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

Contents:

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]

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:
Week 7 (Oct. 30) = Safety Plans

The next round of office hour presentations will be communicated in the coming days.

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]

District Quality Standards Beta Test Self-Evaluation Reminder

Audience: Superintendents, Administrators

As part of its statutory responsibility under 16 V.S.A. §165, the Agency of Education is advancing efforts to ensure all Vermont students have substantially equal access to a high-quality education. The revised Education Quality Standards (EQS) and District Quality Standards (DQS) officially went into effect in July 2025.

The Agency is currently conducting a quality self-evaluation beta test of a targeted set of high-leverage standards. Superintendents are responsible for submitting all self-evaluation data between October 15 - November 21, 2025. Standard 113 (Governance) self-evaluation data should be submitted by the superintendent on behalf of each board in the SU/SD. The self-evaluation rubrics as well as resources to complete the self-evaluation can be found on our DQS page.

Contact: Ian Burfoot-Rochford at [email protected]

Scat and Tracks Program: Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department

Audience: Educators of kindergarten through eighth-grade youth across Vermont

This popular virtual offering highlights a different Vermont wildlife species each week while encouraging educators to conduct nature hikes with their students.

Designed for kindergarten through eighth-grade youth across Vermont, this program allows students to get outside and explore the Vermont landscape in a unique way. Students will watch a pre-recorded video highlighting a unique Vermont species each week. Each class also has the option to participate in question-and-answer sessions conducted virtually each week by Vermont Fish and Wildlife staff. Each pre-recorded video focuses on one Vermont wild animal and covers topics such as habitat, lifecycle and fun natural history facts! After the video, students venture outside with their educator and look for the appropriate habitat of the animal that was discussed, paying close attention to any scat and tracks or other signs of the critter.

Registration is open until December 15thand can be completed online, Scat and Tracks Program Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department.

Contact: Corey Hart, Vermont Department of Fish & Wildlife at [email protected]