Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Lane Waives Public School Accreditation

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by

James A. Bacon
in

Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane has exercised “emergency authority” to waive annual public school accreditation for the 2021-22 school year.

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, public schools sent kids home early last spring and canceled the Standards of Learning (SOL) exams. Student performance on SOL tests in English, math and science are key metrics under the state Board of Education’s accreditation standards. Without the 2020-21 SOL results, there is insufficient data to calculate accreditation ratings for the current school year. And because year-to-year growth in English and math are accreditation criteria, Lane says in a press release today, it is necessary to scrap accreditation next year, too.

On the positive side, Lane argued that the action will enable schools to “focus on assessing the impact of the shutdown on students, academically and on their social and emotional well being. It will also allow school divisions to make decisions about resuming in-person instruction or reverting to virtual learning that will prioritize the health of students and staff, without the added pressure of possible impact on accreditation.”

Bacon’s bottom line: There is a certain logic to Lane’s judgment call. To be sure, he’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t position where he is certain to be criticized no matter what he decides. Regardless, the decision represents one more mile marker in the erosion of public school accountability. Cannot other metrics be found? Cannot “provisional” accreditation be provided? Are there no alternatives but abject surrender to the virus?

— JAB

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12 responses to “Lane Waives Public School Accreditation”

  1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
    James Wyatt Whitehead V

    This is a mistake. There must be some form of data collection. It must be statewide. This informs the state school board. This information is critical to additions and subtractions from the Standards of Quality written by the General Assembly. I know the data will be incomplete and demonstrate deficiency in outcomes. But it would be useful in charting a course back to the baseline of meeting expectations and standards. The data could be useful in making the arguments for funding, staffing, equity issues, longer school days, fewer holidays, and yes even year round schooling.

    Another issue. Testing coordinators. Each school in Loudoun County has a testing coordinator. This is a full time position. All they do is setup SOLS, AP Exams, and other standardized tests. They are responsible for the registration for testing, administrating testing, data collection, and assist in determining remedial services. Are they even needed for this year? Should they be furloughed or reassigned? There are 85 schools in Loudoun. 85 testing coordinators. Lot of money tied up here. How are those resources going to be best utilized?

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      So now I can ask what do private schools do about this? What kind of metrics do they collect and demonstrate their kids are on grade level?

      My understanding is that beyond SOLs there are tests to determine one’s grade level. I believe home schoolers use that kind of test and if they want their kids to enroll back in public schools the public schools have to do that test to ensure what grade level those kids are at.

      1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
        James Wyatt Whitehead V

        I will have to get back to you on this Mr. Larry. I am a neophyte again.

      2. Reed Fawell 3rd Avatar
        Reed Fawell 3rd

        “My understanding is that beyond SOLs there are tests to determine one’s grade level.”

        Yes, there are such tests, the Federal Version of the Virginia SOLs, that are far better and more accurate than the Virginia SOLs, given that the Virginia Board of Education has so watered down their SOL Tests, by some 50%, in order to hide the fact that many Virginia public high school students are graduating from high school, at the 8th grade level of achievement, and are also hiding the fact that so very few students are graduating at the twelfth grade level, by instead are typically well below 12th grade level on average.

        Hence, SOL testing in Virginia is worst than useless. It is highly misleading. We know this only thanks to the Federal Tests who prove the mendacity of today’s Virginia Department of Education. Hence, you can trust nothing these people say or do. Yet, most of us happily go along with all these lies, misinformation and propaganda as if its truthful.

    2. Matt Hurt Avatar
      Matt Hurt

      If we were to collect data, it would not be relevant. There’s no way to go back and assess what was or was not done last year. Some data could be collected, but just to say we did.

      As for the testing coordinators, we don’t have those full time positions out in our part of the state. The folks who do those duties have full time jobs, and they’re required to do that on top of everything else they do. It sounds like Loudoun is the land of milk and honey:)

      1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
        James Wyatt Whitehead V

        I disagree Mr. Hurt. I think an assessment to measure what was learned last year would reveal deficiencies and a chance to reteach for this year. How in the world are you going to take Algebra II if you are substandard still in Algebra I? Virginia’s education leaders had plenty of time to think this over and come up with something.

        Testing Coordinators are common in the big counties like Loudoun, Fairfax, Prince William, etc. Wasted resources in my opinion.

        1. Matt Hurt Avatar
          Matt Hurt

          I agree with you on the assessment in general, but it should be used for instructional purposes in the classroom as you suggest, but not for accountability purposes.

          It seems that those bigger places have plenty of money to burn, compared to their poorer relations out on the western end of that state.

          1. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead V

            Mr. Hurt you might be poorer in the cash sense but richer in the community sense. That is why the western counties might do better than the big shots.

          2. Matt Hurt Avatar
            Matt Hurt

            I believe you’re right James. It is really amazing to see how these folks work together across school division lines for the betterment of their students. These school folks hold themselves to a very high standard, and they believe that it is their imperative to ensure that their students are successful. It really does bring a tear to the eye to behold.

          3. James Wyatt Whitehead V Avatar
            James Wyatt Whitehead V

            Right on Mr. Hurt! I remember back in 1996 when I first arrived in Loudoun County. It was a tight ship that was run on a shoe string budget. We only had 4 high schools and 3 of them had cornfields surrounding them. There are now 20 high schools. The community institutions helped us fill in the gaps when resources were needed. Standards were so high back then. Grading scale was tough too. 75% and above was passing. 74% and below was a fail. I do think it was the most rigorist in the state. I remember being overworked and underpaid and usually working 1 extra job during the year and into the summer. I was so much more impactful back then. The small community environment had a lot to do with it.

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    On the school front in Fredericksburg this morning:

    ” An unspecified number of staff members at Shirley Heim Middle School in Stafford County have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter school principal Mary Grace McGraw sent to employees Monday evening.

    Stafford County Public Schools spokeswoman Sandra Osborne–Peters said Tuesday the division is not disclosing how many employees are affected to “protect staff privacy.

    New Stafford teachers reported to their schools Monday for a week of professional training. ”

    The school has about a thousand students and about 55 teachers.

    For COVID-19, a close contact is defined as any individual who was within 6 feet of an infected person for at least 15 minutes

  3. Baconator with extra cheese Avatar
    Baconator with extra cheese

    Layne made the right call. You can’t accredit nothing. The school year is a wash….
    And for the underserved kids they will have been out of an “effective” educational environment for about 18 months at best (fall 2021). By that time most of those students will have had a back slide of about 3 grades in reading level and most likely a larger slide in math skills. Even if they were given place in college it would be borderline criminal. They won’t be prepared to compete with those who had private school or parents who pushed at home.
    Add that to proposed policing changes and you’re most likely in for a crime BOOM in about 3-10 years… especially in the inner cities… it’s going to be something.

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