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Education Reforms and Proposals

Virginia's school superintendents are applauding the General Assembly’s recent efforts to reduce the number of standardized SOL tests administered to students from 34 to 27.  But they also say that more reforms are needed moving forward—and they’ve outlined them in a new Blueprint for the Future of Education. 

Members of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents say they're not against clear, rigorous, and relevant standards, but teaching to a 40- to 50-question multiple-choice test is not the best way to proceed.  So VASS President Alan Seibert says their extensive blueprint can help guide lawmakers as they craft more policies.

“It contains six main areas. They’re all interdependent, but they’re clearly outlined. They include curriculum, assessment, accountability, instructional delivery, human capital, and funding of public education.”

And Seibert says "funding" is a MAJOR component. He says it's unfair that while K-12 educators went along with cuts during the recession, education funding has not progressed even though the economy is rebounding.

Some of the proposals include alternative ways for students to earn credits outside of traditional seat-time requirements, and flexibility in scheduling assessments to accommodate different student learning rates.  The full report can be found at: www.vassonline.org

Tommie McNeil is a State Capitol reporter who has been covering Virginia and Virginia politics for more than a decade. He originally hails from Maryland, and also doubles as the evening anchor for 1140 WRVA in Richmond.
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