoun County public school division to pay for half of the
proposed construction costs of three additional kindergarten classrooms at two
elementary schools as pursuant to and contingent on the passage of House Bill
350.)
Delegate
Rasoul, Item 134#1h – HB121 Community Schools
(This amendment provides $135,000 each year from the general
fund and one full-time position for the fiscal impact of House Bill 118 which
requires the Department of Education (DOE) to establish an inter-agency
taskforce for the purpose of developing a program for the establishment of
community schools whereby public elementary and secondary schools serve as
centers for the provision of such community programs and services to students
and their families as may be necessary on the basis of the unique needs of the
student population to be served. The taskforce will include staff from state
and local agencies and entities in the areas of early childhood development,
health, social services, community engagement, family engagement, higher
education, and workforce development. The proposed bill requires such program
to include a process by which school boards and community partnerships may
apply to DOE to designate an elementary or secondary school in the local school
division as a community school. The bill also establishes a special
nonreverting fund in the state treasury for the purpose of providing planning
grants for school boards and community partnerships that seek to apply to DOE
through such program for community school designation.)
Delegate
Carroll Foy, Item 31#1h – HJ126 JLARC Study
Cost of Education
(This amendment provides $50,000 from the general fund in the
first year pursuant to the passage of House Joint 126 of the 2018 session which
directs JLARC to study the true cost of education for the Commonwealth and make
funding recommendations based on their study.)
Delegate
Tran, Item 128#6h - HB1111 Establish STEAM
Education Fund
(This amendment provides $127,200 and one full-time position
the second year from the general fund for the fiscal impact of House Bill 1111,
which requires the Department of Education to establish a new STEAM Education
Fund for the purpose of awarding grants funded by general fund and/or through
public-private partnerships in amounts not to exceed $50,000 annually to any
public elementary or secondary school in the Commonwealth at which at least 25
percent of students qualify for free or reduced lunch that provides an academic
class, curriculum, or activity focused on a science, technology, engineering,
arts, or mathematics (STEAM) discipline. The funding and the position included
in this amendment are contingent on the passage of House Bill 1111.)
Delegate
Head, Item 134#4h – PowerSchool
(This amendment provides $300,000 the
first year from the general fund to the Department of Education to reimburse
PowerSchool for the services and support given to school divisions that had
utilized PowerSchool assessment tools during the 2016-2017 school year.)
(This amendment provides $100,000 the second year from the
general fund to Newport News City school division to implement a public-private
partnership initiative that provides workforce training and experience through
community service opportunities for participating middle and high school students
during the summer as well as throughout the school year.)
Delegate
Collins, Item 135#19h – New Winchester Career
and Technology Education Foundation
(This amendment provides $1.0 million each year from the
general fund to the Winchester School Division to support its Career and
Technology Foundation's Center purchases for technology related equipment and
staffing needs. The Center will provide three academies for students to attend
and take classes in professional skills (Trades), health services, and science,
technology, engineering, arts and math.)
Delegate
Hurst, Item 135#1h – Western Virginia Public
Education Consortium
(This amendment provides $40,000 each
year from the general fund for the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium
to support educational programming and student success.)
Delegate
Guzman, Item 136#14h – HB255 Public Preschool
Fund and Grant Program
(This amendment
provides $267.7 million the first year and $268.6 million the second year from
the general fund for the fiscal impact of House Bill 255 which establishes the
Public Preschool Fund and Grant Program for the purpose of funding and
providing on a competitive basis grants to local school boards to establish and
maintain public preschool programs for children and who will have reached their
fourth birthday on or before September 30 in the current school year. The bill
requires the Department of Education (DOE) to administer the Public Preschool
Grant Program and establish (i) guidelines and procedures for grant
applications, awards, and renewals; (ii) standards for preschool programs
established and maintained by grant recipients, including standards for
curriculum, student achievement, attendance, instruction, personnel, and length
of school day and school year; and (iii) data collection and reporting
requirements for grant recipients. The bill further requires the DOE to give
priority to grant applicants who propose a plan for the innovative use of
facilities in the local school division to house the proposed public preschool
program, including community centers and recreation centers. The goal and
objective of the proposed legislation is to enable school divisions and private
providers to provide additional classroom space such that all four-year-old
children may attend a preschool program, as pursuant to House Bill 255. The
proposed funding for this amendment is contingent on the passage of House Bill
255.)
Delegate
McQuinn, Item 135#2h – Wolf Trap Model STEM Program (language only)
(This language amendment adds Albemarle,
Henrico and Suffolk as eligible school divisions to participate in the Wolf
Trap Model STEM Program initiative.)
Delegate
McQuinn, Item 135#4h – Teacher Recruitment & Retention Grant Programs -
STEM Teachers in Middle & High Schools
(This amendment adds $1.2 million each
year from the general fund to the Teacher Recruitment & Retention Grant
Programs - STEM Teachers in Middle & High Schools.)
Delegate
McQuinn, Item 135#5h – Teacher Residency Program
(This amendment adds $5.0 million each
year from the general fund to the Teacher Residency Program and expands
eligible partnerships to include any other teacher preparation programs and
urban school divisions that are not currently participating in the program.)
Delegate
McQuinn, Item 135#7h – Project Discovery
(This amendment adds $200,000 each year
from the general fund to Project Discovery Program and expands eligible school
divisions to include Fredericksburg/Spotsylvania partnership. This amendment
also eliminates the reporting requirements that were used to determine student
success and achievement outcomes due to their involvement in the program.)
The
full list of Member amendments to the House Budget Bill under the purview of
this subcommittee can be found here.
