SB 969
(Newman) – This bill would require the Board
of Education, in establishing high school graduation requirements, to require
students to earn one verified credit in history and social science by (i) the
successful completion of a Board-developed end-of-course Standards of Learning
assessment; (ii) achievement of a passing score on a Board-approved
standardized test administered on a statewide, multistate, or international
basis that measures content that incorporates or exceeds the Standards of
Learning content in the course for which the verified credit is given; or (iii)
achievement of criteria for the receipt of a locally awarded verified credit
from the local school board in accordance with criteria established in Board
guidelines when the student has not passed a corresponding Standards of
Learning assessment. The bill would prohibit such end-of-course Standards of
Learning assessment from being a performance-based assessment.
The subcommittee laid the bill on the table (6-2).
SB 205
(Stuart) – This bill would expand
eligibility for services under the Children's Services Act to students who
transfer from an approved private school special education program to a public
school special education program established and funded jointly by a local
governing body and school division located within Planning District 16 for the
purpose of providing special education and related services when (i) the public
school special education program is able to provide services comparable to
those of an approved private school special education program and (ii) the
student would require placement in an approved private school special education
program but for the availability of the public school special education
program. The provisions of the bill are contingent on funding in a general
appropriation act. The subcommittee laid the bill on the table (8-0).
SB 785
(Surovell) – This bill would prohibit local
school boards from requiring the use of any electronic textbook in any course
in grades six through 12 unless the school board adopts a plan to ensure
that on or before July 1, 2020, (i) each student enrolled in such
course will have actual access at school and, if any assignment requires the
use of such electronic textbook outside of school hours, in his residence to at
least one personal computing device not shared with another student that
contains an operating system and the hardware necessary to support the format
of each electronic textbook expected to be used in such course and (ii) the
relevant school has adequate connectivity, which the bill defines as bandwidth
of at least 100 kilobits per second per enrolled student. VSBA spoke in
opposition to the bill. The subcommittee laid the bill on the table (5-3).
In other news, as discussed in previous posts, the House and Senate budget proposals have now been introduced in addition to the original proposal from Governor Northam. Vast differences exsit between the budgets. The Department of Education recently released a Superintendent's Memo detailing the impact to local divisions and education funding in the Commonwealth as a whole. The memo and its attachments can be found here. VSBA staff will provide you with additional updates on the budget as we approach Sine Die.
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