Background
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has announced several significant changes and new initiatives for the 2024-2025 school year. Given the importance and volume of these changes and new initiatives, LCPS is looking at ways to provide sufficient time for educators to learn, process and plan so that they can best serve the students of LCPS.
On Tuesday night, May 14, 2024, the School Board heard the staff’s recommendation to institute adjusted arrival times, when students would be scheduled to arrive two hours later on pre-designated days, creating 16 two-hour adjusted arrival days across the school year to be utilized as professional development (PD) time for instructional staff. The item is scheduled for School Board action at the School Board meeting on May 28, 2024. To learn more, read the Frequently Asked Questions.
Changes coming from VDOE include:
Virginia Literacy Act and Professional Learning Requirements:
The Virginia Literacy Act brings extensive professional learning requirements, including up to 27 hours of required training modules for educators.
Implementation of the Virginia Language & Literacy Screening System (VALLSS) - this will be the second year of implementation for K-2, with it being a new assessment for grade 3 teachers and new K-2 teachers.
Mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) 2024:
VDOE approved new mathematics standards, effective from August 31, 2023.
Full implementation, including instruction and assessment, will occur in the 2024-25 school year.
Teachers will assess students based on these standards during their initial year of teaching.
English Standards of Learning 2024:
VDOE approved new English standards on March 28, 2024.
While the assessment timeline is pending, teachers must instruct students based on these standards in SY24-25.
Revisions to the VDOE Accountability Framework:
These revisions impact LCPS’s local continuous school improvement process.
Current LCPS Professional Development Time
Teachers and educational staff have training, or professional development (PD), that they take part in each year. LCPS currently has three days devoted to division-wide professional learning annually. Feedback from LCPS educators in listening sessions, Superintendent Advisory Committees, staff surveys, and other informal communication channels indicates that this is not sufficient time to complete the existing trainings, or collaborate and train with fellow educators in Collaborative Learning Teams (CLTs). Adding the necessary, additional PD to meet these VDOE changes will significantly impact teacher planning and professional learning. LCPS must take a look at how we can best support our staff around professional learning.
Four Types of Professional Learning and Training
It is helpful to understand the types of training/PD asked of educators. To help explain the challenge, staff has organized all of the training and professional learning generally offered into four categories:
PD required by state code or law (e.g. Bloodborne Pathogens Training)
PD required by LCPS Policy (e.g. Policy and Regulation 7560: Professional Conduct Training)
Recommended PD (e.g. English Language Development (ELD) Standards for Teachers), and
New Required Professional Learning based on VDOE initiatives
Virginia Literacy Act Modules
Local PD on new ELA core resource
ELA and Math Standards
Expansion of VALLSS testing
While LCPS has some flexibility on the requirements and delivery in categories in PD related to LCPS policies and recommended PD for educators, the 2024-2025 school calendar did not account for the additional required training mandated by the recent VDOE announcements.
LCPS’ goal is to try to create sufficient time and space for teachers to complete annual required training, meet new requirements by the state, and also have adequate time to plan for implementation of the new standards.
Action Steps for Professional Learning and Training
Staff is reviewing those trainings required by state code or law (e.g. Bloodborne Pathogens Training) to see if they can be abbreviated or skipped periodically, though there is likely no flexibility here.
Staff is reviewing those trainings required by LCPS Policy (e.g. Policy and Regulation 7560: Professional Conduct Training) to determine if training could be completed in an employee’s first year and then every three years. There may be more flexibility here.
In the category of recommended PD (e.g. Quality Teaching for English Learners (QTEL) training, Hands-On Science, Classroom Management - Creating Safe and Organized Classroom Environments, STEM Integration, etc.) there is more flexibility, and staff is working to reduce the number of recommended PD commitments.
Calendar Options for Professional Development
As a result of new requirements from the state it is imperative that our students are given the best possible chance for success with this new material. LCPS has reviewed the updated volume of training and new material coming from VDOE and has determined that additional support and time for PD is needed.
Staff has explored options for providing additional time for PD. Options considered included early release days, additional contractual days for instructional staff, and more. Based on multiple factors, and ensuring the least impact on families and staff, staff recommends pursuing two-hour adjusted arrival days for students. The adjusted arrival, where students arrive two hours later on pre-designated days, would provide two hours of professional learning time for instructional staff.
Recommendation
On Tuesday night, May 14, 2024, the School Board heard the staff’s recommendation to institute adjusted arrival times, creating 16 two-hour adjusted arrival days across the school year to be utilized as PD time for instructional staff. The School Board moved the item for action at the School Board meeting on May 28, 2024.
To view the proposed calendar, go to Board Docs.
LCPS staff will gather feedback through this form to share with the School Board and administration for consideration. Thank you for providing valuable feedback.
Published May 15, 2024