Title of Regulation: 8VAC20-543. Regulations Governing the Review and Approval of Education Programs in Virginia (amending 8VAC20-543-10, 8VAC20-543-20, 8VAC20-543-70, 8VAC20-543-600).

Statutory Authority: §§ 22.1-16 and 22.1-298.2 of the Code of Virginia.

Effective Date: October 14, 2020.

Agency Contact: Patty Pitts, Assistant Superintendent for Teacher Education and Licensure, Department of Education, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23219, telephone (804) 371-2522, or email patty.pitts@doe.virginia.gov.

Summary:

The amendments implement the requirements of legislation passed during the 2018 Session of the General Assembly, including (i) Chapters 282 and 588, which require each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that leads to a degree, concentration, or certificate for reading specialists to include a program of coursework or other training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder; and (ii) Chapters 748 and 749, which expand the definition of education preparation program to include four-year bachelor's degree programs in teacher education.

Part I
Definitions

8VAC20-543-10. Definitions.

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the meanings indicated unless the context implies otherwise:

"Accreditation" means a process for assessing and improving academic and educational quality through voluntary peer review. This process informs the public that an institution has a professional education program that has met national standards of educational quality.

"Accredited institution" means an institution of higher education accredited by a regional accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education.

"Accredited program" means a Virginia professional education program nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

"Annual professional education preparation program profile" means the Virginia Department of Education yearly data education preparation program profile required of all professional education programs in Virginia that offer approved programs for the preparation of school personnel.

"Biennial accountability measures" means those specific benchmarks set forth in 8VAC20-543-40 to meet the standards required to obtain or maintain education endorsement program approval status.

"Biennial accountability measurement report" means the compliance report submitted to the Virginia Department of Education every two years by an accredited professional education program.

"Candidates" means individuals enrolled in education programs.

"Department" means the Virginia Department of Education.

"Diversity" means the wide range of differences among groups of people and individuals based on ethnicity, race, socioeconomic status, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, and geographical area.

"Education endorsement program" means a state-approved course of study, the completion of which signifies that an enrollee has met all the state's educational and training requirements for initial licensure in a specified endorsement area.

"Field experiences" means program components that are (i) conducted in off-campus settings or on-campus settings dedicated to the instruction of children who would or could otherwise be served by school divisions in Virginia or accredited nonpublic schools and (ii) accredited for this purpose by external entities such as regional accrediting agencies. Field experiences include classroom observations, tutoring, assisting teachers and school administrators, and supervised clinical experiences (i.e., practica, student teaching, and internships). Field experiences are required for all programs.

"Indicators" means operational definitions that suggest the kinds of evidence that professional education programs shall provide to demonstrate that a standard is met.

"Instructional technology" means the theory and practice of design, development, utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and resources for learning and the use of computers and other technologies.

"Licensing" means the official recognition by a state governmental agency that an individual has met state requirements and is, therefore, approved to practice as a licensed professional.

"Professional education program" or "education preparation program" means the Virginia institution, college, school, department or other administrative body within a Virginia institution of higher education, or another Virginia entity, for a defined education program that is primarily responsible for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel, and for purposes of this chapter, includes four-year bachelor's degree programs in teacher education.

"Professional studies" means courses and other learning experiences designed to prepare candidates to demonstrate competence in the areas of human development and learning, curriculum and instruction, assessment of and for learning, classroom and behavior management, the foundations of education and the teaching profession, reading, and supervised clinical experiences.

"Program approval" means the process by which a state governmental agency reviews an education program to determine if it meets the state's standards for the preparation of school personnel.

"Program completers" means individuals who have successfully completed all coursework, required licensure assessments, including those prescribed by the Board of Education, and supervised student teaching or the required internship.

"Program noncompleters" means individuals who have been officially admitted into an education program and who have taken, regardless of whether the individuals passed or failed, required licensure assessments and have successfully completed all coursework, but who have not completed supervised student teaching or the required internship. Program noncompleters shall have been officially released in writing from an education endorsement program by an authorized administrator of the program. Program noncompleters who did not take required assessments are not included in biennial reporting pass rates.

"Regional accrediting agency" means one of the six accrediting associations recognized by the United States Department of Education as follows: New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

"Virginia Standards of Learning for Virginia public schools" means the Commonwealth's expectations for student learning and achievement in grades K-12 in English, mathematics, science, history/social science, technology, fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education, and driver education.

Part II
Accreditation and Administering this Chapter

8VAC20-543-20. Accreditation and administering this chapter.

A. Institutions of higher education seeking approval of an education endorsement program shall be accredited by a regional accrediting agency.

B. Professional education programs in Virginia shall obtain and maintain national accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Professional education programs in Virginia seeking accreditation through CAEP shall adhere to procedures and timelines established by CAEP and the CAEP/Virginia Partnership Agreement. Professional education programs shall ensure and document that programs are aligned with standards set forth in 8VAC20-543-40 through 8VAC20-543-50 and meet competencies outlined in 8VAC20-543-60 through 8VAC20-543-640.

C. If a professional education program fails to maintain accreditation, enrolled candidates shall be permitted to complete their programs of study. Professional education programs that fail to maintain accreditation shall not admit new candidates. Candidates shall be notified of the education endorsement program's approval status.

D. Teacher candidates shall may complete academic degrees in the arts and sciences, or equivalent, except in health, physical, and career and technical education. "Education preparation program" includes four-year bachelor's degree programs in teacher education. Candidates in early/primary education (preK-3), elementary education (preK-6), middle education (6-8), and special education programs may complete a major in interdisciplinary studies or its equivalent. Candidates seeking a secondary endorsement area must have earned a major, or the equivalent, in the area sought.

E. Professional studies coursework and methodology, including field experiences, required in this chapter shall be designed for completion within an approved program.

F. Professional education programs shall ensure that candidates demonstrate proficiency in the use of educational technology for instruction; complete study in child abuse recognition and intervention; and complete training or certification in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators. Candidates in education endorsement programs must demonstrate an understanding of competencies, including the core concepts and facts of the disciplines and the Virginia Standards of Learning, for the content areas they plan to teach. Professional education programs shall ensure that candidates demonstrate skills needed to help preK-12 students achieve college and career performance expectations.

G. Standards and procedures for the review and approval of each education endorsement program shall adhere to procedures for administering the chapter as defined in this section and in 8VAC20-543-40, 8VAC20-543-50, and 8VAC20-543-60. These procedures shall result in biennial recommendations to the Board of Education for one of the following three ratings: "approved," "approved with stipulations," or "approval denied."

H. Education endorsement programs shall be approved under this chapter biennially based on compliance with the criteria described in 8VAC20-543-40, 8VAC20-543-50, and 8VAC20-543-60.

I. The Department of Education will determine the timeline and procedures for applying for education endorsement program approval.

J. Education endorsement programs in Virginia shall address the competencies set forth in this chapter, and the curriculum for each program must be documented and submitted to the Department of Education for approval.

K. Professional education programs shall submit to the Department of Education on behalf of each education endorsement program under consideration a biennial accountability measurement report and an annual professional education preparation program profile to include data prescribed by the Board of Education on education endorsement programs in accordance with department procedures and timelines.

L. The professional education program authorized administrator shall maintain copies of approved education endorsement programs and required reports.

M. The Department of Education may conduct onsite visits to review education endorsement programs and verify data.

N. The Advisory Board on Teacher Education and Licensure (ABTEL) is authorized to review and make recommendations to the Board of Education on approval of Virginia education endorsement programs for school personnel. The Board of Education has final authority on education endorsement program approval.

O. In administering this chapter, licensure requirements for Virginia are outlined in the Licensure Regulations for School Personnel (8VAC20-23). This document should be referenced for detailed information regarding requirements for Virginia licensure. An individual must meet licensure requirements set forth in the Code of Virginia.

P. Modifications may be made by the Superintendent of Public Instruction in the administration of this chapter. Proposed modifications shall be made in writing to the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Commonwealth of Virginia.

Q. Upon the effective date of this chapter, the Board of Education grants colleges and universities two years to align their existing approved programs with this chapter and allows only college and universities that on the effective date of this chapter are accredited by the Board of Education process four years to become accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) with the option of submitting a progress report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction to request an additional year, if needed.

8VAC20-543-70. Annual professional education preparation program profile.

The accredited professional education program shall submit to the Virginia Department of Education a yearly education preparation program profile on the preparation of professional school personnel. The professional education preparation program profile shall be published on the department's website. The information required on the professional education preparation program profile shall be approved by the Board of Education and shall include the following:

1. Institution's accreditation status;

2. Education endorsement program status;

3. Number of candidates admitted in education endorsement programs;

4. Comparison of candidates, admitted to education endorsement programs to overall college or university population;

5. Number of program completers for each endorsement program;

6. Number of program noncompleters for each endorsement program;

7. Biennial accountability data results;

8. Satisfaction ratings by school administrators and clinical experience supervisors of student teachers;

9. Satisfaction ratings by employers of program graduates;

10. Satisfaction ratings of program graduates within two years of employment;

11. Recognition of other program achievements; and

12. Other data as required by the Board of Education.

8VAC20-543-600. Reading specialist.

A. The reading specialist program shall ensure that the candidate has completed at least three years of successful classroom teaching experience in a public or accredited nonpublic school and has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Assessment and diagnostic teaching. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the use of formal and informal screening, diagnostic, and progress monitoring assessment for language proficiency, concepts of print, phonemic awareness, letter recognition, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, reading levels, and comprehension; and

b. Demonstrate expertise in the ability to use diagnostic data to inform instruction for acceleration, intervention, remediation, and differentiation.

2. Communication: speaking, listening, media literacy. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the knowledge, skills, and processes necessary for teaching communication, such as speaking, listening, and media literacy;

b. Demonstrate expertise in developing students' phonological awareness skills;

c. Demonstrate effective strategies for facilitating the learning of standard English by speakers of other languages and dialects;

d. Demonstrate an understanding of the unique needs of students with language differences and delays;

e. Demonstrate the ability to promote creative thinking and expression, such as through storytelling, drama, and choral and oral reading; and

f. Demonstrate the ability to teach students to identify the characteristics of, and apply critical thinking to, media messages and to facilitate their proficiency in using various forms of media to collaborate and communicate.

3. Reading. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in explicit and systematic phonics instruction, including an understanding of sound and symbol relationships, syllables, phonemes, morphemes, decoding skills, word analysis, and word attack skills;

b. Demonstrate expertise in the morphology of English including inflections, prefixes, suffixes, roots, and word relationships;

c. Demonstrate expertise in strategies to increase vocabulary;

d. Demonstrate expertise in the structure of the English language, including and understanding of syntax, semantics, and vocabulary development;

e. Demonstrate expertise in reading comprehension strategies, including a repertoire of questioning strategies, understanding the dimensions of word meanings, teaching predicting, inferencing, summarizing, clarifying, evaluating, and making connections;

f. Demonstrate expertise in the ability to teach strategies in literal, interpretive, critical, and evaluative comprehension;

g. Demonstrate the ability to develop comprehension skills in all content areas;

h. Demonstrate the ability to foster appreciation of a variety of literature;

i. Understand the importance of promoting independent reading and reading strategically through a variety of means including by selecting fiction and nonfiction texts of appropriate yet engaging topics and reading levels; and

j. Demonstrate effective strategies for teaching students to view, interpret, analyze, and represent information and concepts in visual form with or without the spoken or written word.

4. Writing. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate expertise in the knowledge, skills, and processes necessary for teaching writing, including the domains of composing and written expression and usage and mechanics and the writing process of planning, drafting, revising, editing, and sharing;

b. Demonstrate expertise in systematic spelling instruction, including awareness of the purpose and limitations of "invented spelling," orthographic patterns, and strategies for promoting generalization of spelling study to writing; and

c. Demonstrate expertise to teach the writing process: plan, draft, revise, edit, and share in the narrative, descriptive, and explanative modes.

5. Technology. The candidate shall demonstrate expertise in their use of technology for both process and product as they work to guide students with reading, writing, and research.

6. Leadership, coaching, and specialization. The candidate shall:

a. Demonstrate an understanding of developmental psychology, including personality and learning behaviors;

b. Demonstrate an understanding of the needs of high achieving students and of strategies to challenge them at appropriate levels;

c. Demonstrate an understanding of the significance of cultural contexts upon language;

d. Demonstrate an understanding of varying degrees of learning disabilities;

e. Demonstrate expertise with educational measurement and evaluation, including validity, reliability, and normative comparisons in test design and selections;

f. Demonstrate expertise to interpret grade equivalents, percentile ranks, normal curve equivalents, and standards scores;

g. Demonstrate the ability to instruct and advise teachers in the skills necessary to differentiate reading instruction for both low and high achieving readers;

h. Demonstrate the ability to coach and support teachers through classroom observations, demonstrations, co-teaching, and other forms of job-embedded professional development;

i. Demonstrate the ability to organize and supervise the reading program within the classroom, school, or division;

j. Demonstrate effective communication skills in working with a variety of groups, including parents, teachers, administrators, and community leaders;

k. Demonstrate knowledge of current research and exemplary practices in English and reading;

l. Understanding of and proficiency in grammar, usage, and mechanics and their integration in writing;

m. Understanding of and proficiency in pedagogy to incorporate writing as an instructional and assessment tool for candidates to generate, gather, plan, organize, and present ideas in writing to communicate for a variety of purposes; and

n. Complete a supervised practicum or field experience in the diagnosis and remediation of reading difficulties in a public or accredited nonpublic school.

B. Each education preparation program offered by a public institution of higher education or private institution of higher education that leads to a degree, concentration, or certificate for reading specialists shall include a program of coursework and other training in the identification of and the appropriate interventions, accommodations, and teaching techniques for students with dyslexia or a related disorder. Such program shall (i) include coursework in the constructs and pedagogy underlying remediation of reading, spelling, and writing and (ii) require reading specialists to demonstrate mastery of an evidence-based, structured literacy instructional approach that includes explicit, systematic, sequential, and cumulative instruction.