Advancing Excellence in Teaching, Learning and Leadership

Educators are experts on growth and improvement. We know that a grade is simply a snapshot of achievement and has little meaning compared to the question of progress. "Is this student moving toward a goal?" is an equally important assessment question as "Where is this student now?"

The question of progress applies to rating schools as well. Virginia's current accreditation system has no effective means of recognizing or communicating year-to-year improvement. A school that narrowly misses accreditation after a year of significant improvement receives the same rating as one where substantial achievement gaps persist over time. Now this is about to change and we want VASCD members to know.
 
Legislation recently passed in the General Assembly requires the Virginia Board of Education to establish accreditation ratings that recognize the progress of schools, and to consider a system under which some schools could be accredited once every two or three years rather than annually. We expect the Governor to sign these bills into law, and the Board of Education is anticipating changes to the Standards of Accreditation that could go into effect next year.

The 2015 General Assembly passed other important education bills as well. For a recap showing the status of bills that VASCD has followed during the legislative session, click here. 

Meanwhile, watch your newsletters over the next few months as these and other policies are reviewed and revised. We will keep you up to date on the work of the Board of Education and the Innovation Committee, and will give you opportunities to weigh in on proposals that will effect Virginia schools, teachers and students. 

Access these two assessment- related webinars!

In February, ASCD author Sue Brookhart presented two webinars for VASCD:

Varying Performance Tasks to Target Higher-Order Thinking
and
Using Rubrics to Guide Instruction and Assessment

If you or a group at your school would like to access the recordings of these sessions, register here to receive a link and password.

Grading homework.....?
Assigning extra credit......?
Retakes and "re-dos"....?
How can grades really show what your students know?


Answer these questions
 (and have fun too) 
with Rick Wormeli

March 19, 9:00- 3:00
Holmes Middle School, Alexandria