Code of Vermont Rules › Agency 22 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › Sub-Agency 000 - GENERAL › Chapter 003 - STATE BOARD RULE 2000 EDUCATION QUALITY STANDARDS › Section 22 000 003 - STATE BOARD RULE 2000 EDUCATION QUALITY STANDARDS

Current through June, 2024
The purpose of these rules is to ensure that all students in
				  Vermont public schools are afforded educational opportunities that are
				  substantially equal in quality, and enable them to achieve or exceed the
				  standards approved by the State Board of Education.
Section 2000 EDUCATION QUALITY
				STANDARDS
Section 2100 STATUTORY
				AUTHORITY
16 V.S.A.
				  §§
											164 and
				  165
Section 2110 STATEMENT OF
				PURPOSE
The purpose of these rules is to ensure that all students in
				  Vermont public schools are afforded educational opportunities that are
				  substantially equal in quality, and enable them to achieve or exceed the
				  standards approved by the State Board of Education.
These rules are designed to ensure continuous improvement in
				  student performance, instruction and leadership to enable students to attain
				  rigorous standards in high-quality programs.
Nothing herein shall be construed to entitle any student to
				  educational programs or services identical to those received by other students
				  in the same or different school districts. Further, nothing herein shall create
				  a private right of action. These rules are in addition to and, unless otherwise
				  specifically stated, do not supersede other rules contained in the Vermont
				  State Board of Education Manual of Rules and Practices.
Section 2111 ADOPTION OF PERFORMANCE
				STANDARDS
Pursuant to
				  16 V.S.A. §
											164(9), the State Board of
				  Education will implement and periodically update standards for student learning
				  in appropriate content areas from kindergarten to grade 12. Supervisory union
				  boards shall use the standards as the basis for the development and selection
				  of curriculum, methods of instruction, locally developed assessments, and the
				  content and skills taught and learned in school.
Section 2112 EDUCATION QUALITY STANDARDS
In order to carry out Vermont's policy that all public school
				  children will be afforded educational opportunities which are substantially
				  equal in quality, and in order to ensure continuous improvement in student
				  performance, each public school shall meet the following education quality
				  standards, and annually report to the community in an understandable and
				  comprehensive form as required in
				  16
				  V.S.A. §
											165(a)(2).
Section 2113 FEDERAL AND STATE ENTITLEMENTS;
				NONDISCRIMINATION
Each school or supervisory union shall ensure that students
				  are furnished educational and other services in accordance with state and
				  federal entitlements and requirements.
No student in a public school or independent school shall be
				  excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to
				  discrimination under any educational program or activity as the result of, or
				  based upon, the student's race, gender, color, creed, national origin, marital
				  status, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability, or any other reason
				  set forth in state or federal non-discrimination requirements.
Each supervisory union shall develop, and each school shall
				  implement, a system of maintaining student records that aligns with Agency of
				  Education statewide data collections; which enables accurate and timely
				  reporting in connection with state and federal data collection requirements;
				  and ensures the accuracy, relevancy and confidentiality thereof, and
				  accessibility thereto; and which is in compliance with the federal Family
				  Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 ( P.L. 95-380 as amended from time to
				  time).
Student records shall be safely retained. For grades 9-12,
				  the transcripts of graduates and dropouts shall be permanently maintained and
				  the academic records may be permanently maintained.
Each school shall adopt and implement policies consistent
				  with the federal Protection of Pupil Rights Act (
				  20
				  U.S.C. §1232 h ) regarding surveys,
				  analyses and evaluations.
Section
				2114 DEFINITIONS
The following definitions shall apply to these rules unless
				  the context clearly requires otherwise:
1. "Academic record" may include standardized
				test scores, dates of attendance, alternate graduation plan, Personalized
				Learning Plan, rank in class, awards, activities, clubs and other information
				not included in a student's transcript, as locally determined.
2. "Applied learning" means the presentation
				of subject matter in a way that integrates a particular academic discipline
				(such as mathematics, science or English) with life experiences both in school
				and out of school and with personal workforce applications.
3. "Appropriately licensed educator" means
				any teacher or administrator requiring a license under 16 V.S.A. Chapter 51 and
				in accordance with the Rules Governing the Licensing of Educators and the
				Preparation of Educational Professionals.
4. "Career and Technical Education" means an
				educational program that supports attainment of a high school diploma, designed
				to provide students with technical knowledge, skills and aptitudes that will
				prepare them for further education and enhance their employment options or lead
				to an industry-recognized credential.
5. "College and Career Readiness" means the
				student's ability to enter the workforce or pursue postsecondary education or
				training without the need for remediation. The student must possess the
				foundational skills and learning strategies necessary to begin studies in a
				career pathway in order to be considered college and career ready.
6. "Educational Technology" means instruction
				and/or preparation in the appropriate use of current technology to provide
				students with the knowledge and skills needed to communicate, solve problems,
				and to access, manage, integrate, evaluate and create information.
7. "Mentoring" means the pairing of a mentor
				with an educator who is either new to the profession or new to the school in
				order to provide training, orientation, assistance and support. Further, for
				the purposes of this rule, a 1mentor" is an educator who has demonstrated
				high-quality instructional practice and who has been provided training in
				mentoring.
8. "Needs-based
				professional learning" means staff learning based upon needs identified through
				an examination of student performance and organizational and instructional
				data, and which is aligned with the school's Continuous Improvement
				Plan.
9. "Personalized Learning
				Plan" means a plan developed on behalf of a student by the student, a
				representative of the school, and, if the student is a minor, the student's
				parents or legal guardian, and updated at least annually. The plan shall be
				developmentally appropriate and shall reflect the student's emerging abilities,
				aspirations, interests and dispositions. Beginning no later than in the seventh
				grade, the plan shall define the scope and rigor of academic and experiential
				opportunities necessary for the student to successfully complete secondary
				school and attain college and career readiness.
10. "Proficiency-based learning" and
				"proficiency-based graduation" refers to systems of instruction, assessment,
				grading and academic reporting that are based on students demonstrating mastery
				of the knowledge and skills they are expected to learn before they progress to
				the next lesson, get promoted to the next grade level, or receive a
				diploma.
11. "School" means an
				organizational structure designed to facilitate student learning. This could
				include an individual public school building or a combination of public school
				buildings with one administration, either of which could include learning
				opportunities both within and outside of the school building and school day.
				Where the context suggests that a 1school" take some action, the action shall
				be taken by the superintendent or such school officials as are designated by
				the superintendent, unless otherwise specified herein or elsewhere in law or
				regulation. 1School" includes a technical center.
12. "Secretary" means the Secretary of
				Education or his or her designee.
13. "Superintendent" means the superintendent
				of schools or person or persons assigned the duties of a superintendent
				pursuant to
				16 V.S.A. §
											242.
14. "Supervisory union" means an
				administrative, planning, and educational service unit created by the State
				Board of Education, which consists of two or more school districts, including a
				supervisory district. For the purpose of these rules, supervisory union also
				means a supervisory district which consists of only one school district, which
				may be a unified union district.
15. "Technology Integration" means the
				infusion of technology into the curriculum as a tool to enhance learning in a
				content area or multidisciplinary setting, enabling students to select
				technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze
				and synthesize the information, and present it professionally.
16. "Transcript" means a formal document
				certifying and documenting a student's or former student's achievement of state
				standards and at minimum includes the student's name, date of birth, last known
				address, years of attendance, courses taken, out-of-school learning
				opportunities if applicable, and diploma or certificate of completion
				awarded.
17. "Transferable skills"
				refers to a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, and character traits
				that are believed to be critically important to success in today's world,
				particularly in collegiate programs and modern careers.