The Virgina Department of Education administers federal programs that support instruction and services to specific groups of students. These include programs authorized by the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the most recent reauthorization of which is also known as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Federal funding authorized under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) supports instruction and other services for students with disabilities.
Use the menu to the left to get information for the services Essex County Public Schools provides for students.
Instructional Updates on SOL Scores, Accreditation, and AMO
At the September Board meeting on September 10, 2012, Stephanie Bassett, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Federal Programs presented instructional updates. The presentation contained overall SOL scores along with state accreditation ratings and the new federal annual measurable objectives (AMO). The presentation also provided updates on the approval of Virginia’s flexibility waiver and the instructional focus for Essex County Public Schools. Additional information on the waiver can be found under “NCLB Waiver for Virginia Approved by US Department of Education.” Click here to view the School Board presentation.
NCLB Waiver for Virginia Approved by US Department of Education
Virginia schools and school divisions will no longer have to
meet the arbitrary and unrealistic No Child Left Behind (NCLB)
benchmarks in reading and mathematics or the federal law’s mandate that
all students regardless of circumstance achieve grade-level proficiency
by 2014 as announced by the Virginia State Superintendent, Dr. Patricia
Wright. The flexibility is the result of United States Secretary of
Education Arnie Duncan decision on Friday, June 29, 2012. Virginia will
continue to hold schools accountable for closing achievement gaps but
schools will not be subjected to NCLB’s Adequate Yearly Progress
mandates. The state will develop annual benchmarks with the goal of
reducing the failure rate in reading and mathematics by 50 percent
overall and of each subgroup within six years. Read More