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Virginia Board accepts first review of school accreditation report, outlines phased rollout of new accountability framework
Summary
The Virginia Board of Education accepted for first review a new Virginia School Accreditation Report and mapped a phased rollout of guidance, reporting templates and a separate public reporting pathway for the new school performance and support framework, with training and further public engagement scheduled through the summer and fall.
The Virginia Board of Education on first review accepted a new Virginia School Accreditation Report and directed the department to publish guidance, exemplars and rubrics to document how schools and divisions will show compliance with the Standards of Accreditation.
Board staff said the change is part of a broader move to separate “accreditation” — an inputs/compliance review of staffing, graduation requirements, safety and school planning — from the state’s academic accountability system, the Virginia School Performance and Support Framework. Department officials said that separation is intended to make public-facing academic ratings clearer while preserving a compliance process to ensure minimum resources, staffing and safety measures are in place.
The department’s presentation identified 11 compliance areas that principals and superintendents will document annually and said only one new regulatory requirement was added since the 2017 rules: schools identified for comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) must document that elements of their school improvement plans are being implemented with fidelity. Mark Jennings, the department’s executive director of accountability, said the department will publish templates and rubrics and provide technical assistance and training beginning this fall so schools can submit evidence on a timely basis.
Why it matters: separating compliance (inputs) from performance (outcomes) is intended to reduce confusion in public reporting and to give principals and divisions a clearer set of artifacts to demonstrate that regulations on staffing, safety, graduation requirements and instructional programs are being met. Board members said clearer public messaging will be critical during the transition.
What the board approved and next steps - The board voted to receive the Virginia School Accreditation Report for first review. Department staff said the material will be followed by additional public engagement over the summer and by a phased implementation schedule in the fall. In comments the department said it will: create a small office under the chief operations officer devoted to accreditation support; publish guidance, exemplars and rubrics; and convene training sessions for principals and division staff.
- The board’s action was procedural (accept for first review). Staff repeatedly emphasized the department will publish the final guidance on its website and supply training and a technical assistance schedule to field partners.
Board and stakeholder concerns Board members and outside stakeholders who spoke during the meeting urged clarity on three topics: (1) how the accreditation artifacts will be collected and by whom (the department said divisions will submit on behalf of schools for the 2024-25 year and principals will complete tailored submissions in 2025-26), (2) how accreditation reporting will be presented alongside the new academic performance categories to avoid public confusion, and (3) the timing of any additional indicators (for example, proposals to add history/civics measures or middle-school advanced-course access were flagged for further review).
“I’m excited about this… this is a fantastic step forward,” board member Solomon Rotherham said during discussion, praising the emphasis on public reporting and stakeholder engagement. Mark Jennings said the department will begin publishing one-page explanatory materials and begin rollout work this summer.
Public reporting and the school quality profile The department also described plans to migrate the School Quality Profile to a new platform so the site can host the new school performance and support framework. Staff said the current WordPress-based report card is at end of life and cannot be quickly extended to host new visualizations or meet Virginia Information Technologies Agency security expectations; a replacement site will be phased in beginning with a new framework page.
Timing and public comment The department asked the board to accept the accreditation report for first review and to permit an extended public comment period over the summer. Staff signaled further briefings will come to the board in July and August, with first formal regulatory or procedural decisions targeted for late summer or early fall (first review in August and final consideration in September were discussed as a likely schedule).
