SB558:

Public schools; evaluation & recommendations for certain current and proposed policies.

Bill Summary:

Board of Education; evaluation of and recommendations for
certain current and proposed policies and performance standards for public
elementary and secondary schools. Requires the Board of Education to collaborate
with the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of Education to
evaluate, to implement where possible, and to otherwise make recommendations to
the General Assembly regarding the following goals: (i) promoting excellence in
instruction and student achievement in mathematics, including elimination of
the Virginia Mathematics Pathways Initiative and an evaluation of any other
proposed changes to the Mathematics Standards of Learning, in advance of the
next revision of such standards by the Board, to maintain and increase the
rigor of mathematics instruction in public elementary and secondary schools and
permit students demonstrating aptitude and high achievement in mathematics to
accelerate their progress through core mathematics classes and concepts and
take advanced mathematics courses before the eleventh grade; (ii) increasing
the number of academic year Governor's Schools in the Commonwealth and
maintaining standards of excellence for students in all such schools; (iii)
preserving the Advanced Studies Diploma as an option for students in public
high schools in the Commonwealth while maintaining or increasing course and
credit requirements for such diploma; (iv) increasing the transparency and
honesty of performance measures for public elementary and secondary schools in
the Commonwealth and ensuring that such measures do not obscure or conceal
disparities in performance among student groups; (v) ensuring that performance
measures for public elementary and secondary schools prioritize the attainment
of grade-level proficiency in reading and mathematics for all students,
especially in grades kindergarten through five; (vi) ensuring that the
Commonwealth's proficiency standards on Standards of Learning assessments in
reading and mathematics are rigorous in comparison with assessments
administered by other states and national assessments in reading and
mathematics; and (vii) restoring a strong
accreditation system that promotes meaningful accountability year-over-year.
The bill requires the Secretary of Education and the Superintendent of Public
Instruction, no later than November 30, 2022, to report to the chairmen of the
House Committee on Education and the Senate Committee on Education and Health
the results of such evaluation and recommendations to achieve such goals.