Virginia Department of Education
10/10/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/10/2025 11:28
#2025-34 Virginia Education Update October 10, 2025
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As we celebrate the start to National Principal’s Month, we are reminded of a simple truth: at the heart of every successful school stands a strong principal. It is the principal who sets the tone, drives accountability, and builds a culture of excellence inside the school walls. In Virginia, we know that leadership matters. A great principal is not just a manager of daily operations but a leader of character who ensures expectations are high for every student, classrooms are safe and vibrant learning environments, and student success is non-negotiable. Principals shape the standards by which teachers are supported, families are engaged, and students are challenged to achieve their best. As the Commonwealth raises expectations and commits to higher student achievement, the role of the principal has never been more important. We cannot improve outcomes without strong leadership in every school. Principals are the ones who hold the line on discipline, ensure parents’ voices are respected and valued, and empower teachers with the tools and clarity they need to focus on teaching instead of bureaucracy. Principals embody the values that Virginians hold dear: personal responsibility, high standards, and accountability to the community and families they serve. When our elementary school principals demand that every student receives core literacy instruction from an evidence-based literacy curriculum as well as intervention and support, they are ensuring that students have a comprehensive literacy experience. When our middle school principals demand that students are prepared for advanced math, they are ensuring that students develop the mathematical connections, reasoning, and problem-solving skills needed throughout their lives. When our high school principals demand that every student be prepared for a high-demand trade certification, or earning college credit before graduation, they are advancing opportunity and strengthening Virginia’s workforce. When principals insist on Bell-to-Bell Cell Phone-Free schools, and protect instructional time from distraction, they are showing courage and conviction. Most importantly, great principals attract and keep great teachers. Educators want to work in a school where leaders hold every student to high expectations, respect families as partners, and back teachers up. Principals who lead with focus and discipline help ensure that our schools raise the bar and expect more. As we celebrate National Principal’s Month and recently hosted the first Principals of Distinction convening, the Virginia Department of Education remains committed to ensuring that every school in the Commonwealth has a strong, visionary leader at the helm. Our children deserve no less. A great principal is the single greatest lever we have for improving student achievement and preparing the next generation of Virginians to lead, serve, and build. As was shared last week at the Virginia Board of Education meeting, the Department is gearing up to better support principals and assistant principals as well as to spotlight those leaders delivering the highest results to capture their best practices for others to learn from and scale. School principals build strong schools. Strong schools build a strong Virginia. Emily Anne |
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Nominations for the Mary V.BicouvarisTeacher of the Year Program – Due February 9Article: 2025-34-502 The Virginia Department of Education is proud to announce the launch of the Mary V. Bicouvaris 2027 Virginia Teacher of the Year Program, elevating educators who exemplify the highest standards of teaching across the Commonwealth and the nation. This prestigious program offers school divisions the opportunity to recognize outstanding teachers and shine a positive spotlight on the teaching profession. Each division Superintendent is invited to nominate oneexceptional teacher for consideration. The locally selected Teacher of the Year will complete a portfolio using the online platform SurveyMonkey Apply (SMApply). Teachers may collaborate with their Superintendent or designee by sharing their electronic application. The portfolio will include school information, educational history and professional development activities, essays, letters of support, signatures (Superintendent, Principal, Teacher of the Year), and acknowledgements. Applications cannot be submitted until all required signatures and recommendations are received. All applications must be submitted via SMApply by Monday, February 9, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. EST. For eligibility criteria, a preview of the application, and access to the SMApply portal, visit the Virginia Teacher of the Year Application and Qualificationswebsite. Contact [email protected]vwith any questions. Let’s celebrate the educators who inspire, lead, and elevate teaching and learning every day! Virginia Board of Education Recognizes Emmy-Winning Series “Virginia Roots”Article: 2025-34-498Contact: Calypso Gilstrap, Executive Director of Innovation, [email protected]; Kelly Bisogno, Coordinator of Fine Arts, [email protected] At its September meeting, the Virginia Board of Education celebrated Virginia Roots: A Journey into Appalachian Music, an Emmy Award®–winning series co-produced by Blue Ridge PBS, PBS Appalachia/Virginia, and the Virginia Department of Education. Virginia Roots features short videos and instructional materials aligned with Virginia’s 2020 Music Standards of Learning. Developed in collaboration with Virginia music educators, these resources are available on the VDOE website. The series, which explores the rich traditions of Appalachian music, received an Emmy® for Informational and Instructional Long Form Content from the National Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. It was also named Best Educational Resource for the Classroomat the 2025 Public Media Awards®, announced during the NETA Conference. Also honored at the Public Media Awards was Getting Started in Virginia Schools, which won in the category of Educational Resources for the Community. These national awards are especially meaningful to the partnership, as they recognize not only the quality of the programming,but also the strength of the impactful, classroom-ready content. |
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Engaging Secondary Newcomers in Content Area Literacy Workshop – Registration Due October 16Article: 2025-34-515 In partnership with WIDA, the Virginia Department of Education will be offering the Engaging Secondary Newcomers in Content Area Literacy Workshop. This workshop is designed for secondary English language development teachers and content teachers. It will take place at the Hanover County School Board Office, locatedat 200 Berkley Street, Ashland, VA, 23005, on October 21, 2025, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In this one-day workshop, educators will explore key factors that influence literacy acquisition and development in content areas, focusing on how to engage secondary newcomer students in content learning. Participants will learn strategies to analyze secondary newcomers’ literacy strengths and identifyareas for growth. Through practical application, educators will gain tools for scaffolding instruction to ensure secondary newcomers can engage with grade-level content in reading and writing, promoting their academic success. Participants will identifyways to create supportive and rigorous literacy learning environments for secondary newcomers in any program model, analyze secondary newcomers’ literacy strengths and areas of growth, and examine approaches to scaffolding secondary newcomers’ engagement in grade-level content area literacy learning. Interested educators must registerby no later than October 16, 2025. Virginia Literacy Act Cycle IV Supplemental and Intervention Programs Public CommentArticle: 2025-34-520Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals, Teachers, Non-teaching staff Contact: Jill Nogueras, Associate Director of K-12 English & Literacy [email protected] and Virginia Literacy Partnerships [email protected] The Virginia Department of Education partnered with Virginia Literacy Partnerships (VLP) at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development to facilitate reviews of additional supplemental and intervention instructional programs. The review processfor core, intervention, and supplemental materials evaluated instructional programs for alignment with evidence-based literacy instruction, science-based reading research (SBRR), and the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOL). On October 23, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education will receive the Cycle IV recommended lists of Virginia Literacy Act Supplemental and Intervention Programs for Kindergarten through Grade 8. The Virginia Literacy Act Cycle IV Supplemental and Intervention Programs is available for a 30-day public review and comment period via the VDOE website. It is anticipated that the Board of Education will take final action on the recommended lists of Virginia Literacy Act Supplemental and Intervention Programs for Kindergarten- Grade 8 at the November 13, 2025, meeting. Access code information to view the Cycle IV recommended Supplemental and Intervention programs and a feedback form for public comment is available at Intervention Instructional Program Guide & Supplemental Instructional Program Guide | Virginia Department of Educationwebpage. Technical Review Schedule for Submission of Local Divisions’ Plan for Gifted Education – Due October 16Article: 2025-34-513 School divisions in Region I and Region III are required to submit their Local Plan for the Education of the Gifted by October 16, 2025. Each division must also submit the names of three participants for the Technical Review process; the gifted coordinator plus two additional reviewers. These participants will be assigned to different evaluation teams, avoiding any review of their own division’s plan. This submission is part of the Virginia Department of Education's ongoing cycle of Technical Reviews, where each school division's gifted plan is evaluated every five years, as mandated by the Regulations Governing Education Services for Gifted Students(8VAC20-40-60). Participating divisions include:
To submit a plan:
WIDA Assessment Webinars 2025-2026Article: 2025-34-504Audience: LIEP Teachers, Teachers, Test Administrators, Title III Coordinators Contact: Jo-elCox, Coordinator of Multilingual Learner Instruction, [email protected] Virginia joined the WIDA Consortiumin 2008. As a consortium member, Virginia educators and leaders can access standards resources, assessment tools, professional learning, and resources for families targeted to support the English language development of multilingual learners. The following webinars, presented by WIDA, are freeto Virginia’s educators, Title III Coordinators, and Test Administrators during the 2025-2026 school year.
Select this linkto register. Annual Resources Update for Serving Students with Sensory DisabilitiesArticle: 2025-34-495Audience: Superintendents, Directors, School Principals Contact: Amy Scott, Coordinator of Sensory Disabilities and Supports, [email protected] The Virginia Department of Education is required by the Code of Virginia, § 22.1-217.01, to annually prepare and distribute to local school boards information describing educational and other services that are available to students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired. School boards are required to post this information on school division websites annually and to inform the parents of students who are identified as deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired of the availability of such services. The Virginia Department of Education’s Annual Resources Update for Serving Students with Sensory Disabilitiesis a compilation of the required guidance documents and additional resources available through VDOE’s Sensory Disabilitieswebpage. Administrators and teachers are encouraged to share the Virginia Department of Education’s guidance and resources with parents. School divisions may contact the VDOE Office of Special Education Instructional Servicesto request printed copies and alternate formats to include in Virginia public schools and public libraries. Special Test Accommodations Resource GuideArticle: 2025-34-494 The Virginia Department of Education's Office of Student Assessment has developed a new resource, the Special Test Accommodations Resource Guide, that contains all information regarding testing accommodations for Virginia Assessment Program tests. The accommodations and their definitions pertain to all students receiving services through Individualized Education Programs (IEP), Section 504 Plans, and English Learner Assessment Participation Plans. This new resource replaces the Examiner’s Resource Guideand the Testing Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: Growth Assessments and Standards of Learning Testsdocument. Additionally, the testing accommodation information located in the Special Test Accommodations Resource Guideis no longer available in appendix B of the Test Implementation Manuals. Consolidating this information into one resource ensures parents, teachers, administrators, and division level staff access the same information and guidance when determining and providing the appropriate testing accommodations necessary for students to participate in the Virginia Assessment Program. The Special Test Accommodations Resource Guideis located on the Participation & Inclusionand SOL Test Administration & Developmentweb pages of the Virginia Department of Education website. 2026 Summer Residential Governor’s Schools and World Language AcademiesArticle: 2025-34-493 The Virginia Department of Education is pleased to announce that the 2026 Governor’s Summer Residential Program will include seven Summer Residential Governor’s Schools (SRGS) and five Governor’s World Language Academies (GWLA). The SRGS offer gifted and/or advanced high school students opportunities for intensive study in academics, the visual and performing arts, and mentorships. The GWLA offers full-immersion academies for French, German, and Spanish; a partial-immersion academy for Japanese; and a Latin Academy. Students do not need to be identified as gifted to be nominated for one of the GWLA. The SRGS and GWLA are available to students enrolled in public schools, accredited private schools, as well as homeschooled students. The availability of these programs is contingent upon the provision of state funds by the 2026 General Assembly. Applications, information, and administrative handbooks for the 2026 SRGS and GWLA will be available digitally on the VDOE website October 10, 2025. For details, visit the Summer Residential Governor's Schools webpageand Governor's World Language Academies webpage. |
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Virginia Department of Education published this content on October 10, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on October 10, 2025 at 17:29 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]