Virginia SB 558: Public schools; evaluation & recommendations for certain current and proposed policies.

Bill Text

2022SESSION
INTRODUCED
22104195D
1 SENATEBILLNO.558
2 OfferedJanuary12,2022
3 PrefiledJanuary12,2022
4 A BILL to require the Board of Education, in conjunction with the Secretary of Education and the
5 Superintendent of Public Instruction, to evaluate certain current and proposed policies and
6 performance standards for public elementary and secondary schools and students and report
7 recommendations for revising these policies and standards to promote excellence and higher student
8 achievement.
9 ––––––––––
Patrons––SuetterleinandRuff
10 ––––––––––
11 ReferredtoCommitteeonEducationandHealth
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13 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
14 1. § 1. The Board of Education (the Board) shall collaborate with the Superintendent of Public
15 Instruction and the Secretary of Education to evaluate, to implement where possible, and to otherwise
16 make recommendations to the General Assembly regarding the following goals:
17 1. Promoting excellence in instruction and student achievement in mathematics, including elimination
18 of the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative and an evaluation any other proposed changes to the
19 Mathematics Standards of Learning, in advance of the next revision of such standards by the Board, to
20 maintain and increase the rigor of mathematics instruction in public elementary and secondary schools
21 and permit students demonstrating aptitude and high achievement in mathematics to accelerate their
22 progress through core mathematics classes and concepts and take advanced mathematics courses before
23 the eleventh grade;
24 2. Increasing the number of academic year Governor's Schools in the Commonwealth and
25 maintaining standards of excellence for students in all such schools;
26 3. Preserving the Advanced Studies Diploma as an option for students in public high schools in the
27 Commonwealth while maintaining or increasing course and credit requirements for such diploma;
28 4. Increasing the transparency and honesty of performance measures for public elementary and
29 secondary schools in the Commonwealth and ensuring that such measures do not obscure or conceal
30 disparities in performance among student groups;
31 5. Ensuring that performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools prioritize the
32 attainment of grade-level proficiency in reading and mathematics for all students, especially in grades
33 kindergarten through five;
34 6. Ensuring that the Commonwealth's proficiency standards on Standards of Learning assessments in
35 reading and mathematics are rigorous in comparison with assessments administered by other states and
36 national assessments in reading and mathematics; and
37 7. Restoring a strong accreditation system that promotes meaningful accountability year-over-year.
38 § 2. No later than November 30, 2022, the Secretary of Education and the Superintendent of Public
39 Instruction shall report to the chairmen of the House Committee on Education and the Senate
40 Committee on Education and Health the results of the evaluation conducted pursuant to § 1 of this act
41 and recommendations to achieve the goals set forth in §1 of this act.
INTRODUCED
SB558
7/29/22
0:57