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Henrico officials say 2026 Virginia laws will reshape assessments and expand CTE pathways
Summary
Henrico County staff summarized 2026 General Assembly actions affecting K–12: changes to state assessments (100-point scale, a two-week testing window, SOLs counting for 10% of final grades), new verified-credit options and expanded CTE licensure pathways. The division will review enacted laws with VDOE and recommend any necessary policy changes to the board.
Henrico County School Division staff told the board on April 30 that several bills passed by the 2026 Virginia General Assembly will require careful local implementation and communications with families.
Kim Blackstone, the division’s government relations manager, said staff tracked more than 200 bills this session and that just over 100 reached the governor’s desk. He highlighted changes that will affect K–12 schools, including “additional flexibility for alternative assessments,” a move to a 100-point grading scale, a condensed two-week testing window at the end of the year, and a change that will let SOL scores count for 10% of a student’s final grade. He also noted bills allowing expedited retake scores to replace previous results and the elimination of three-year growth assessments.
“The legislation provides additional flexibility for alternative assessments… and the SOL will now count toward 10% of the student's final grade,” Blackstone said.
The update also cited verified-credit changes that allow students to substitute African American history or AP African American studies for certain world history or geography credits, the introduction of SAT/PSAT school-day testing options, and measures to strengthen school safety training and mental-health screening recommendations.
Board members largely praised the division’s weekly legislative updates and asked staff to clarify the details and timelines for implementation. Several members pressed for more information about the scope and cost of CTE salary-credit provisions and whether the state or local dollars would cover salary changes for career-and-technical-education instructors.
Dr. Cashwell and Blackstone said staff are conducting a comprehensive review of newly enacted laws in partnership with division counsel and the Virginia Department of Education and will return to the board with recommendations for any required policy or operational changes.
Next steps: staff will refine the analysis, post updates to the legislative priority webpage, and bring any necessary policy changes to the board for action.
