2Revolutions Prototyping Networks
VBCPS partnered with 2Revolutions, an educational design lab, to engage staff members and members of our community in prototyping networks designed to address issues related to equity and mindsets with the goal of removing barriers to student learning. The network groups presented what they learned from their year-long work and made recommendations for furthering this work.

Interdisciplinary Course Offerings
More interdisciplinary courses were offered to high school students during the 2018-2019 school year. This interdisciplinary approach is to reimagine the high school experience by making natural connections between courses. In addition, this interdisciplinary approach expands a class beyond a 90-minute lesson, which results in more time and flexibility to focus on student interests and needs.

High School Redesign
High school principals and teacher leaders helped us rethink the high school experience. The redesign process, which began in fall 2018, is taking different forms and includes schedule modifications, a focus on building relationships through advisory programming, linking courses across content areas, and offering students a stronger voice in their educational experience.

Leadership Academy
The Office of Professional Growth and Innovation (PGI) facilitated the Leadership Academy for school teams. The teams, consisting of teachers and administrators, engaged in professional learning focused on shared leadership and design thinking to help them identify school-specific instructional opportunities for growth, review practices and relevant research, and develop/test creative solutions.

Safety/Security Upgrades
During the 2018-2019 school year, the school division implemented several safety and security upgrades—some of which were already underway and others that were recommendations from the Blue Ribbon Panel on School Safety and Security. For example, buzz-in systems were installed at all schools in September. This system requires all school visitors to use the new video intercom system at the building’s main entrance to request entry since front doors are locked. Additional cameras, radios, and fencing were also added to several schools to improve security measures. Learn More

Student Advisories
Every middle and high school student was assigned an advisor. Students and their advisors met in groups throughout the school year. The advisory groups were developed to support students’ social-emotional development and provide students with an avenue to address academic and career-planning related activities. More importantly, the intent was to ensure that every student has an adult invested in their future.

Full-day Kindergarten Expansion
VBCPS continued to support high academic expectations by expanding full-day kindergarten to 12 additional elementary schools bringing the total to 35 out of 53 possible elementary schools.

School Support Process
Improving outcomes for students with disabilities was added as a goal to each school’s Plan for Continuous Improvement (PCI). This is part of the school division’s multitiered school support process.

Restructuring Special Education Services
At the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year, the Office of Programs for Exceptional Children (OPEC) was restructured to support the needs of schools in both compliance and instruction as it relates to special education services. Schools were assigned two special education coordinators, one compliance and one instructional, to guide their work in meeting the needs of students with disabilities and their families.

Community Engagement Liaisons
Under the leadership of the Office of Family and Community Engagement (FCE), school community engagement liaisons continued to build connections with partners. They have the knowledge of academic supports and resources needed and know who in the school division to contact for additional needs.

VBCPS and NAS Oceana Pete Taylor Partnership Excellence Award
VBCPS and NAS Oceana were awarded the 2018 Pete Taylor Partnership of Excellence Award in the Exemplary Individual Project Partnership category. The award was given to honor the annual Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Lab Learning Day held at NAS Oceana each September. Learn More

Purple Star Designation
Eight of the division’s schools were honored with the Commonwealth’s first-ever Purple Star designation. This award recognizes schools that demonstrate a major commitment to students and families connected to our nation’s military. Learn More

City Library and School Division Partnership
Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) and VBCPS worked together to ensure that all 67,000 public school students in kindergarten through twelfth grade have automatic access to VBPL's digital resources. VBCPS student ID numbers double as VBPL account numbers, providing immediate, anytime access to powerful online research tools, e-books, digital magazines, and more. Learn More

Virginia Values Veterans
VBCPS has received certification from the Commonwealth of Virginia's Virginia Values Veterans (V3) program, joining more than 700 Virginia businesses and organizations recognized for their commitment to valuing and hiring veterans. The V3 program is a free training and certification program for employers to help them implement nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly skilled and dependable Veterans. Learn More

Mobile Hotspots and Securly
A commitment to digital learning means ensuring equity in access as well as safe and effective use of technology. During the 2018-2019 school year, the division’s Title I and Title IV programs partnered together and used grant funds to provide 132 families reliable internet access through free mobile hotspots. These hotspots allow students unable to afford dependable internet to have equal access needed for completing homework: communicating with teachers; and applying for jobs, scholarships, or college. The school division also added Securly Parent Portal, a web-filtering tool offering parental controls and reports on division-issued devices. Learn More

Base Program
This program is a short-term intervention for students in kindergarten through second grade who may lack educational experiences or social skills that lead to engaging in negative behaviors within the general education environment.

Mediation Cohorts
During the 2018-2019 school year, 12 VBCPS staff members engaged in 20 hours of professional learning toward Level 1 mediation certification. This certification is recognized by the Commonwealth of Virginia and will allow division-trained mediators to conduct professional learning focused on mediation and supporting restorative practice usage in the division

PBIS Expansion
Virginia Beach City Public Schools believes that fostering positive behaviors and relationships within schools creates an effective learning environment for all students. As a result, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) has been phased in at our schools over the past four years. During the 2018-2019 school year, 17 elementary schools and 4 middle schools were added. 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.

Culturally Responsive Practices
The division continues to place an emphasis on culturally responsive practices. Being culturally responsive means that schools are welcoming and accessible to all stakeholders; that teachers and students have equitable access to instructional support; and collaborative structures exist that promote inclusivity and mutual respect.

Addressing Compensation
As part of a continued focus on providing competitive compensation, the Department of Human Resources addressed a variety of compensation-related issues including equity adjustments, salary compression, and the development of a unified experience-based step pay scale.

Personalized Professional Learning for Teachers
As part of the teacher evaluation system, teachers were asked to identify a professional learning goal and were provided opportunities to engage in personalized professional learning to support their goal.

Teacher Assistant Professional Learning Day
The professional learning day for teacher assistants provided the division’s 1,300 teacher assistants the opportunity to attend more than 20 different session offerings specifically tailored to their learning needs. They deployed to sites all over the city to take part in varying sessions, including sessions focused on student agency, growth mindset, coding instruction, developmentally appropriate practices, and conflict management.

Pathways for Assistant Principals
VBCPS continues to support the professional learning of assistant principals through professional learning pathways. During the 2018-2019 school year, pathways focused on personal culture and professional learning. The personal culture pathway examined and reflected on culture as a foundation to enhance relationship building and cultivate inclusive learning environments through instructional leadership. In the professional learning pathway, participants were provided opportunities to acquire skills necessary to design, lead, and evaluate highly effective professional learning and to coach teachers toward personalized professional learning goals.

Retiree Opportunity Program
The Retiree Opportunity Program (ROP) is a VBCPS employment initiative that encourages and supports retired staff members to find part-time employment opportunities within the division. Registering for the ROP allows access to the division's rich retirement network resources, employment and volunteer opportunities, licensing renewal assistance, professional development, and more. Learn More

1-to-1 Initiative Complete
The 2018-2019 school year marked the first year of having devices assigned to students on a 1:1 basis. Learn More

Virtual Learning Days
Virtual Learning days were created to help expand students’ learning outside of the classroom and allow them to showcase their independent learning skills and creativity, and, as a byproduct, help provide flexibility in the school calendar. On these days, which occur throughout the school year, students do not attend school but are provided assignments to be completed outside of regular class time.Learn More

Schoology
The school division has implemented a learning management system to provide students with more flexible learning opportunities and increase proficiency with technology. Schoology reduces touch points for teachers, students, and parents when interacting with the school division’s digital content.

Increased job shadowing
Junior Achievement hosted two citywide job shadow events during the 2018-2019 school year. One was focused on environmental science and the other was focused on hospitality.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) Signing Day
During the 2018-2019 school year, the school division held its first CTE signing day—a day to formally recognize and celebrate students taking full-time positions right out of high school with industries related to their course of study in high school and the industry certification they earned. Learn More

Industry Credentials
VBCPS began testing for industry credentials in 2002, the first year the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) started to identify them. During the 2018-2019 school year, the school division crossed the 100,000 threshold for industry certifications. Learn More

New Career and Technical Dual Enrollment Options
The school division added several new dual enrollment classes that have a Career and Technical Education (CTE) focus such as welding, cybersecurity, CISCO, and accounting.

Scratch Cooking Initiative
In 2017-2018, the division piloted scratch cooking at one school. This initiative was so well received that the program was piloted to two additional schools in 2018-2019 with the plan to expand divisionwide in coming years. To build the program, a lead chef with previous experience in launching similar successful programs was hired as were a team of lead bakers and cooks to train cafeteria staff to create items from scratch and teach baking skills and various other kitchen operations. Several staff trainings occurred throughout the year and the team is also working with schools to prep the next group of schools to incorporate scratch cooking. Learn More

Onsite Admissions Event
Fourteen, four-year colleges from Virginia and Maryland participated in the division’s first-ever onsite admissions event. The colleges waived application fees, and while most required applicants to submit materials prior to the event, some allowed students to apply on the spot. Tidewater Community College (TCC) also participated and provided enrollment assistance and information about available apprenticeship partnerships. Military recruiters, Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation, and other employers were also present with postgraduation opportunities for students. Learn More

Strategic Planning Process
The 2018-2019 school year marked the start of the planning process for the division’s next strategic framework that will set the direction for 2020-2025. As part of the process, VBCPS held many meetings with community groups and a virtual town hall to seek input. The input was used by the VBCPS Strategic Plan Committee to develop draft goals. The VBCPS Graduate Profile, which describes the attributes of future-ready students, was used to anchor the planning process.

Graduate Profile
The 2018-2019 school year marked the start of the planning process for the division’s next strategic framework that will set the direction for 2020-2025. As part of the process, VBCPS held many meetings with community groups and a virtual town hall to seek input. The input was used by the VBCPS Strategic Plan Committee to develop draft goals. The VBCPS Graduate Profile, which describes the attributes of future-ready students, was used to anchor the planning process.

Parent Connection
The Office of Community Engagement offered several workshops for parents during the 2018-2019 school year. Topics included navigating the special education evaluation and eligibility process, culturally responsive practices, and college options for military students. Learn More

Division’s New Mobile App
The division launched a new, free mobile app designed to keep the community informed on division events as well as help keep families up-to-date with their child's school accounts and activities. Learn More

Brock Center Environmental Studies Program
The division is partnering with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center to launch an environmental studies program for high school juniors and seniors in fall 2020. Housed at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Brock Environmental Center, the program will provide students with real-world experiences and the opportunity to broaden their understanding of sustainability issues through learning projects and interdisciplinary instruction. Learn More