Weekly Field Memo: Recent News and Items of Interest From the Agency

Contents:

Statewide Graduation Requirements Survey (Deadline Extended)

Audience: All educators and education leaders

We consider each of you a vital ambassador to your respective communities. As we seek to gather feedback on statewide graduation requirements, your help in facilitating local conversations is essential for the success and equity of this statewide initiative. You can find all materials from our sessions on the AOE's Statewide Planning Retreat webpage.

Based on the feedback received regarding the compressed timeline, we are pleased to announce that we are extending the deadline for the initial community feedback submission. The new deadline is end of day Friday, November 14th. Please follow the survey link to submit your feedback. Anyone is welcome to fill out the survey, please share it widely within your community. Thank you for your partnership and dedication to shaping the future of our graduation requirements.

Contact: Erin Davis at [email protected]

Renewed Read Vermont and Coaching Opportunity

Audience: Principals, Educators, Administrators, Literacy Leaders

The Vermont Agency of Education remains deeply committed to improving literacy outcomes for all students through Read Vermont, a statewide initiative ensuring every child can read by third grade, striving readers are supported, and all students are prepared for college and career. For more information on upcoming professional learning read our memorandum. After a temporary pause in programming due to federal funding delays, Read Vermont is relaunching coaching and professional learning with renewed energy and expanded offerings. Join a launch webinar on November 10th from 3:00 - 4:00 PM to learn about new coaching opportunities in this phase.

Contact: Emily Lesh at [email protected]

Reading and Math Survey for K-3 Principals

Audience: Principals and Curriculum Directors

The Agency released a statewide survey for K - 3 Principals to help guide future professional learning offerings for reading and math. The survey also collects information required by Act 139 and will help ensure Read Vermont and math efforts reflect the realities of Vermont classrooms. The Agency requests responses from each Vermont school serving K - 3rd grade by November 17th. Please find the survey here and a PDF to support gathering information before taking approximately 30 minutes to complete the survey.

Contact: Emily Lesh at [email protected]

Behavioral Threat Assessment Office Hours

Audience: Current school Behavioral Threat Assessment team members

Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) open office hours are available throughout the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week from 12:00 - 1:00 PM. Please use this BTA Team Consultation Office Hours Meeting Link to join.

See below for the upcoming office hours schedule:

• November 6 - Documentation and Closing the Case (canceled Tuesday)
• November 11 and 13 - Tabletop Exercise
• November 18 and 20 - Tabletop Exercise

Contact: Taylor Goodwin at [email protected]

Behavioral Threat Assessment Workshops - December 9 and 10

Audience: Current school Behavioral Threat Assessment team members

The Agency of Education, in partnership with the Vermont School Safety Center, is pleased to announce a series of upcoming Behavioral Threat Assessment (BTA) Team workshops, to be held on December 9 and 10. These workshops are designed to support current and future BTA teams in building and maintaining effective BTA programs. Sessions will be held in-person. Other details, including locations, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Please note that these workshops are an optional, separate offering from the required annual BTA training.

Contact: Taylor Goodwin at [email protected]

Webinar: Local Foods Incentive - Application Overview

Audience: Food Service Directors, Local Food Coordinators, and Business Managers

Join Conor Floyd for a live session detailing the updated application process for both Baseline Year and Subsequent Year grants under the Local Foods Incentive. On November 12th from 3:00 - 4:00 PM we'll walk through each step of the application for each type of grant, highlight key changes, and answer your questions.

The webinar will be recorded and sent out to all registrants, so please register even if you cannot attend the live event.

Contact: Conor Floyd at [email protected]

Program Track State Afterschool Grant Application live in Grants Management System

Audience: Superintendents, Principals, and Afterschool Directors

The Agency of Education is pleased to announce that the application for the Program Track State Afterschool Grant is now live and accepting submissions in GMS. This grant is designed to support the development and expansion of individual programs, either as new stand-alone initiatives or additions to existing centers. The due date for this grant is December 10, 2025. Please reach out for any assistance in accessing and submitting your application.

Contact: Johannes Haensch at [email protected]

Using Universal Screening to Meet Social/Emotional/Behavioral Needs Webinar

Audience: Educators, Support Staff, SEL Professionals

This webinar will provide an overview of the benefits of Universal Screening to identify social, emotional, and behavioral risks and strengths. We will explore how screening promotes early identification of children at risk, the systems needed to implement Universal Screening, and the process of matching results with proactive and preventative practices. This webinar takes place December 5th from 9:00 - 10:00 am. Please registerby November 21st.

Contact: Ann Dubie, UVM at [email protected]

Moving from Compliance to Connection: Addressing Chronic Absenteeism in our Schools Training

Audience: Educators, Principals, Support Staff

Chronic absenteeism is a significant challenge that impacts students, schools, and the wider community. It's defined as missing 10 percent or more of school time for any reason and is distinct from truancy and average daily attendance. We will move beyond basic explanations to examine the deeper factors at play. Participants will also learn practical strategies to shift from traditional compliance-based methods to approaches based on genuine connection and support. This webinar is being held 9:00 - 11:00 AM on November 12, 2025, please register using our link.

Contact: Anne Dubie, UVM at [email protected]

CTE Presidential Scholars Nominations Due December 8, 2025

Audience: Students, Principals, Guidance Counselors, Support Staff, Academic and CTE Teachers, CTE Center Directors

Teachers and administrators are invited to nominate outstanding career technical education (CTE) students for recognition as this year's Vermont's CTE Presidential Scholars. Students may also nominate themselves with the endorsement of a qualifying adult. Eligible students include students who are legal Vermont residents who will graduate between January 2026 and August 2026. Eligible students include those who attend Vermont public, parochial, or independent schools and students who are home-schooled. To nominate a student, complete the nomination form by December 8, 2025.

Contact: Doug Webster at [email protected]

The Building Effective Supports for Teaching Project Annual Report

Audience: Leadership and School Teams, Administrators, Educators, Support Staff

The BEST (Building Effective Supports for Teaching) Project is excited to share its 2024-2025 Annual Report. The report includes a comparison of state-level student outcomes between schools that are implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) with fidelity and other schools in the state.

Contact: Anne Dubie, UVM at [email protected]

Literature and the Holocaust Professional Development

Audience: Curriculum Directors, Middle and High School Educators, Adult Education Educators

The Vermont Agency of Education, in collaboration with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, is offering professional learning for educators in grades 6-10 to strengthen instruction in Holocaust literature. This initiative provides educators with evidence-based literacy practices aligned to the science of reading, along with the historical context necessary to teach this literature with depth and fidelity. The program also aims to foster empathy, build foundations for understanding, and support a humanities-based model focused on the Holocaust and genocide. Supported by Read Vermont, this learning series will launch in Montpelier on December 5, include virtual office hours, and conclude with a final session in Montpelier in late spring. Due to limited space, please register by November 24th to secure your participation.

Contact: Martha Deiss at [email protected] or Emily Leute at [email protected]

Guidance on Section 10 of Act 72 (16 V.S.A. § 2903 Amendment)

Audience: Literacy Leaders, Principals, Educators, Administrators

Members of the Agency of Education's Read Vermont team presented a high-level overview of the recent language amendment to 16 V.S.A. § 2903. This amendment requires supplemental reading instruction for any enrolled student whose reading proficiency falls significantly below proficiency standards for the student's grade level or prevents progress in school. Following a brief presentation, subject-matter experts from the AOE answered questions from participants. A recording of the webinar and accompanying slides are now available on the Read Vermont webpage. In addition, see Guidance on Section 10 of Act 72 for more information about the language amendment.

Contact: Emily Lesh at [email protected]