School Board Program of Work Status Report - March 2008

OVERVIEW

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is the third largest school division in the Commonwealth of Virginia with approximately 70, 600 students and 10,500 full-time employees. The division has 88 schools and centers and for the third year in a row, each of its testing schools is fully accredited according to spring Standards of Learning test results. The division has also made AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress) for the third consecutive year.

And while we celebrate that progress, there are challenges ahead. In Virginia Beach we believe the key to progress is connecting with our community, making sure that we are candid with our citizens. We want you to understand our priorities and our needs, what we do well and areas where we may be struggling. This communication is designed to open that frank dialogue.

1. Develop a new strategic plan that will guide Virginia Beach City Public Schools from 2009-2015.
   Objective 1: A strategic plan that includes measurable goals and targets will be developed, completed and submitted to the School Board before October 2008.
   Objective 2: The proposed strategic plan will be adopted by the School Board by November 2008.
   Objective 3: Stakeholder participation in the strategic planning process will be representative of city



2. Budget and Finance: Advocate for the fiscal needs of Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
   Objective 1: An advocacy plan will be developed and implemented.
   Objective 2: The Revenue Sharing Formula (RSF) will be held intact or improved for schools.
   Objective 3: The Superintendent and School Board will propose to the city that the budget process become an annual process.
   Objective 4: A needs-based budget section will be included in the Superintendent’s Estimate of Needs and in the School Board’s Proposed Budget.
   Objective 5: Sufficient funds will be allotted to meet school system needs.
   Objective 6: The School Board will effectively advocate for the School Board’s budget and it is ultimately approved by the City Council.



3. Improve the special education program.
   Objective 1: Conduct a comprehensive audit of the special education program and present findings to the School Board by May 2008.
   Objective 2: Develop administrative recommendations for improvement based on results of the audit and present to the School Board for approval by July 2008.
   Objective 3: Reduce the number of referrals to special education by 15 percent from current baseline at each level of schooling over three years.
   Objective 4: 100 percent of schools will meet all AYP bench- marks for the special education subgroup within five years.
   Objective 5: Meet and/or exceed the 14 targets identified in the Virginia Department of Education’s State Performance Plan (SPP) by the dates established per the Virginia Department of Education’s timeline.



4. Improve the elementary teacher workday.
   Objective 1: By December 31, 2007, 100 percent of schools’ Principals’ Advisory Committees will identify strategies/protocols that will improve the elementary teacher workday.
   Objective 2: By June 30, 2008, 90 percent of teachers will report their school used strategies/protocols developed by their school’s Principal Advisory Committee to improve teachers’ workday.
   Objective 3: By January 22, 2008, central office department heads will examine processes, procedures and requests for information and identify changes to be implemented by central office departments that will provide improvements to the elementary teacher workday.
   Objective 4: By February 29, 2008, guidelines and recommendations for the elementary teacher workday will be developed and presented to the Superintendent and Cabinet for review and subsequent dissemination to all elementary principals for immediate implementation where applicable.
   Objective 5: By March 3, 2008, a draft policy regarding impact on instructional and non-instructional time will be developed and presented to the Superintendent and Cabinet for review and subsequent approval by the Board.



5. Improve the academic performance of African American males.
   Objective 1: Eliminate double digit gaps between African American males and non-African American males on reading and mathematics SOL tests over the next three years, using 2006-2007 data as the baseline.
   Objective 2: Ensure that all African American males read on grade level by the end of grade three no later than 2011.
   Objective 3: Increase the SOL passing rates by 5 percentage points for African American males in reading and mathematics at each level of schooling (elementary, middle, and high) over a two-year period, using 2006 - 2007 data as a baseline.
   Objective 4: Increase by 5 points the percentage of African American males scoring at the pass advanced level on reading and mathematics SOL tests over the next three years, using 2006 - 2007 data as the baseline.
   Objective 5: Increase by 10 points the percentage of African American males receiving an advanced studies diploma beginning with the Class of 2011.
   Objective 6: Meet all AYP benchmarks for the African American subgroup each year at all schools.
   Objective 7: Maintain or exceed a 95 percent attendance rate for African American males at each level of schooling.
   Objective 8: Decrease by 0.5 percentage points or more the dropout rate of African American males no later than 2012.
   Objective 9: Increase the graduation rate for African American males to meet or exceed the graduation rate for the division no later than 2012.
   Objective 10: Decrease by 5 points or more annually the gap in mean scale score performance for African American males on each section of the SAT over the next four years, using 2006 - 2007 data as a baseline.
   Objective 11: Develop, present, and implement a plan to engage the community in support of the Board’s goal.
   Objective 12: Increase by 15 percentage points over the baseline the percentage of African American males successfully completing advanced/honors and AP courses over four years.



6. Communications: Develop a systemic approach focused on increasing resources, garnering community support and improving student achievement for Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
   Objective 1: Eighty percent of the stakeholders participating in the strategic planning process will report that they have a clearer picture of division needs than previously and will be engaged in supporting the school division.
   Objective 2: A plan will be developed identifying key message points, necessary resources and the appropriate division of labor between the Board and the administration.
   Objective 3: Consistent messages will be presented by all Board members and administrators at speaking engagements.
   Objective 4: The advocacy plan will be implemented.



7. Boardmanship: Implement effective strategies.

Extended-day kindergarten classes were added to each elementary school, thus offering service to 32.6 percent more students than the previous year.	VBCPS students earned a record 3,130 industry certifications in their technical and career education classes (TCE), up approximately 54 percent from the previous year and up nearly 153 percent since 2003-2004.
There were 208 students on an Individual Student Alternative Education Plan (ISAEP) who took the GED. Of this number, 204 (98 percent) earned a passing score.

Staff received training on the identification of children eligible to take the Virginia Grade Level Assessment (an alternative test provided largely for special education students and/or English as a Second Language Learners). As a result of this training, the identification process was more highly accurate.

In school year 2006-07, 13,112 employees completed the online diversity training module, a 34 percent increase over the previous year.

The division replaced 9,500 instructional computers and added 3,200 laptop carts to be used as mobile labs when not in service for SOL testing.	The division hardwired 280 instructional portables to ensure equitable access to technology.

• The Class of 2007 was awarded more than $19 million in scholarships. Only the dollar value of scholarships accepted is reported. The amount would be significantly higher if the figures for scholarships offered were used since some students receive financial aid offers from several colleges. The dollar value of Pell grants, work-study, and loans accepted by graduates has not been included.
  
  
• Six of the district’s high schools – Princess Anne, Ocean Lakes, Cox, First Colonial, Salem, and Kempsville – earned a ranking in Newsweek magazine’s annual listing of the top high schools in the country.
  
  
• VBCPS’ Student Portal Project earned Honorable Mention in the Innovation in K-12 Education category at the Seventh Annual Governor’s Technology Awards of COVITS 2006 (Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium).
  
  
• VBCPS holds the Senate Productivity and Quality Plaque for Progress in Performance Excellence because of its commitment to continued process improvement and organizational effectiveness.
  
  
• All 11 VBCPS comprehensive high schools have won the Beach District Annual Sportsmanship as well as the Achievement Award for 2006-2007.
  
  
• Green Run, Hermitage, and Windsor Oaks elementary schools were named 2007 Title I Distinguished Schools.
  
  
• Point O’ View Elementary School was recognized nationally as a Year-Round School of Merit, one of two elementary schools in the country to be so honored.
  
  
• VBCPS is the only division in Hampton Roads to offer Arabic, Japanese, and Mandarin Chinese as foreign language electives. (NOTE: The division offers a total of nine foreign languages as electives; By comparison, Fairfax, the largest school division in the state with 163.5 thousand students, offers 11.)
  
  
• Since 1997, the division has spent $219 million to modernize/rebuild schools as well as two facilities to house support staff. A long-range facilities planning study was conducted and a master plan completed in
  SY 2006-2007, which will be a blueprint for future major school and facilities construction projects.
  
  
• In response to teacher requests and a School Board mandate, the extensive professional development program was updated, revamped and refigured to meet teacher needs and accommodate district goals and philosophies. The resulting Professional Development Program was initiated in April ‘07.
  
  
• For school year 2006-2007, the VBCPS Web site – vbschools.com – averaged almost 300,000 unique visitors per month.