We are excited about the next chapter in our expedition to ensuring that all students are equipped with the skills necessary to be college and career ready. We began this work in 2008 with the adoption of a strategic plan that set its sights on the acquisition of globally competitive skills. We continue to advance under our new strategic framework, Compass to 2020: Charting the Course. We invite you to take this journey with us and will endeavor to keep you informed and involved throughout the process.
Compass to 2020: Charting the Course
2017 - 2018
- Technology and Human Capital Resources Applied to Make Schools Safe
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April
VBCPS field tested two pieces of technology related to safety and security. First, a “Report It” feature of the school division’s mobile app was launched which allows students to anonymously report threats and safety concerns related to their school. The second technology tool to be tested was a web scanning application which sends alerts to parents about the sites students are visiting or topics they are searching while using a school division device or while on the VBCPS network. Upon successful completion of the field tests, both applications will be launched divisionwide.
- Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety and Security Convened
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April
Leveraging both technology and human capital, VBCPS redoubled its efforts in 2017-18 to ensure that schools are safe places for students to learn and for staff to work. Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence formed a Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety and Security which brought together community leaders and security experts to analyze current VBCPS security practices and procedures and to make recommendations for potential improvements.
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- Office Professional Learning Hub Created to Foster Growth and Excellence
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April
Goal 4 of our strategic framework includes a focus on fostering a culture of growth and excellence among all staff. For this reason, the office of Professional Growth and Innovation (PGI) created a learning hub on the division’s internal website to serve as a launch page to ongoing professional learning opportunities and resources for office professionals. The learning hub will continue to grow as additional components of the professional learning program for office professionals are developed.
- Community Partnership Expo: A Showcase of Community/School Partnerships
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March
In March, more than 1,200 people attended the first-ever divisionwide Partnership Expo and PTA Vendor Fair hosted by the Office of Community Engagement. The event showcased many of the 2,000+ school/community partnerships that provide real-world experiences–including internships, job-shadowing and service-learning opportunities to students across the city. Attendees visited more than 100 school/partner exhibits that showcased best practices related to creating and sustaining meaningful partnerships that positively impact students’ academic experiences and strengthen community collaborations.
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- Supports for Student Mental Health
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February
VBCPS is committed to continuing to provide a strong system of mental health supports through our dedicated staff of psychologists, school counselors, and social workers. New resources for administrators, counselors and families have been added, such as online learning modules for students that focus on a variety of topics including healthy relationships, communication skills, conflict resolution, etc.; more books available to students and staff through our online library resource addressing anxiety, bullying, depression, stress, suicide, and more. Psychologists, school counselors, and social workers were also provided with a community resource document to schools to share with families as needed.
- Designing Future Learning Models Through Partnership with 2Revolutions
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December
VBCPS was selected by education design lab 2Revolutions (2Rev) as the sole national partner district on a Carnegie Corporation project. The goal is to create a "Future of Learning" model that could be used by school divisions nationwide to better prepare students to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. As part of their work, 2Revolutions interviewed key stakeholders and held community meetings to understand the resources available in Virginia Beach and identify areas of opportunity. The goal is to select two areas to go deeper through prototyping networks in 2018-19, with the goal to share this new learning with school systems and communities throughout the country.
- Teacher Specializations Launched
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October
In 2017, specializations, a new competency-based approach to teacher professional learning, was launched. Specializations allow teachers to select a defined focus area and develop their own path for learning. Rather than documenting seat-time, teachers provide evidence and artifacts of their learning. Specializations for teacher leadership and performance-based assessments are the focus areas available for teachers in 2017-2018.
- New Navigational Aid for Students and Families
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October
As part of our ongoing commitment to help students and families make the most of their time in VBCPS, we created a microsite referred to as Destination Graduation to serve as a launching point for families and students to learn more about the resources available to students throughout their academic career. The site offers students and families grade-level specific information and information that families and students need to know to prepare for the next grade level.
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- Navigating the K-12 Resources in VBCPS
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October
On October 12, VBCPS held the first Navigating the Journey event for all parents and community members to attend. The division’s Academy Night, which in past years only focused on the academy programs across eight of our high schools, was expanded to showcase all opportunities provided by VBCPS to our students. At this year’s event, breakout sessions featured information about each of the academies, the Advanced Technology Center (ATC), Tech Center as well as sessions for each level with a focus on what students need to know as they go through elementary, middle and high school. Beyond the sessions, there were more than 50 information tables for parents and students to visit and have the opportunity to ask questions about nearly every aspect of the division. Navigating the Journey allowed all students and parents to see the many programs, pathways and services available to them and helped to connect them to their future.
- Expanding Full-Day Kindergarten in Virginia Beach
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September
Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) began a multiyear implementation plan to transition its elementary schools from a half-day to a full-day kindergarten program. As part of the first phase, 13 schools will join 10 other elementary schools across the division that already provide full-day kindergarten programs using Title I and local funding. Additional elementary schools will transition to a full-day program each school year until the implementation is complete at all 53 VBCPS elementary schools with kindergarten classes.
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- Reimagining High School through Innovation
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September
In an effort to personalize school and better meet the needs of students, our high school principals began investigating and experimenting with innovative scheduling strategies including the creation of student advisories and a concept referred to as “OneLunch.” Research on rethinking the high school experience pointed to advisory periods as ways to ensure that each student is known well by at least one adult in the building - an adult to whom the student can turn for help with both school related and personal issues. As a result, each of our high schools committed to having 11 advisory period sessions during the course of the 2017-2018 school year.
In addition, a number of our high schools have implemented “OneLunch” which involves providing an extended lunch period of all students (simultaneously) during which time they can receive additional academic help during the school day, attend a club meeting, meet with their counselor, take a make-up assessment, visit the Library Media Center, or, simply work on homework. Each of our high schools took a team of staff to visit a site using this scheduling technique to better understand the associated logistics. While this concept is still in the design phase, the schools have received positive feedback in response to their efforts to increase scheduling flexibility.
- Serving Up Breakfast in the Classroom to Meet Student Needs
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September
With increases in the percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced lunch over the past 10 years, the school division has continually worked toward diversifying its approach to ensuring that more students start the day with a healthy breakfast. Initially, efforts to provide breakfast in the classroom was led by elementary schools, but its reach was expanded to all schools K-12 during the 2017-2018 school year. The division’s Office of Food Services works with each building principal to offer a breakfast model that best meets the needs of each school. Recently, Virginia’s first lady Dorothy McAuliffe and incoming first lady Pam Northam visited White Oaks Elementary to observe the breakfast in the classroom initiative. Last school year, VBCPS served 2.6 million breakfast meals. This year, the division has already served 130,000 more meals in the first three months of school compared to 2016. We attribute this success to our committed, strategic and collaborative efforts across departments and schools to provide all students a nutritious start to the school day, participation in the VDOE-approved Community Eligibility Provision program at five of our elementary schools, and raising the level of awareness of all involved.
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- Capitalizing on Community Engagement Liaisons
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August
The role of the Community Engagement Liaison (formerly known as the Partnership in Education Coordinator) was further developed during the 2017-18 school year to ensure consistent, strategic alignment with the school division’s strategic framework, Compass to 2020. School-based Community Engagement Liaisons work collaboratively with Volunteer in Education Liaisons and other key school staff to make connections between the school’s goals, activities and initiatives and the talents, interests and needs of the community.
This collaborative effort between a school and an organization is aligned with specific goals and provides expanded material, financial and/or human resources to support student achievement and enrich teaching and learning. Partnerships are based on a plan to provide ongoing support and assistance to mutually benefit student achievement and success and the community and/or partner organization.
- Expanding Supports for Military Connected Students and Families
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July
Approximately 25% of our students are military connected. As such, VBCPS is committed to strengthening and expanding our supports for military students and their families. We were the first division in the state to dedicate two full-time counselors to this effort, and are, therefore, in our second year of providing two military-connected counselors to our schools. These counselors assist families as they transition in and out of our school division as well as provide support for students while they are enrolled (deployment groups, college planning, etc.). This school year we also added a purple star designation into our data system to help teachers, counselors and administrators know which students are military-connected. Over the past few years, through a grant we were awarded from the DODEA, we have implemented Project GRIT “Globally Resilient Independent Thinkers” to support our military families. As part of this grant, we expanded the Anchored 4 Life Transition program to several additional schools this school year and will add all middle schools next year. In total, we have 87 documented military partnerships in our division and the number keeps growing.
- Reaping the Benefits of Talent Acquisition Efforts
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July
We continue to increase our efforts to hire and retain high-quality staff. This includes moving up the hiring timeline earlier than ever before, using an online component to interviews and increasing the diversity of our staff. Multiple central office departments engaged in a coordinated effort to identify and release teacher allocations much earlier than usual to allow principals to begin the hiring process so as to recruit and hire the most qualified candidates. Our recruitment efforts and earlier timeline have resulted in a 50% increase of newly hired minority teachers since 2014. For the 2017-2018 school year, 21.1% of the newly hired teachers and 28% of the newly hired administrators were minority.
- Using Mediation as a Restorative Practice
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July
In VBCPS, we believe that leveraging restorative practices, such as mediation, strengthens relationships with students allowing them to thrive academically, socially and emotionally. During the 2017 school year, all administrators and counselors participated in professional learning to build their understanding of mediation and were provided with opportunities to hone their skills in facilitation of student to teacher mediation. As part of this training, it was stressed that the use of mediation may occur proactively, before student behavior escalates to the point of requiring a discipline referral, or may occur following a disciplinary action. This restorative practice aligns with recommendations set forth by the Student Discipline Task Force and in the work outlined in Compass to 2020.
- Continued Expansion of Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS)
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July
The division continues to implement Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in our schools. The PBIS model emphasizes schoolwide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. In addition to increasing the number of schools implementing PBIS, one specialist and four coaches were added to assist schools newly implementing PBIS and to provide ongoing coaching and support to schools further along in the implementation process.
- Expanding Students’ Opportunities for College Credit While Still in High School
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July
As part of our Dual Enrollment Program, students may take courses that meet requirements for high school graduation while at the same time earning college credit at Tidewater Community College. This year, over 25 new dual enrollment courses have been added for students, expanding opportunities for students to earn credit toward the attainment of an associate’s degree/and or relevant industry certifications in regionally relevant fields (welding, mechatronics, cybersecurity, CISCO and more). Learn More
- Making Gains on High Academic Expectations
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July
When you combine a laser focus on teaching and learning in a learning experience that is transformed through personalization and multiple pathways, the result is a school division with all schools fully accredited, higher graduation rates, lower dropout rates, increases in the number of students earning industry certifications, higher student performance on the SAT and AP exams and more students graduating college and career ready.
- Developing Future Ready Learners by Focusing on the Five Cs
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July
VBCPS is committed to ensuring all students are future ready and can demonstrate skills in the areas of critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, and citizenship (the 5Cs). For this reason, opportunities to grapple with and hone the 5 Cs have been embedded throughout the K-12 curriculum including performance tasks and assessments. A strategies stockpile was also created to assist teachers. In addition, common divisionwide rubrics for assessing the 5Cs were included in the curriculum as a tool for teachers to begin to measure students’ ability to demonstrate proficiency in these skill areas. The 5Cs are essential skills for ensuring students acquire the attributes of the VBCPS Graduate Profile.
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- Ongoing Focus on Improving Outcomes for Our Students with Disabilities
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July
To ensure continuous improvement and the academic success of all students, schools were provided information regarding specific and intentional steps to close the learning gap for students with disabilities (SWD), particularly in math and language arts. School administrators were provided expectations for data tracking and monitoring as well as program compliance. In addition, they were provided information about professional learning opportunities designed to build special education and general education teacher capacity. A new course to build teacher capacity around literacy was launched as well as several new modules on the Office of Programs for Exceptional Children (OPEC) professional learning site. Also, work experience options for students with disabilities were expanded.
- Placing Student Agency at the Center of Our Work
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July
With the implementation of Compass to 2020, VBCPS has been working on providing students with personalized learning opportunities so that they are equipped and empowered to make meaningful choices and take purposeful action in support of their learning – this is what we refer to as student agency. Beginning at the Administrators’ Conference and throughout the school year at citywide meetings, principals were provided professional learning focused on practices that foster student agency and developed plans for staff professional learning within their buildings. At the elementary school level, Transformational Learning Lead Teachers, representing each grade level at each school, participated in professional learning sessions to build their capacity on this topic, using the new science curriculum as a launching point to understand how learning experiences can be created for students in which they are in the driver’s seat, and brought this learning back to their grade levels. In addition, at the secondary level, department chairs and principals received ongoing professional learning on student engagement strategies that were shared with their staff to support the work of fostering student agency.
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- Leveraging a Learning Management System
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July
VBCPS is launching Schoology to enable a smooth transition to digital learning as well as to provide a streamlined, user-friendly application for interacting with and accessing teaching and learning content. A Learning Management System (LMS) such as Schoology reduces touch points for teachers, students and parents when interacting with the school division’s digital content; serving as a single destination for teaching and learning information. Digital Learning Anchor schools will utilize Schoology throughout the 2017-2018 school year. Insights gathered from their combined experiences will provide guidance for the division ahead of a planned, staggered roll out to all schools in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020
2016 - 2017
- Supporting Teacher Leadership
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May
The school division is committed to fostering the growth of all employees, and the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation recently introduced specializations for teachers to strengthen their leadership roles within the division. The teacher leadership specializations offer teachers a personalized, competency-driven way to learn and demonstrate mastery of the skills of being a Team Leader or a Professional Learning Leader. Guides have also been created to serve as pathways to help teachers determine the professional learning or experiences that might be necessary to reach specific leadership roles or positions.
- Campus Compass: Your Guide to School Performance
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March
For the last 19 years, the school division has published reports of progress for each of the schools in the division. These reports, referred to as the Annual School Report Cards, have included information about student and staff characteristics, perceptions of educational quality, attendance, and school performance. This year the report cards were revamped to more closely align with the goals in our division’s strategic framework and were renamed as the Campus Compass.
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- Online Academic and Career Planning Resources for Students
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March
The Office of Student Support Services, in collaboration with the Department of Media and Communications and the Office of Technical and Career Education, developed a website filled with resources to help students throughout the academic and career planning process. The site includes brief informative videos that help students understand and navigate the process and includes links to industry-specific pathways that provide suggested learning experiences for middle and high school students as well as careers available in the pathway based on postsecondary education requirements.
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- Making Joy Contagious
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February
In an effort to combat the natural slump in energy and emotion that occurs during the latter half of the school year, the Office of Professional Growth and Innovation sponsored a Joy Fair in February. The fair provided an opportunity for all staff to learn strategies focused on transforming classroom environments and school cultures by maximizing joy and motivation for both staff and students. Attendees had the opportunity to browse interactive learning stations that were hosted by Joy Ambassadors, staff who have committed to leading and supporting joy within their classrooms and schools.
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- Prototyping Learner Profiles
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February
Based on recommendations developed by a collaborative team of teachers, specialists, and building administrators convened in 2016-2017, the Digital Learning Anchor Schools were asked to develop prototypes of a student learner profile to further inform their development with the intent of piloting a learner profile in 2017-2018. The learner’s profile is intended to be a tool that students use to assist in goal setting, understanding themselves as learners, and demonstrating what they have learned with the intent of increasing student ownership and agency in the learning process.
- Supporting Student Literacy With Purposeful Partnerships
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January
Our school division is partnering with several organizations to support literacy at the elementary school level. For example, the Virginia Beach Public Libraries has partnered with the division’s pre-kindergarten program to bring the Book Mobile and other library services to each pre-kindergarten classroom. The local libraries also partner with VBCPS to enrich summer programs throughout the division. Research indicates that summer vacation contributes to reading loss, known as Summer Slide. With a collaborative effort, Title I Schools and the various librarians across the city work together during the Title I Summer Slide Reading program to support the students during summer break. The school division is also partnering with the United Way, under the umbrella of United for Children, and Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation to provide support to the Tri-Campus schools (Diamond Springs, Newtown and Bettie F. Williams). The partnership has strengthened community ties and has brought three large agencies together to support academics as well as the needs of the community.
- Setting Our Sights on Student Agency
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November
Virginia Beach City Public Schools is embarking on an ambitious journey to transform learning across the division. As we have increased our understanding and capacity around digital transformation and personalized learning, we have worked to identify the supports and resources necessary to create learning environments and experiences that create student-centered practices to foster student agency and provide students with the opportunity to apply new knowledge across contexts. All schools participated in a readiness assessment to identify focus areas for the upcoming school year that will support this work; the Department of Teaching and Learning will use these readiness assessments to help identify specific professional development needs for each school.
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- Laser Like Focus on Student Data Yields Big Dividends
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November
Over the past several years the school division has ramped up support to all schools in the division using a tiered-based system. A focus on student data is a critical part of the system as it helps to direct resources where they are needed most and in ways that ensure equity for all. As a result of this focus on student data, the graduating Class of 2016 achieved both the division’s highest On-Time Graduation (OTG) rate and lowest dropout rate since 2008, the first year the Virginia Department of Education began using cohort-based calculations for these reports. The division also reported its best SAT scores since 2008 and increased the number of schools earning full state accreditation. In addition, more VBCPS students are enrolling in Advanced Placement (AP) courses, taking a record number of AP exams and performing better than ever before.
- Expanding Our Reach for Highly Qualified Teachers
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October 2016 and April 2017
The Department of Human Resources (HR) participated in two online virtual job fairs, one focused on Special Education and the other focused on STEM jobs. As part of the virtual job fairs, HR employees conducted online chats (7-10 minutes each) with candidates about their qualifications and interest in Virginia Beach City Public Schools. This online format gave the school division a cost-effective way to communicate with candidates from as far away as India, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, as well as other locations across Virginia. Participation in the virtual job fair allowed the Department of Human Resources to establish relationships with potential candidates for critical shortage subject areas.
- Leading the Way in Digital Learning
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October
The school division’s efforts to meaningfully integrate technology into instruction was recognized by the Virginia Society for Technology in Education (VSTE) and the Center for Digital Education. Early this fall, Dr. Amy Cashwell, chief academic officer for Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS), was named Outstanding Leader of the Year by VSTE. The organization honors one leader and one teacher in Virginia each year who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership in implementing technology to improve education. In March, the Center for Digital Education named VBCPS one of the nation's best digital school districts, awarding our school division a top-ten ranking in its annual Digital School Districts survey.
- Creating Common Grading Expectations at the Secondary Level
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September
Modeling the division’s core values of student-centered decision making and collaboration, all secondary schools engaged in a process of developing grading guidelines at the school level by having teachers work together by department, grade level, or specialized course to identify the grading practices they believed would be most successful in their classrooms and buildings. From there, school committees and teams made up of parents, teachers, and building administrators reviewed the plans to make sure they aligned with the division’s 2017-2018 grading guidelines. The intent of the changes is to ensure consistency and accountability with respect to grading practices within the schools across the division.
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- Supporting Multiple Pathways Through Paid Work Experiences for Students
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September
Virginia Beach City Public Schools (VBCPS) is committed to increasing the number of students developing future ready skills through internships and apprenticeships. For example, as part of a longstanding relationship with STIHL, and in partnership with TCC, students at the Advanced Technology Center have the opportunity to take select TCC Mechatronics courses to earn dual enrollment credit. Some of these students will go on to participate in a structured work-study program at STIHL. Upon high school graduation, one student will be guaranteed an apprenticeship opportunity at STIHL. This year, Ryan Buzzy, a 2016 graduate of Kempsville High School and the Advanced Technology center, was accepted into the STIHL apprenticeship program.
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As another example of the commitment to increasing work-related experiences for students, VBCPS is one of several organizations involved in a grant-funded regional partnership coordinated by Old Dominion University’s Center for Cybersecurity Education called the Research Hampton Roads Cybersecurity Education, Workforce and Economic Development Alliance. As a result of the partnership, 20 students studying cybersecurity at the Advanced Technology Center will have the opportunity to participate in paid internships.
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- Fifth Graders Soar to New STEM Heights at the Oceana Airshow
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September
At the start of the school year, all fifth grade students enrolled in VBCPS had the opportunity to take a one-of-kind field trip to Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana at no cost to the students. NAS Oceana, in partnership with the school division and several community partners, hosted a special Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Lab Day, that took place as part of the annual Air Show. During their day on the military installation, every child also took part in hands-on activities and learned about STEM careers in a real-world setting. They also had the opportunity to meet and hear from U.S. Navy pilots, mechanics and support personnel to understand how STEM is part of their work as well as get up close views and tours of NAS Oceana aircraft. Additionally, students saw a special performance by the Navy’s elite flight demonstration team, The Blue Angels.
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- Leveraging Technology to Create a Safe, Welcoming School
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September
Providing a safe and welcoming learning environment is a top priority for all schools across the division. To assist with this effort, the division launched a new visitor management system, Raptor, in all 86 schools. This web-based system instantly verifies the visitor’s identity, has the capacity to print destination-specific name badges and reviews the visitor’s identify against national sex offender registries. The system will also help with managing the use of volunteers in the school. When fully implemented, the volunteer component will allow schools and volunteer coordinators to easily post volunteer opportunities, manage signups and communicate with and track all volunteers.
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- Developing G.R.I.T. Among Military Connected Youth
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August
The school division was awarded a $1.5 million grant by the Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Educational Partnership through Military-Connected Academic and Support Programs (MCASP). The grant funding will support Project G.R.I.T. (Global Resilient Independent Thinkers), which is designed to support the division’s military-connected students through science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) initiatives and social-emotional learning. Most of the grant work will begin during the 2017-2018 school year; however, elementary schools participating in the grant this year implemented the Anchored4Life program designed to foster students’ social-emotional development. In recognition of the school division’s dedication and support for our military youth, the Department of Defense offered to support the cost of the implementation of the program across all elementary schools. Five more elementary schools were trained in Anchored4Life throughout VBCPS to support the transitional needs of all elementary youth.
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- We Are VBSchools: Great Dreams need Great Teachers
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August
To recognize the efforts of teachers in shaping the future of the students with whom they work, VBCPS extended its We Are VBSchools: Great Dreams need Great Teachers campaign for a second school year. Launched in 2015, this appreciation campaign publicly celebrated the work of teachers and staff members across the division through student and parent testimonials, surprise classroom visits, feature stories, and videos highlighting the work and lives of VBCPS employees. Additionally, the campaign - funded through community partnerships and donations - provided special tokens of appreciation for staff.
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- Expanding Horizons Through Global Pathway Schools
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August
To build capacity in the division around global awareness and competencies, 11 schools were selected to be Global Pathways Schools. These schools are charting the course for global instruction and opportunities for students. The lessons learned will be spread to all VBCPS schools in the fall of 2017. Global Pathways Schools have one mission, to @growyourglobe. Monthly collaborations focus on examining curriculum through a global lens and growing the globe of both teachers and students.
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- Creating Equity in Opportunities and Achievement
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July
At the recommendation of the Student Discipline Task Force, the school division created the Office of Opportunity and Achievement with the charge of ensuring that equity is embedded in the work of all schools through the development and implementation of diversity, inclusion, and student achievement initiatives. Initiatives directed by this office include the Annual African-American Male Summit, Beach Girls Rock Seminar, and Candid Conversations About Race.
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- Supporting Positive Behaviors in the Classroom
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July
To support the social and emotional development of all students, VBCPS has spent the last several years implementing Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) in 19 of our schools. The PBIS approach emphasizes schoolwide systems of support that include proactive strategies for defining, teaching, and supporting appropriate student behaviors to create positive school environments. The initial group of 19 schools has helped lay the foundation for roll-out across the division. Over the next three years, PBIS will be phased in at all VBCPS schools.
- Student Response Teams – Meeting the Needs of Students
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July
During the 2016-2017 school year, all schools were provided with professional learning and support to implement or strengthen their Student Response Teams (SRT). The role of the SRT is to address students’ academic and behavioral needs by putting systematic processes and procedures in place to meet these needs. These school-based teams typically include administrators, teachers, school counselors, psychologists and/or social workers who work together to identify and provide early interventions to students. During the 2016-2017 school year, the SRTs received professional learning focused on how to be an effective team, the purpose of SRT and related protocols, exercises to examine data for equity-related issues, and how to identify school strategic actions to respond to student needs.
- Focusing on Instructional Coaching Through the Teaching and Learning Framework
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July
As part of the annual administrators’ conference, school leaders were provided with professional learning on the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Coaching Framework, which was developed based on the Teaching and Learning Framework. The Coaching Framework and associated resources help administrators provide teachers with effective feedback in support of the expectations outlined in the Teaching and Learning Framework. The Coaching Framework was further reinforced through citywide principals’ and assistant principals’ sessions held throughout the school year. These sessions provided administrators with additional learning opportunities and asked them to apply what they were learning, which called for all administrators to conduct learning walks in their own school or with a colleague, focus on a specific aspect of the T&L Framework, and then practice providing feedback with a peer and with a teacher observed on the learning walk.
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- Creating a Culture of Growth and Excellence through Equity
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July
As an indication of the school division’s commitment to creating a culture of growth and excellence for ALL students, VBCPS hosted a regional conference with the theme of "Excellence Through Equity." Representatives from nine other school divisions attended the one-day conference led by Dr. Pedro Noguera and Alan Blankstein, nationally recognized experts in the area equity. Immediately following the one-day event, VBCPS building administrators and selected members of their leadership teams participated in the annual administrators’ conference that also focused on championing equity in our schools.
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- Shining a Spotlight on Special Education to Improve Services
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July
Goal 1 of Compass to 2020 focuses on challenging and supporting all students to achieve a high standard of academic performance and growth. To this end, VBCPS contracted with Evergreen Solutions, LLC to conduct a review of services provided to students with disabilities. The review included an analysis of the characteristics of the special education student population as well as the effectiveness of these services in supporting positive outcomes for students receiving them. The program review identified areas of strength and areas for improvement in the organization and delivery of services.
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- Sharing our Compass to 2020 Journey
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July
To share and record the story of the division’s strategic framework, Compass to 2020, the school division commissioned the creation of storyboards to illustrate progress achieved each year. The story begins on the first storyboard with a lighthouse shining its beacon on the strategic framework’s four goal areas: high academic expectations, multiple pathways, social-emotional development, and culture of growth and excellence. Also featured are various navigational markers being used to measure progress of the work. The second storyboard showcases Compass to 2020 work from school year 2015-16 and subsequent boards will highlight the work accomplished through the 2020 school year.
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2015 - 2016
- Design Fellows Showcase Essential Components of Personalized Learning
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April
Design Fellows from across the school division shared their experiences and examples of how they are helping to further the work related to personalized learning in VBCPS. Three essential components of personalized learning have emerged from their work this past year including: the role of the learning environment, personal pathways, as well as student ownership and agency. Design Fellows from the 2015-2016 school year will be invited to continue as design fellows to serve alongside a new cohort of Design Fellows that will be selected for the 2016-2017 school year.
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- Measuring Progress on Compass to 2020: Introducing our Navigational Markers
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March
As part of the planning process for the division’s strategic framework, Compass to 2020, a cross-section of more than 70 stakeholders worked to identify key measures for each of the goals in the framework. These key measures were refined and translated into indicators designed to serve as “navigational markers” for the entire school division. The Navigational Markers are available on the VBSchools website. Indicators specific to student performance are reported for all students across the school division as well as by student subgroup. The markers will be updated twice each year.
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- VBCPS Employees Making Waves With Mentoring
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November
The school division launched the Making Waves mentoring program that pairs VBCPS employees with students from across the school divisions elementary, middle and high schools. The purpose of the mentoring program is to provide students with additional support outside of the classroom to help them be successful in school. Mentors meet with students weekly, either before, during school, or after school, and work on a variety of activities together (including, homework, reading, journaling, and art).
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- Creating a Pathway for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders
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October
The School Board approved the creation of a new Entrepreneurship and Business Academy to be located at Kempsville High School. The academy will offer students the following three strands of study: Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Business Information Technology and Corporate Finance. In addition to completing required core courses integrated with business-themed concepts, specialized elective courses and a senior internship within their chosen field of study, students will have opportunities to earn dual enrollment credit, participate in job shadowing and seek an associates degree in business administration.
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- Examining Grading Practices at the Secondary Level
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September
The Fair and Equitable Grading Practices committee was convened to standardize updates to current grading policies at the middle and high school levels. The committee is made up of teachers, administrators, parents, students and community members from across the city. The committee is charged with presenting recommendations to the School Board in the spring of 2016, with changes to grading guidelines expected to be made in time for the 2016-2017 school year.
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- We Are VBSchools and We Appreciate Our Teachers
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September
The school division kicked-off a year-long campaign to recognize and honor teachers because of the instrumental role they play in supporting the dreams and aspirations of our students. Throughout the school year, a custom webpage, vbschools.com/GreatTeachers, will house stories and videos highlighting the work and lives of VBCPS teachers as well as powerful testimonials from students and parents. This campaign was made possible through the support of business and community sponsors.
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- New Core Values Introduced and Affirmed
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September
The need to revisit the school division’s core values emerged as a result of the work in developing Compass to 2020 and the Superintendent’s Entry Plan. Throughout the spring and into the summer, members of the Superintendent’s leadership team worked to develop the new core values, which were affirmed by the School Board in September. The new values describe “what matters most” to VBCPS and specifies behaviors that exemplify the values. The five new core values are: student-centered decision making, continuous learning, innovation, collaboration, and respect.
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- Using Digital Learning as a Pathway to Personalized Learning
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July
Compass to 2020 aims to provide students with personalized learning opportunities that incorporate the use of digital resources to prepare them for their future in a globally-connected world. Through an application process, 11 schools were selected to participate in the Digital Learning Anchor Schools initiative. The goals of the initiative are to develop a cadre of schools to serve as model digital learning schools within the division and to study the efficacy of a variety of digital devices and resources for positively impacting student learning.
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- Teaching and Learning Framework Drives the Division Forward
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July
The Teaching and Learning Framework drives our efforts inside the classroom to best prepare and challenge every student, every day. This framework embodies the VBCPS approach to teaching and learning, including the foundation of effective instruction: teaching, planning, assessing and responding. This framework was created through work sessions with elementary, middle and high school teachers; principals; and central office administrators. Resources to support the implementation and use of the framework have been provided to employees via an interactive graphic located on the Department of Teaching and Learning intranet site and will be updated on an ongoing basis.
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- Leading Change Through Professional Growth and Innovation
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July
There are many factors that contribute to a child’s success in school, but key is a culture where all employees understand their role in supporting students, teachers, and schools as a whole—and a culture where seeking to fulfill those roles means continuing to learn and to grow together. The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation (PGI) was created to provide a unified approach to professional learning for all staff. The work of the office focuses on individual capacity building, providing programming and services in leadership development, career advancement, new employee support and the development of globally competitive skills. This office also works to support the division’s strategic initiatives outlined in Compass to 2020 through the use of design thinking and strategic planning, professional learning design and implementation, and the cultivation of a culture of respect.
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2014 - 2015
- Teachers Take the Lead in Designing Personalized Learning Opportunities
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June
Providing students with personalized learning opportunities in support of multiple pathways is a critical part of Compass to 2020. In the spring of 2015, teachers were invited to apply for a special learning and leadership opportunity within the division designed to help demonstrate what personalized learning could look like in the classroom. As the result of an application process, a total of 57 teachers and specialists, representing 41 of the division’s schools, were selected for the special opportunity. These individuals, referred to as design fellows, met over the summer months to lay a solid foundation for the work they would be engaging in within their classrooms and schools. They will continue to meet throughout the school year to share what they are learning and move work in this area forward.
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- Partnering With the Community in the Hiring Process
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May
The Department of Human Resources, in collaboration with the Department of School Leadership (DOSL), developed a new process for identifying candidates for school-based administrator vacancies. Under the new process, DOSL holds staff and community-based input meetings to develop a profile of the ideal candidate and interview questions. The interview committee includes representatives from the departments of Human Resources, School Leadership, and Teaching and Learning, as well as teacher and parent representatives. Student representatives are also included as appropriate.
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- Student Discipline Task Force Convened to Remove Obstacles to Learning
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February
Dr. Spence created the Student Discipline Task Force to review issues of poverty, race and diversity in order to prepare recommendations for improved discipline and academic achievement. The task force consists of administrators, teachers and community members and is chaired by Dr. Charles Corprew, an associate professor of psychological science at Loyola University. Dr. Corprew is also a graduate of and former teacher at Green Run High School. The task force is expected to provide its recommendations to the School Board in early 2016.
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- Dr. Spence Releases a Post-Entry Report and Plan
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January
During the course of his first six months as superintendent, Dr. Aaron Spence visited 54 schools and met with numerous student, teacher, staff, and community groups to hear what they had to say about what they wanted from our schools. As a result of this extensive listening tour, Dr. Spence released a post-entry report and plan highlighting what he learned and priorities for moving forward. The findings in the post-entry report further reinforced the messages received from the community throughout the strategic planning process.
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- School Board Formally Adopts Compass to 2020: Charting the Course
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December
The strategic framework, Compass to 2020: Charting the Course, was unanimously adopted by the School Board on December 16, 2014 following nearly a year’s worth of work and community input.
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- Compass to 2015 Showcase Event and Public Comment on Proposed Strategic Framework
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November
The school division held a special event, referred to as The Compass Showcase, to provide our community with the opportunity to see a sample of the way teaching and learning has changed under Compass to 2015: A Strategic Plan for Student Success and provide public comment on our proposed strategic framework, Compass to 2020: Charting the Course.
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- Draft of the New Strategic Framework Developed and Presented
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July – October
Draft goals were presented to the School Board at the annual summer retreat in July where the board members were provided with the opportunity to provide feedback. Minor revisions were made to the draft goals and design teams were convened throughout the month of August to identify potential indicators and division-level strategies for accomplishing the goals in the framework. The community was also provided an opportunity to vote on the logo for the framework. A draft of the new strategic framework including the logo, goals, strategies, and potential indicators was presented to the School Board for information in October 2014 and made available on the school division website.
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2013 - 2014
- Dr. Aaron Spence Joins the VBCPS Family as the New Superintendent
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June
Dr. Aaron Spence joined Virginia Beach City Public Schools June 23, 2014 after having served most recently as Superintendent of Moore County Public Schools in North Carolina. It was a welcome homecoming for him as he attended Virginia Beach schools throughout his childhood and is a proud graduate of Green Run High School.
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- Community Provides Input and Engages in Strategic Planning Process
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January - June
VBCPS engaged in a multi-pronged approach to gathering community input to develop the next strategic framework. In addition to a website dedicated to the planning process where we hosted a virtual town hall, input was also gathered through focus groups and meetings with internal and external stakeholder groups. The information gathered from these channels were used to create a communitywide survey and more than 8,000 people responded. A 31-member Community Ad Hoc Strategic Plan Steering Committee used this input to develop the goals of the new strategic framework.
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View a Summary of the Community Survey Results
- Work on the Next Strategic Framework Begins
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December
The Department of Planning, Innovation, and Accountability provided the School Board with a proposal for developing the next strategic framework with a premium placed on engaging a wide variety of stakeholders in the process.
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