May 1, 2024 Newsletter
You’re Invited
Join us for the inaugural APE Exchange, our new in-person discussion forum on the topics that matter to you most.
Kicking off the series, we will delve into the role and usage of EdTech at APS.
Bring your burning questions, share your experiences and connect with fellow parents.
May 15th | 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM at Central Library
Questions or to let us know you are coming: arlingtonparentsforeducation@gmail.com
Virginia Board of Education is Changing How it Evaluates School Across the State
Virginia is building a new Framework for calculating school performance ratings. Change is needed, given the failure of Virginia’s current accountability and accreditation system to reflect the sharp plunge in student achievement following COVID. The new Framework will be more transparent and reflective of changes in school conditions. It will also allow for better targeting of support to schools most in need.
The new Performance and Support Framework is expected to be finalized and approved by the Board of Education this summer. The BOE is currently accepting public comment here.
Why It Matters
Parents need to know how their school is doing and be able to compare it easily with other schools across their district and the state. The new Framework will provide this information via an easy-to-understand summative measure based on Academic Mastery, Growth (for ES and MS) or Graduation (for HS), and Readiness.
Growth vs. Mastery: While Growth is an important component, greatest emphasis will be placed on Mastery given the urgent need to return students to their pre-COVID levels of proficiency. This will incentivize schools to address learning loss vigorously.
Mastery Index: Schools will be given additional credit if students move to Pass Advanced on SOL exams. Presently, schools only get credit for moving students to Passing. This change will incentivize schools to develop each student to their fullest potential and better pursue academic excellence.
Chronic Absenteeism: The Readiness component is expected to include a meaningful weight for chronic absenteeism. This could incentivize schools to reconsider policies that may be exacerbating chronic absenteeism via reduced student accountability – including giving students 50 points whether a piece of work was turned in or not and scheduling numerous four-day weeks in their calendars. Such policies are currently de-emphasizing the importance of regular attendance.
Accelerated Math: The Readiness component is also expected to incentivize school districts to offer or continue to offer Algebra in Middle School, enhancing students’ ability to reach Calculus and other advanced courses in high school. This component will also discourage districts from (i) not accelerating kids who are ready for Algebra in Middle School and (ii) doing their own versions of San Francisco’s Algebra-for-None policy (its connection to Virginia discussed by us here).
Our Take: Read our letter to the Virginia Department of Education in support of this new Framework.
County Passes Its Budget While State Funding for APS Remains Uncertain
The County Board passed its annual budget on April 20. The County Budget provides nearly $640 million for Arlington Public schools. This continues the revenue sharing agreement with APS in which 46.8% of certain revenues are shared with APS, including a share of new revenues resulting from the county's 2 cent property tax increase. However, the County echoes concerns emanating from County and APS advisory committees about APS’ fiscal sustainability, noting they are “increasingly concerned about dependence of APS on one-time funding and reserves to balance their budget” and urging “APS to find a path towards fiscal sustainability.” (For background, watch the work session with the APS Budget Advisory Council, the work session with County Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission, and read our previous summary.)
The County also makes significant new investments in teens, including $1.5 million for After School Pilot programs in response to community advocacy. It also includes one-time funding to convert library spaces into spaces for teens and launch other youth programming pilots. We welcome these new efforts to support teen well-being. The Board also intends to phase out the Behavioral Intervention Services, despite significant advocacy, and indicates it provided funds to “allow substitute services to be found or developed.” (Read more about BIS)
While the County revenue transfer is now known, the level of funding APS will receive from the state remains uncertain. In March, the General Assembly passed a budget that provided APS $9.5 million more than under Governor Youngkin’s original request. However, Governor Youngkin submitted amendments to the budget, and the General Assembly will meet in a special session on May 13 to consider a revised budget. As occurred in 2022, APS will not know the final amount it will receive from Virginia until after the district adopts its 2025 budget on May 9th.
Why It Matters
Relative to its neighboring counties, APS has a higher “local composite index” of 80% under current Virginia funding formulas. In other words, as a wealthy district, we are expected to mostly pay our own way even compared with our neighbors (e.g., APS is one of only 8 Virginia districts, including Alexandria City and Fall Church City, with an LCI of 80%). Nearly 80% of APS funding comes from our county revenue transfer, and the budget passed by the County provides APS with nearly $35 million more in revenues than the $615 million that the Superintendent’s Budget originally assumed. Resolution of the County Budget relieves a significant amount of uncertainty as the School Board works to finalize the 2025 budget.
However, significant details of APS' budget, including staff compensation, may not be finalized until after the General Assembly and Governor Youngkin reach a budget agreement. At present, the School Board’s Proposed Budget assumes a 1% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) and potential for a 1% midyear bonus for staff.
Arlington County Allocates Over $4 Million to Support Youth and Teens
The Arlington County Board recently passed its FY25 budget and allocated $4.3 million to address mental health and substance use issues among Arlington's youth and teenagers. APE strongly commends these investments, which include:
Funds for dedicated case management for teens experiencing mental health and substance use challenges
Expansion of out-of-school teen programming
New digital and in-person outreach strategies to share programming and resources with teens and families
Funds to convert the Arlington Mill computer lab to a teen media lab
Funds for new teen spaces at Central and Westover Libraries
Funds for piloting an after-school program with APS.
We commend the advocacy and effort by three local groups that helped make these services possible: Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), Arlington Schools Hispanic Parents Association (ASHPA), and Arlington’s chapter of the NAACP advocated for the County to devote $2 million to more and better after-school programming to help fight the opioid pandemic. In March 2023, we also sent a letter to the County Board advocating for increased investment in tween and teen programming by the Department of Parks and Recreation and the county's Libraries. We are thrilled with the types and range of programming being offered and we look forward to their implementation and the impact they will surely have on teen and youth mental health in Arlington. Regarding the after-school programs pilot with APS, we strongly encourage Arlington County to include Out-of-School Days in this program.
Arlington’s Department of Parks and Recreation also launched last month a new Teen homepage as a one stop site for DPR’s teen offerings - from late night programming and after-school offerings, to classes, internships, and more! We encourage you to bookmark and share with your teen, including the calendar feature!
Read more in depth on the budget and concerns about phasing out the Behavioral Intervention Services (BIS) program.
April 25th School Board Meeting Recap
Highlights from the meeting include:
Changes to student wellness policy implementation procedure (PIP), including:
Increasing lunch to 30 minutes, prohibiting "silent lunch" as a punishment, prohibiting food for in-class birthday celebrations, strengthening language prohibiting removing recess as a punishment.
The SHAB committee recommended "Away for the Day" no-phone policy, but APS said was not ready to enact division-wide yet and if it did would do so in different PIP. SHAB members recommended other items as well including middle school recess for 15 minutes but APS said schedules could not accommodate this.
Bid for CIP Career Center Construction recommended to be awarded to “Whiting-Turner Contracting Company” in the amount of 132M and approve a project budget of 175M to be funded with 173.3M bonds, 1.25M from operating funds and .38M from capital reserve.
Secondary English Language Monitoring Report: review of changes in ELA curriculum (i.e. intensified MS classes) and assessment of literacy via the new NWEA Map Assessment and other screening tools, to both better identify areas of need and provide extensions for advanced learners.
Read the full recap here.
Happening Soon
Wednesday, May 8, 8am, Policy Subcommittee Meeting. Syphax, Suite 260.
Thursday, May 9, 7pm, School Board Meeting. Sign up to speak. Syphax. Watch live.
Monday, May 13, 6-8 pm, Office Hours with School Board Member Miranda Turner. Virtual. Sign up.
Wednesday, May 15, 6:30-7:30pm, APE Exchange on Ed Tech, in-person at Arlington Central Library.
Arlington County Democratic Committee School Board Caucus
Watch our forum to learn more about the candidates and read our article to learn about the caucus. Read about how Ranked Choice voting will work in our past enews' Community Corner. Online voting for the Arlington Democrats' School Board Endorsement process is live online now through May 11 or people can vote during the three in-person voting days next week:
Sunday, May 5th, 2024
10 AM to 6 PM
Washington-Liberty High School
1301 N Stafford St, Arlington, VA 22201
Wednesday, May 8th, 2024
7 PM to 9 PM
Hoffman-Boston Elementary
1415 S Queen St, Arlington, VA 22204
Saturday, May 11th, 2024
10 AM to 6 PM
Dr. Charles Drew Elementary School
3500 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22206
Don't forget! You can subscribe to APS School Calendars here.
