Board accepts superintendent’s EL‑9 monitoring report; highlights on tutoring, math, inclusion and grading

The Fairfax County School Board unanimously found Superintendent Dr. Scott S. Reed (name used in presentation) in compliance with Executive Limitation 9 — the board’s policy covering the division’s instructional program — and approved the superintendent’s annual monitoring report after discussion and questions from members.

The motion to accept the report, made by School Board Member Dixit and seconded by McDaniel, passed without opposition. A separate motion to retain the existing EL‑9 language in the strategic governance manual also passed unanimously.

In presenting the monitoring report, the superintendent and instructional staff highlighted several items the board asked them to track: updates on inclusion and IEP process improvements, a secondary grading and reporting update, expansion of career and transition services, and work on common assessments and curriculum projects.

Mathematics requirements and expansion: Dr. Reed said staff will draft a proposal to increase graduation mathematics requirements, beginning in a phased approach with next year’s seventh‑grade cohort. He noted algebra‑by‑eighth‑grade access has increased: the report cites 74.5% of eighth graders enrolled in algebra (up from 58% in prior years). Staff also said 741 sixth‑grade students are enrolled in Algebra I through a pilot that runs in 20 schools with additional virtual participation; leaders said the intention is to expand the pilot over the next two years.

High‑impact tutoring: Board members pressed for details on the division’s high‑impact tutoring work. Instructional staff and the tutoring coordinator reported that tutoring provided through the All In Virginia program reached more than 10,000 students; students who received tutoring averaged double‑digit gains on SOL results (reading averaged a 14‑point gain; math averaged a 15‑point gain), and students who received tutoring produced more than annual typical growth. Presenters also noted improved attendance among tutored students. However, staff said that external funding for that program was not renewed and “that money is no longer in the budget,” leaving the division to consider alternate funding options.

Inclusion and IEPs: Staff described work with outside consultants to review IEP documents and the IEP process, including a revised IEP checklist that emphasizes student strengths and new accommodations (the checklist now references recently adopted board accommodations such as cell phone accommodations for students with disabilities). The presentation said the division is rolling out asynchronous professional development modules on inclusive practices and launched a superintendent’s advisory committee for twice‑exceptional learners.

Grading and reporting: The board was told the division will begin a focused, coached rollout of a “rolling grade book” for high schools in school year 2026–27; middle schools may adopt it at local discretion but no coordinated middle‑school rollout is planned this year. Staff explained a rolling grade book keeps grades open across the year so students who demonstrate later mastery can recover credit rather than have prior low scores lock their term average.

Curriculum and assessments: Staff said the division delayed some adoptions last year because of budget constraints; math adoption work is underway with a pilot year and a target adoption in fall 2026, while social studies adoption has been postponed in the near term. The report also notes expansion of common assessments and a plan to provide dashboard snapshots to the board.

Other items: The report listed summer learning resources for families, a device distribution plan to allow students to take devices home more often, and success statistics on the Virginia Seal of Biliteracy (4,041 students earned the state seal). The superintendent and staff also highlighted operational items: the division began the school year with 99.7% of positions filled, transportation vacancy reductions and a pilot of tablet‑based bus routing and student check‑in, and 48 electric buses currently in service (staff said a larger planned purchase was affected by federal grant uncertainty).

Board members asked for follow‑up data on common assessments, more detail on funding options for high‑impact tutoring, and implementation timelines for math curriculum work. The motions approving the compliance finding and retaining EL‑9’s current language passed unanimously; staff will return with requested details as the board directed.