Source: https://www.scsb.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=1656136&type=d&pREC_ID=1803098
Timestamp: 2020-01-22 11:25:13
Document Index: 670329271

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 6311', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22', '§ 22']

Section L: Education Agency Relations – School Board Policies – Smyth County Public Schools
School Board Policies » Section L: Education Agency Relations
LB: Relations With Private Schools
LBD: Home Instruction
LC: Charter Schools
LEA: Student Teaching and Internships
LI: Relations With Educational Accreditation Agencies
The Smyth County School Board generally supports the endeavors of other educational institutions whose goals are compatible with those of the division.
To the extent appropriate, the school division will utilize the resources of other educational institutions for the benefit of its students and the development of its staff.
The school division will cooperate with educational institutions and agencies in selected areas of research and experimentation which have the potential to increase the effectiveness of teacher preparation or staff development and/or which directly improve the local instructional program. To protect students and teachers from unnecessary intrusions that may disrupt instruction and regular school activities, requests for college students and professors to observe classes or otherwise utilize division students shall be submitted directly to the superintendent.
The school division will strive to improve the climate for education, particularly with reference to expanding the fiscal base, providing for efficient expenditure of funds, and bringing about state or federal legislation which improves education or contributes to division goals.
The school division will cooperate with professional educational organizations whose goals are compatible with those of the division.
LEA: Student Teachers
The School Board and superintendent shall work cooperatively with private schools that serve the community and students in matters of common interest, unless expressly prohibited by state statutes or local school board policy. The superintendent is authorized to consult with officials of these schools to determine areas of mutual concern and interest and to make recommendations to the Board. The School Board will not enter into agreement with any nonpublic school within the division to provide student transportation to and from such schools.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 22.1-78; 22.1-176.1.
© 3/07 VSBA, Back to Top
The Smyth County School Board recognizes that when the requirements of Va. Code § 22.1-254.1 are complied with, instruction of children by their parents is an acceptable alternative form of education under the policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Any parent of any child who will have reached the fifth birthday on or before September 30 of any school year and who has not passed the eighteenth birthday may elect to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance if the parent:
provides a program of study or curriculum which may be delivered through a correspondence course or distance learning program or in any other manner;
or provides evidence that the parent is able to provide an adequate education for the child.
Any parent who elects to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance shall annually notify the superintendent no later than August 15 of the parent's intention to so instruct the child and provide a description of the curriculum to be followed for the coming year and evidence of having met one of the criteria for providing home instruction. Any parent who moves into a school division or begins home instruction after the school year has begun shall notify the superintendent of the parent's intention to provide home instruction as soon as practicable and shall comply with the requirements of this policy within thirty days of such notice. The superintendent shall notify the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the number of students in the school division receiving home instruction.
A parent who elects to provide home instruction to a child who is over the age of six as of September 30 of the school year shall provide the superintendent by August 1 following the school year in which the child has received home instruction with either (i) evidence that the child has attained a composite score in or above the fourth stanine on any nationally normed standardized achievement test or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT test or (ii) an evaluation or assessment which the superintendent determines to indicate that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress, including but not limited to: (a) an evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master's degree or higher in an academic discipline, having knowledge of the child's academic progress, stating that the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress; or (b) a report card or transcript from a community college or college, college distance learning program, or home-education correspondence school.
In the event that evidence of progress as required in this subsection is not provided by the parent, the home instruction program for that child may be placed on probation for one year. Parents shall file with the superintendent evidence of their ability to provide an adequate education for their child and a remediation plan for the probationary year which indicates their program is designed to address any educational deficiency. Upon acceptance of such evidence and plan by the superintendent, the home instruction may continue for one probationary year. If the remediation plan and evidence are not accepted or the required evidence of progress is not provided by August 1 following the probationary year, home instruction shall cease and the parent shall make other arrangements for the education of the child which comply with Va. Code § 22.1-254.
No proof of immunization shall be required of any child upon submission of (i) an affidavit to the superintendent stating that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the parent's or guardian's religious tenets or practices or (ii) a written certification from a licensed physician or nurse practitioner that one or more of the required immunizations may be detrimental to the child's health, indicating the specific nature of the medical condition or circumstance that contraindicates immunization.
Advanced Placement (AP), Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT) and PreACT examinations are available to students receiving home instruction pursuant to Va. Code § 22.1-254.1. The superintended establishes a schedule identifying the dates by which students receiving home instruction must register to participate in such examinations. The superintendent notifies students receiving home instruction and their parents of the registration deadlines and the availability of financial assistance to low-income and needy students to take such examinations.
Neither the superintendent nor the School Board shall disclose to the Virginia Department of Education or any other person or entity outside of the local school division information that is provided by a parent or student to satisfy the requirements of this policy or subdivision B 1 of Va. Code § 22.1-254. Nothing in this policy prohibits the superintendent from notifying the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the number of students in the school division receiving home instruction.
If a student returns to Smyth County Schools from being home schooled, credit may be given for home school courses. Students earning more than one-fourth the minimum number of credits for graduation while on home instruction shall not be considered for class rank. The principal will determine grade placement and course credit for a home schooled student who returns to school. Credit may be given by either:
providing a transcript or report card from an accredited home education correspondence school or community college or college; or
taking a diagnostic assessment in the subject area(s) in which credit is being requested. Grades for such work will be pass or fail.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 22.1 254, 22.1 254.1, 22.1-271.4, 32.1-46, 54.1-2952.2.
In order to (i) encourage the development of innovative programs; (ii) provide opportunities for innovative instruction and student assessment; (iii) provide parents and students more choices; (iv) provide innovative scheduling, structure and management; (v) encourage the use of performance-based educational programs; (vi) establish high standards for teachers and administrators; and (vii) develop models for replication in other public schools, the Smyth County School Board receives and considers applications for the establishment of charter schools.
A charter school is a public, nonreligious, non-home-based alternative school located within the Smyth County School Division or operated jointly by multiple school divisions. A charter school may not be home-based and may be created as a new school or by converting all or part of an existing public school. Conversions of private schools or home-based programs are not permitted. A charter school for at-risk pupils may be established as a residential school.
In establishing public charter schools within the division, the School Board will give priority to public charter school applications designed to increase the educational opportunities of at-risk students. At least one half of the public charter schools in the division must be designed for at-risk students. However, conversions of existing public schools into public charter schools that serve the same community as the existing public school do not count in the determination of school division compliance with the one-half requirement.
Enrollment in a charter school is open to any child who resides within the school division or, in the case of a regional public charter school, within any of the relevant school divisions, through a lottery process on a space-available basis, except that in the case of the conversion of an existing public school, students who attend the school and the siblings of such students are given the opportunity to enroll in advance of the lottery process.
Any person, group or organization may submit an application for the formation of a public charter school to the Smyth County School Board. A complete application includes the applicant’s Virginia Public Charter School Application package submitted to the Virginia Board of Education, the result of the Virginia Board of Education’s review of the application and the Charter School Application Addendum (LC-E Smyth County Public School’s Charter School Application Addendum). Prior to submitting a charter school application to the School Board, a public charter school applicant shall submit its proposed charter application to the Virginia Board of Education for review and comment and a determination as to whether the application meets the approval criteria developed by the Virginia Department of Education. Charter School applications initiated by the Smyth County School Board must conform to the Virginia Public Charter School Application. However, such applications are not required to receive Virginia Board of Education review and comment prior to action by the School Board.
The Virginia Board of Education examines all applications other than those initiated by the School Board, for feasibility, curriculum, financial soundness, and other objective criteria it may establish, consistent with existing state law. The Virginia Board of Education's review and comment is for the purpose of ensuring that the application conforms with such criteria. The school division may work with a charter school applicant before the application is submitted to the Virginia Department of Education for review and recommendation.
All public charter school applicants, other than those initiated by the School Board, must also complete the application addendum in the format provided in Policy LC-E Smyth County Public School’s Charter School Application Addendum. The School Board shall establish a "review team" consisting of appropriate school personnel, a local business representative and a resident charter school proponent to evaluate charter school applications. The School Board shall designate the chair of the review team as the contact person for answering questions about the application process and receiving applications. The review team shall work cooperatively with applicants for charter schools. When an application is incomplete, the review team shall request the necessary information; an incomplete application is not grounds for denying a charter. However, if the applicant does not provide the necessary information within a reasonable timeframe (established by the review team) then the application may be denied.
The review team shall (1) recommend to the School Board appropriate criteria for reviewing charter school applications; (2) evaluate all charter school applications based on the review criteria adopted by the School Board; (3) recommend one of the following options to the Superintendent for each application: approve, reject, place on a waiting list or return with suggestions for improvement. The Superintendent will make a recommendation to the School Board based on the review team's recommendation; (4) monitor charter school progress if the charter school is approved; and (5) make recommendations for revocation, renewal or non-renewal of charter contracts for any approved charter schools.
Prior to the approval or rejection by the School Board, a public hearing will be held. The hearing will follow the same procedure as other public hearings for the School Board.
The Smyth County School Board shall require a regulation for receiving, reviewing and ruling on applications for the establishment of charter schools. Such regulation must include a timeline for the application and review process and the means for reviewing and evaluating each application, including the criteria on which the decision to grant or deny a charter will be based. A copy of the regulation, including the review criteria, shall be posted on the division's website and a copy shall be available to any interested party upon request.
If the School Board denies a public charter school application, or revokes or fails to renew a charter agreement, it shall provide to the applicant or grantee its reasons, in writing, for such decision, and it shall post such reasons on its website. A public charter school applicant whose application was denied, or a grantee whose charter was revoked or not renewed, is entitled to petition the school board for reconsideration. The petition for reconsideration shall be filed no later than 60 days from the date the public charter school application is denied, or the charter agreement is revoked, or fails to be renewed. Such reconsideration shall be decided within 60 days of the filing of the petition.
The School Board shall establish a process for reviewing petitions of reconsideration, which shall include an opportunity for public comment. The petition of reconsideration may include an amended application based on the reasons given by the school board for such decision. Prior to seeking reconsideration, an applicant or grantee may seek technical assistance from the Superintendent of Public Instruction to address the reasons for denial, revocation, or non-renewal.
Upon reconsideration, the decision of the School Board to grant or deny a public charter school application or to revoke or fail to renew a charter agreement is final and not subject to appeal. Following a decision to deny a public charter school application or to revoke or fail to renew a charter agreement, the School Board submits documentation to the Board of Education as to the rationale for the School Board’s decision. The Board or Education has no authority to grant or deny a public charter school application or to revoke to fail to renew a charter agreement but may communicate any Board finding relating to the rationale for the School Board’s denial of the public charter school application or revocation of or failure to renew the charter agreement based on the documentation submitted in any school division in which at least half of the schools receive funding pursuant to Title I, Part A.
Nothing in this section prohibits an applicant whose application has been denied or a grantee whose charter has been revoked or not renewed from submitting a new application.
A charter school may operate free from School Board policies and state regulations, except the Standards of Quality, the Standards of Accreditation and Standards of Learning, as agreed in the charter contract.
The School Board shall request from the Virginia Board of Education, on behalf of its charter schools, waivers from state regulation contained in each approved charter application. If the charter school is designed to increase the opportunities of at-risk students, then the School Board shall request that the Virginia Board of Education approve an Individual School Accreditation Plan.
Charter school personnel shall be selected as agreed in the charter contract. Such personnel may, but are not required, to be employees of the School Board. However, all charter school personnel shall be subject to the provisions of §§ 22.1-296.1, 22.1-296.2, and 22.1-296.4.
the charter school fails to meet generally accepted standards of fiscal management; or
the charter school violates any provision of law from which it was not specifically exempted.
A charter contract may be renewed for up to five years. The management committee must apply to renew the charter by February 1 of the school year the charter expires.
the grant or denial of charter applications, applications for renewal, and the revocation of any charter contract. For any such denial, revocation or failure to renew, the report to the Virginia Department of Education contains documentation as to the reason for the denial or revocation;
The Virginia Board of Education will report the number of public charter schools established in Virginia, and the number of charters denied, in its annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly.
Rebised: February 12, 2018
20 U.S.C. § 6311(b)(1)(B).
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, § 22.1-212.5 et seq.
LC-E [School Division] Charter School Application Addendum
LC-E: SMYTH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATION ADDENDUM
Any person, group or organization may submit an application for the formation of a charter school. Applicants must follow state law and School Board policy regarding charter schools. A complete Smyth County Public Schools Charter School Application (“Application”) consist of (i) the Applicant’s Virginia Public Charter School Application package submitted to the Virginia Board of Education, (ii) the result of the Virginia Board of Education’s review of the Applicant’s state application, and (iii) the Smyth County Public Schools Charter School Application Addendum prepared in accordance with this policy. However, Charter School applications initiated by the Smyth County School Board are not required to receive Board of Education review and comment prior to action by the School Board.
Applications must be received by the School Board and the review team chair on or before October 1 prior to the year in which the charter school desires to open. An original plus twelve (12) copies of the application must be submitted. An application fee of $100 shall be submitted with the application. Applicants must follow the application format provided below.
I. Goals and Objectives: Educational Program
A. A description of the performance-based goals. To the extent possible, the application should include the academic performance indicators, measures and metrics that will guide the Smyth County School Board’s evaluations of the charter school and should include, at minimum:
recurrent enrollment from year to year; and
postsecondary readiness (for high schools).
H. An explanation of the corrective actions to be taken in the event that pupil performance at the public charter school falls below the standards outlined in the Virginia Board of Education’s Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, (8 VAC 20-131-310).
a general description of any alternative accreditation plans, in accordance with the Virginia Board of Education’s Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131-280), that the public charter school will request the School Board to submit to the Virginia Board of Education for approval.
a general description of any alternative accreditation plan for serving students with disabilities, in accordance with the Virginia Board of Education’s Regulations Governing Special Education Programs For Children With Disabilities in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131-40) that the public charter school will request the School Board to submit to the Virginia Board of Education for approval.
a certificate of occupancy;
a health inspection certificate;
an annual fire certificate of inspection;
proof of compliance with federal, state and local health and safety laws and regulations; and
a copy of the lease or contract under which the charter school will use the facility.
A. A description of how the transportation of studentrs will be provided:
C. A description of transportation services for students with disabilities in compliance with Va. Code § 22.1-221 and the Board of Education’s Regulations Governing Special Education Programs For Children With Disabilities in Virginia (8 VAC 20- 131-40).
janitorial and regular maintenance services and
How and if the management committee will conduct a state criminal record check on all employees;
How the charter school will conduct fingerprinting and federal criminal record checks, if applicable;
How the charter school will comply with the requirement to report child abuse; and
How the charter school will comply with Occupational Safety & Health Act requirements.
a detailed description of the relationship between the management committee and the School Board, including the charter school spokesperson (i.e. who is accountable to the School Board);
how the charter school will be accountable to the public, including a plan for compliance with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, the State and Local Government Conflict of Interests Act, the Virginia Public Records Act and reporting requirements;
how the management committee is selected and its relationship to the teachers and administrators;
a description of the rules and procedures followed to arrive at policy and operational decisions; and
summaries of the job descriptions of key personnel, including the school leader/principal.
Proposed start-up and three-year budgets with clearly stated assumptions and information regarding projected revenues and expenditures.
Proposed start-up and three-year cash flow projections with clearly stated assumptions and indications of short- and long-term sources of revenue.
A proposed funding agreement with the School Board including information regarding anticipated local, state and federal per-pupil-amounts to be received and any information pertaining to the maintenance of facilities. In accordance with Va. Code § 22.1-212.14, the per pupil funding provided to the charter school will be negotiated in the charter agreement and will be commensurate with the average school-based costs of educating the students in the existing schools in the division or divisions unless the cost of operating the charter school is less than that average school-based cost. To the extent discussions have been held with the school division, please describe the outcome of those discussions. If there have been no discussions to date, please indicate the reason.
Describe the proposed arrangement between the charter school and the School Board regarding their respective legal liability and applicable insurance coverage, including the types of insurance that will be obtained for the public charter school, its property, its employees, the charter school management committee and the School Board and its agents and the levels of insurance sought. Types of insurance include, but are not limited to;
property and casualty (including vehicle coverage);
officer and employee liability; and
Disclose ownership or financial interest in the public charter school by the charter applicant and the governing body, administrators, and other personnel of the proposed public charter school,and require that the applicant and the governing body, administrators, and other personnel of the public charter school shall have a continuing duty to disclose such interests during the term of the charter. The following components must be addressed:
To protect students and teachers from unnecessary intrusions that may disrupt instruction and regular school activities, requests for college students and professors to observe classes, make surveys, have students complete questionnaires, use students for practice in standardized testing procedures, and interview students, shall be submitted directly to the superintendent by the dean or the head of the department of the college. Each project shall be fully described in order that proper judgment can be made as to the merits of the proposal, and so that arrangements with the schools can be effected with a minimum of interference with the regular school program.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 22.1-78, 22.1-79.3.
The Smyth County School Board cooperates with accredited colleges and universities to provide opportunities for student teaching in accordance with the following guidelines:
The first responsibility of the supervising teacher is the education of the students for whom he is responsible.
Student teachers will be under the administrative direction of the principal of the school to which they are assigned.
Teachers who serve as supervising teachers will have at least three years of teaching experience, with at least one of those years having been in the school to which the student teacher is assigned.
All teachers who serve as supervising teachers will be recommended by the principal of the school to the superintendent or his/her designee for approval.
All supervising teachers shall participate in any planned training for the supervision of student teaching to improve their competence as supervisors.
A class will have no more than one student teacher during the regular school year. Only with the approval of the superintendent or his/her designee will any class have a student teacher assigned to it for more than one semester.
No supervising teacher will have a student teacher assigned to him for more than one semester during the regular school year. Any exception to this limitation must be approved by the superintendent or his/her designee.
The administrative and supervisory personnel in the school division may reject or to terminate any student teacher who has a negative effect on the instruction or welfare of students.
Information concerning students may be available to student teachers at the discretion of the supervising teacher and/or principal. Student teachers will respect the confidential nature of information provided.
Student teachers will follow all the policies and regulations of the Smyth County School Board that apply to teachers.
The Smyth County School Board has an agreement for postsecondary degree attainment with the community colleges that serve students in Smyth County specifying the options for students to complete an associate's degree or a one-year Uniform Certificate of General Studies from the community college concurrent with a high school diploma. The agreement will specify the credit available for dual enrollment courses and Advanced Placement courses with qualifying exam scores of three or higher.
The Smyth County School Board may enter into agreements for postsecondary credential, certification or licensure attainment with community colleges or other public institutions of higher education or educational institutions established pursuant to Title 23.1 of the Code of Virginia that offer a career and technical education curriculum. Such agreements shall specify (i) the options for students to take courses as part of the career and technical education curriculum that lead to an industry-recognized credential, certification or license concurrent with a high school diploma and (ii) the credentials, certifications or licenses available for such courses.
Beginning in the middle school years, students are counseled on opportunities for beginning postsecondary education and opportunities for obtaining industry certifications, occupational competency credentials, or professional licenses in a career and technical education field prior to high school graduation. Such opportunities will include access to at least three Advanced Placement courses or three college-level courses for degree credit. Students taking advantage of such opportunities e are not denied participation in school activities for which they are otherwise eligible. Wherever possible, students are encouraged and afforded opportunities to take college courses simultaneously for high school graduation and college degree credit (dual enrollment), under the following conditions:
The course or courses being taken must meet or exceed the course expectations of the corresponding high school course.
Official grade information must be received by the home high school prior to the high school granting credit.
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 22.1-78, 22.1-253.13:1
All Smyth County Public Schools are accredited according to standards developed by the Virginia Board of Education. The School Board reports the accreditation status of each school in the division annually in a public session of a board meeting.
The school board recognizes individual schools under the Virginia Index of Performance (VIP) program established by the Virginia Board of Education to recognize and reward fully accredited schools that make significant progress toward achieving advanced proficiency levels in reading, mathematics, science, and history and social science, and other indicators of school and student performance that are aligned with Virginia's goals for public education. The recognition may include public announcements, media releases, and other appropriate recognition.
The school board may ask the Board of Education for release from state regulations or, on behalf of one or more of its schools, for approval of an Individual School Accreditation Plan for the evaluation of the performance of one or more of its schools as authorized for certain other schools by the Standards of Accreditation. A request for a waiver from state regulations that are not (i) mandated by state or federal law or (ii) designed to promote health or safety will be made by the superintendent and chairman of the School Board on behalf of the School Board. The waiver request will describe how release from state regulations is designed to increase the quality of instruction and improve the achievement of students in the affected school or schools.
The School Board, by the superintendent and chairman of the School Board, may also request that the Board of Education grant waivers of specific requirements in Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:2, permitting the School Board to assign instructional personnel to the schools with the greatest needs, so long as the school division employs a sufficient number of personnel division-wide to meet the total number required by Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:2 and all pupil/teacher ratios and class size maximums set forth in subsection C of Va. Code § 22.1-253.13:2 are met. In its request, the School Board will demonstrate that the waivers from specific Standards of Quality staffing standards will increase the quality of instruction and improve the achievement of students in the affected school or schools.