001two or three minutes. I call this meeting um to order. We are going to begin with a closed session. Um Madame Clerk, would you please announce the role? Thank you, Madam Chair. Present in the schoolboard chamber are Chair Brown, Vice Chair Williams, Mr. Bowensteel, Mr. Ken, Mr. Cummings, Miss Felton, Dr. Green, and Miss Rogers. Okay. Thank you. Um Mr. Co Pepper will join us for our formal session and Miss Dwire is on the way. Um at this time we're going to read into close session. Vice Chair Wes, would you please read the motion? I move that the school board recess into close session in accordance with exceptions to open meetings law set forth in code of Virginia 2.2-3711 part A paragraphs 178 as amended to deliberate on the following matters. One, discussion, consideration, or interviews
002of prospective candidates for employment assignment, appointment, promotion, performance, demotion, salaries, disciplining or resignation of specific public officers, appointees or employees of any public body and evaluation of performance of departments or schools of public institutions of higher education where such evaluation will necessarily necessarily involve discussion of the performance of specific individuals. Any teacher shall be permitted to be present during a closed meeting in which there is a discussion or consideration of a disciplinary matter that involves the teacher and some student and the student involved in the matter is present provided that the teacher makes a written request to be present at the presiding officer of the appropriate board. Nothing in this subdivision however shall be construed to authorize a closed meeting by a local governing body or an elected school board to discuss compensation matters that
003affect the membership of such body or board collectively. Seven, consultation with legal counsel and briefings by staff members or consultants pertaining to actual or probable litigation where such consultation or briefing an open meeting would adversely affect the negotiating or litigating posture of the public body. For the purpose of this subdivision, probable litigation means litigation that has been specifically threatened or on which the public body or its legal council has a reasonable basis to believe will be con commenced by a by or against a known party. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to permit the closure of a meeting merely because an attorney representing the public body is in attendance or is consulted on a matter. Eight, consultation with legal counsel employed or retained by a public body regarding specific legal matters requiring the provision
004of legal advice by such council. Nothing in this subdivision shall be construed to permit the closure of a meeting merely because an attorney representing the public body is in attendance or is consulted on a matter namely to discuss a personnel matters, schoolboard attorney's contract, b status of pending litigation or administrative cases, c consultation with legal counsel regarding probable litigation and pending litigation matters. Thank you. Um, madame clerk, uh, that motion was vice chair Williams, seconded by Miss Dwire. Um, so motion by Vice Chair Williams, seconded by Miss Dwire. And while she's correcting that, is there any discussion? Okay, seeing none, I call for the vote to go into close session. So, Madam Chair, we have nine eyes. the motion to pass to go into close session. Okay. Thank you. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Heat. Heat.
005Happy birthday. Hey, hey, hey. Why are you Daddy. Whereas the school board of the city of Virginia Beach has convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act and whereas section 2.2-3712 of the code of Virginia requires a certification by this school board that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law. Excuse me. Therefore, now be it resolved that the school board of the city of Virginia Beach hereby certifies that to the best of each member's knowledge, only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which the certification applies. And only such public business matters as were identified in the motion by which the closed
006meeting was convened were heard, discussed, or considered. Okay. Moved by Miss Dwire. Is there a second? Seconded by Miss Rogers. Any discussion? Seeing none, I call for the vote to certify close session. Madam Chair, we have nine eyes's and one abstension. So, the motion did pass for certification of close session. Thank you. Um, we are now on to administrative matters and reports. Um, I have two pieces of paper. Uh the orange one is the meetings with the superintendent and the green one is school visits with the superintendent. I'm going to pass them to my left to start. Does anybody else have anything to report? Okay, Mr. Balance. Yeah, at the uh GRC at the GRC monthly governing board meeting on October 20th, uh they addressed several key topics concerning student engagement, community service initiatives, and
007resource allocation. The head of school report noted a decline in student enrollment, currently at 414, but indicated no immediate concerns regarding absenteeism or discipline. Also, they had some team building excursions where the 11th graders went to Operation Smile and actually get to watch some of the procedures they were doing. And then the 12th graders helped Salvation Army out at the Green Bryer Mall with cleaning up and Angel Tree projects. They also did a field trip, an IBMA field trip where they got $154,000 worth of scholarships from Randolph College. Miss Rogers. Um I just wanted to say that I went to the mental health task force um this week and that we are um about to be breaking into groups. There's a lot on the table to be discussed and improved upon for our staff and
008students um especially and so I am looking forward to continuing that work. Thank you. All right, we are going to move on now to our department of teaching and learning core content update and updated secondary math sequence. And we welcome Thomas Quinn, executive director of secondary teaching and learning and Dr. Lorena Kelly, executive director of elementary teaching and learning and Dr. Katherine Goldberg, director of instructional technology. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chairman Brown. Vice Chair Williams, Dr. Robertson, school board members. My name is Tom Quinn, as mentioned by uh Chair Brown serves our divisions executive director of secondary teaching and learning. With me is Dr. Lena Kelly, executive director of elementary teaching and learning, and Dr. Goldberg, director of instructional technology, and joining us this evening, our coordinators of social studies, math, and science. Tonight, I'll
009provide an update on the department's focus uh for the 2526 school year. And just know that is our commitment to keep you aware of the work that we are supporting and assure lines of virginia Virginia standards of learning and all requirements met by the VOE. Our department supports all academic areas from course subjects and electives to programs such as dual enrollment, advanced placement, international balora, special education, gifted education and more. While all teams make data-driven decisions to to meet the adjustments required by VOE, tonight we'll highlight the most significant changes currently taking place to align the expectations of VOE. These highlights include social studies, science, and computer science. We will also share an in-depth update on secondary mathematics as we see continuous improvement. We'll begin with history and social sciences. The 202526 school year marks
010the full implementation of the 2023 standards, offering a chance to create a rigorous future ready social studies experience. To realize these future ready goals, we believe our staff must have highquality training and support. By investing in teachers, we ensure they prepare to bring the new standards to life and empower students to think critically, communicate clearly, solve problems creatively, and adapt with confidence. Future ready means students don't just fit into our changing world. They shape it. These photos highlight how our department These photos highlight how our department supports both teachers and students in building future ready skills. From professional learning to classroom activities, they show the profile of a graduate in action through meaningful skill-based learning experiences. In the top image, you'll see examples of students creating a storyboard showcasing what they've learned about ancient civilizations
011and applying critical thinking skills to collaboratively discuss their learning. These are a few examples of the ways in which we believe social studies is evolving into a subject where both knowledge and skills are emphasized and necessary for success. To maintain this momentum and continue down the path towards the highest quality social studies experience in the Commonwealth, coherence and clarity are necessary. Here is what this means for our students at the elementary level. Grade 5 so testing is being adjusted by using the locally awarded credit performance-based task in grades four and five, shifting the focus from memorization to application and demonstration of skills. In middle school, alternative assessments will continue in grades six and seven, allowing students to show what they know in multiple ways. At the high school level, LAVC2 remains in place across social
012studies courses, giving students more opportunities to demonstrate mastery and earn verified credits towards graduation. Looking ahead, we plan to leverage House Bill 1957 to implement locally awarded performance uh locally ordered credit performance-based tasks in grade 8 beginning in 2627, which would allow the civics so to be replaced with a performance-based assessment and strengthen our vertical kit alignment K through 12. For staff, we are making sure they have the support to make the work meaningful. Staff will continue to engage in essential professional learning sessions focused on the new standards, curriculum, and assessment practices. Teachers will receive sitebased coaching and data analysis support to monitor progress and drive instructional change. Finally, we'll continue to create and refine high-quality instructional materials and resources that make implementation more impactful. In short, students benefit from more meaningful, consistent, and aligned
013learning opportunities while teachers are supported with training, curriculum, and resources needed to make this vision a reality. To achieve this, Virginia Beach City Public Schools has implemented a K12 social studies course sequence for many years that ensures alignment, continuity, and student success. Please take a moment to review the sequence on the slide. Know this sequence enables students to build content knowledge and historical thinking skills year after year while meeting their developmental needs and readiness levels. Here is a closer look at how our goals for alignment between the standards, the future ready profile and our assessment practices. We will begin in the 2526 school year with Virginia studies. Our shift to performance-based assessments, known as PVA, is a strategic investment in preparing students for real world success while upholding rigorous academic standards. Unlike standardized tests that
014measure memorization at a single point in time, these four tasks will require students to demonstrate deep understanding through analysis, problem solving, and communication the very schools very skills needed in high school, college, and careers. The two-year phased implementation allows us to maintain accountability, strengthen teacher expertise, and refine processes. Students will continue to show mastery of the essential Virginia studies content, but will now show their learning through authentic products. This approach positions VBCPS as a leader in educational innovation while remaining true to our commitment to academic excellence and future readiness. To clarify, our fifth graders will continue to take the Virginia so this year and then beginning in 2627, students will transition to locally awarded credit performance-based assessment. And finally, regarding textbooks, the VTOE has not released an updated approved list. We are working to extend
015the current adoption of five pawns press and will provide updates as information becomes available. As shared in previous schoolboard meetings, our goal is to extend the success of the locally award verified credit 2 or LEAVC2 program at the high school level by strength and alignment across earlier grades. At the elementary level, we are implementing the locally awarded credit. And the middle school, we are continuing the use of alternative assessments in grades six and seven. And through House Bill 1957, planning for eighth grade civics to travel in the same direction. Together, these steps create a consistent, vertically aligned assessment plan designed to produce results similar to those we've seen in high schools. The chart on the screen highlights the LAVC2 outcomes from the 2425 school year. Last year, eight high schools implemented the program in the
016courses listed with 1,980 eligible students participating. Our division achieved a 91.11% success rate. And to clarify, eligible students are those in the LVC2 program who still require a verified credit. Equally important, the data shows minimal gaps among focus groups. Students with disabilities achieved an 87% success rate, while English language learners achieved at 86%. These results reflect the strength of differentiated practices and our commitment to maintaining high expectations for every student. Looking ahead, we've expanded the program this year to include Cox High School and Princess Anne High School with additional sites such as Kellum, Ocean Lakes, and Salem prepared to join in the 2627 school year. As you saw on the previous slide, the WC2 has shown high success rates of course our division while increasing the level of rigor specifically through critical thinking based tasks
017and written responses. What you see on this, what you see is a sample of the LEC2 performance task. And please note, this is not an actual state question or task as those are secure test materials. Each task begins with a compelling question that students must answer over class periods. Through these tasks, student engage with a variety of resources and respond to a corresponding supporting questions that build their knowledge and skills towards answering that larger compelling question. To earn a verified credit through LBCC2, students must successfully pass three of four rigorous tasks. In addition, they must also pass the course itself and demonstrate mastery of the majority of the course standards. In short, LAVC2 provides students with the challenging pathway to demonstrate their learning and earn verified credit, not through shortcuts, but through authentic mastery of
018social studies content and historical thinking skills. In science, we continue to face extended delays in the release of the new standards. Originally scheduled for approval in December of 2024, the proposed standards remain pending, leaving us in a holding pattern for the 2025 expanded course offerings, environmental science, and all level two courses such as geology, astronomy, and oceanography will move forward. Courses in a kindergarten through physics sequence, which also include earth science, biology, chemistry, and physics, will not move to the 25 2025 standards and instead will remain under the 2018 standards. Specifically, earth science and chemistry will remain under the 2018 standards. However, their so assessments are aligned to the 2010 blueprints. This will shift in the spring of 26 when the so assessments for these subjects are updated to align with the 2018 standards. Now
019we transition to computer science. NVDE approved the 2024 computer science standards of learning in June of 2024 with the guidance of full implementation by the 2526 school year. The standards are organized into six content strands algorithms and programming computing systems cyber security data and analysis impacts of computing and networks and the internet. Within each strand, the standards of learnings progress in complexity from the elementary grades through high school. Through these new standards, the goal is to raise our aspirations for computational instruction to enable students to engage and thrive in a digital world. In elementary school, students are introduced to computer systems, learn how to multi-step solutions are carried out in programs, and build awareness of safe and responsible device use. In middle school, the focus expands on computational thinking and information processing skills. Middle high
020school computer science courses then deepen conceptual understanding, algorithmic reasoning, and design while preparing students for post-secary opportunities. In 2425, VBCPS utilized three VUE advancing computer science education grants to expand computer science integration. These grants supported developing integrated math, science, and social studies lessons while also growing AP computer science through teacher training and student engagement. For the 202526 school year, Department of Teaching Learnings continue to focus on the development of highquality professional learning resources and professional development for our teachers. We applied for two additional grants in partnership with Oldin University through VOE and are proud to announce we were awarded the advancing computer science education grant for integration in middle school science valued at $71,35121 which will support funding for highquality professional learning and development of computer science lessons that are fully embedded into middle school
021science. We now transition to math. Our last detail update. We now move to math updates. I want to begin our conversation with review of the NWA MAP fall mathematics data. The NW map achievement data represents students current levels of academic performance and growth over time measured against national norms. The slide shows the fall 2526 math data for grades 2 through eight and for algebra 1 and grades 7 through nine. At the division level, this data is used to evaluate overall trends, identify areas of strength and need, determine pro programmatic changes that may be needed in curriculum intervention, and guide resource allocation at the school and student levels. It helps educators set goals, differentiate instruction, and monitor progress. That the student levels can be used in unison with other information such as classroom observations, formative assessments,
022so assessments, etc. to develop a comprehensive view of the individual student levels and math proficiency. We'll now review the Virginia SO assessment data from spring of 23 through 25. And here we revisit the three-year trend for grades through 8, as well as algebra 1, algebra 2, and geometry. For grades three and five, you'll see an increase of one to three points, something we are very proud of after a year of new standard implementation. In middle school, grade six experienced a fivepoint decline. Grade seven a four-point decline and grade eight a onepoint decline. Algebra 1 remained the same while algebra 2 increased by two points and geometry by one point. We believe some of the decreases in middle school can be attributed to the release of new standards. And Mr. Barrett uh shared back on the
023September 9th schoolboard meeting even with the changes we continue to perform above the state average in all areas with the exception of math 7. Each year conducts a deep analysis into the data to plan for adjustments and effective support. When reviewing results, when reviewing the results on this slide, your attention likely goes to grade seven. And like everyone here on the line, you're eager to hear our response. Before outlining current and planned actions, I want to un I want to ensure we understand the full picture. We begin by remembering that when all students transition from grade 5 to grade six, they enroll in one of three courses be math 6, advanced math 6, or pre-alggebra. On the next slide, we will examine courses and their corresponding SOS. This slide focuses on providing clarity behind the
024math courses take uh which which math course takes which corresponding so assessment and have been colorcoded to guide your understanding. Example one you'll see in the teal row that students who take grade six take the grade 6 are those enrolled in math 6 and advanced math 6. The orange row, you will see that students who take the grade 7 so are the only students who take the math 7 so in the green row you will notice that students who take the grade 8 so are those enrolled in grade six pre-alggebra advanced math 7 and math 8 with a better understanding of the course and corresponding so assessments. Let's take a look at another perspective on the next slide. Recall in the three-year trend, math 7 showed a clear deficit compared to the grade levels. To
025better understand this challenge, we recalculated scores by grade level as opposed to by course. For example, if we average the performance of all grade six students enrolled in math 6, advanced 6, and pre-alggebra, the average would be 74.8% and would place Virginia Beach City Public Schools 7% higher than the state. If we recalculate grade 7 in the same manner, which would combine the scores from math 7, advanced math 7, and algebra 1, the average would be 73.8% and VBCPS would perform 6% higher than the state. Finally, if we recalculate the scores for grade 8, which would include those enrolled in math 8, algebra, and geometry, we would earn a 77.6% average, and Virginia Beach City Public Schools would score 7% higher than the state. I do want to remind the board this data displayed is
026raw and does not account for growth or recovery. And on the next slide, I want to provide one additional perspective that further unpacks our real challenge. As a department, we dove deeper looking at the 2122 grade 5 cohort data under the following conditions. For the students that entered grade 6 for 22 23, we removed the performance data from any student other than those enrolled in math 6, which means we removed all accelerated learners, which would have been advanced 6 and pre-alggebra. For the 23 24 cohort, we did the same thing, but removed any student other than those who enrolled in math 7, which is removing advanced math 7 and algebra 1 honors. And for the 25 2425 school year, remove the performance that of any student other than those enrolled in math 8, which would
027remove algebra 1 honors. in geometry. The remaining sample size we found was 831 students. And again, I remind you this is raw data that does not account for growth and recovery. What remains is the cohort of students who completed consecutive years of math courses with their corresponding math SOS who originated from the grade 5 cohort in 2021 2022 through spring 2025. What you see on this slide is the performance of those 831 students who met this criteria. In short, math 7 showed a 12point increase over math 6 and slightly outperformed math 8 by.12. Of the 831 students, 160 of those were served with an IEP. 32 were identified as English language learners and three represented both categories. To give you a little bit further perspective, we backwards mapped it to fifth grade to see so
028what is the dispersion like? And that is where we discovered that of 831 spread across 55 elementary schools that would average 15 per site. When you move to middle school, dividing by 13 traditional sites, you then move to 64 per site. With this knowledge, we are making the following adjustments to strengthen our alignment not only in our mathematical sequence, but ensuring it supports the future A profile. Here you'll see detailed outline of the middle school uh school sequence. This is a friendly reminder that when entering grade six, students are placed in one of three math courses based on policy 639 in response to the House Bill 2686 guidelines along with our detail develop transition rubrics. For example, a student entering math 6 typically progresses to math 7 and then to math 8. In our second
029an example, a student placed in advanced math 6, but who struggles may shift to math 7 and then progress to math 8. In our third example, a student placed in pre-alggebra will progress to algebra 1 honors, then geometry in grade 8. The purpose of this slide is to demonstrate there are both on and off ramps available based on student progression. By combining the requirements of policy 639 and the DTL transition rubrics, each student will be reviewed holistically to ensure the best placement possible. I'll give you a moment to review the remaining progressions displayed. On this slide, you will see the refined math sequence for high school credit courses designated for implementation the 2627 school year. To assist with analyzing this slide accurately, please listen to the following points of focus. The point at which students
030engage with their first high school credit math course may vary from grade 7 to grade 10 or 11 and begins with algebra 1. Under the sequence, there is an expectation for all students to complete algebra 1 and geometry while providing all students the opportunity to take algebra 2 prior to graduation. Algebra, functions, and data analysis, also known as AFA, will be reaffirmed as a bridge course from geometry to algebra 2, which is a course designed to bridge any gaps for students who successfully complete geometry but are not quite ready for algebra 2. sequences highlighted in blue promote STEM, statistics, computer science, and other future ready pathways, allowing access to college and career paths for all students. This revised sequence allows us to focus on streamlining course offerings with three simple outcomes. First, eliminate barriers for
031students who transfer in and out of Virginia Beach City public schools that better supports transient communities, especially our military populations as several neighboring states list algebra 2 as a graduation requirement. Second, reduce the number of teacher preps that would allow for more opportunities for collaboration through our professional learning communities, also known as PLC's. And third, better prepare students for exams such as the PSAT, SAT, and ASVAB. To fully implement this sequence, it supports it's important to note the following. We would sunset computer programming and tandm courses such as discrete math, trigonometry, and semesterl long probability and statistics. We would establish an algebra 2 honors course, which you will learn about shortly this evening or later this evening in a separate presentation. We would increase the probability statistics course from a semester to a year long
032to again focus on depth over breath along with key essentials necessary for college and career readiness well into your senior year. And we will promote data science as a new option better aligned to the future ready profile. With the refined math sequence, we will now review a summary of made or in progress actions on the next slide. With our fine math sequence set for 2627, we return to the action steps already complete of our department as well as those in progress. I'll pause so you can view just a few of the steps we are taking in partnership with the department of school leadership and school leaders to respond to the needs of our schools. From spring through summer, the department of teach and learn team worked with teachers and coaches across the division to refine
033the curriculum sequencing and assessment design. Middle school courses saw refinements in topic sequencing while unit assessments were revised to ensure balanced rigor using the Virginia Department of Education performance level descriptors known as PLLDS helping better measure student proficiency and guide intervention. Essential professional learning sessions were held over the summer with more planned throughout the year, including customized sessions at individual schools. Targeted academic support resources were developed to save middle school teachers time and provide align interventions and extensions for use during thrive time. Additionally, K12 leaders collaborated during principal league meetings to refined student placement rubrics for more holistic approach as they progress from not only elementary to middle but middle to high school. We've also designed a new opportunity and developed professional learning for a cohort of teachers from select schools focused on mathematic mathematical
034instructional best practices with emphasis on critical thinking and math process standards. Participants were identified based on student performance data and educator experience with representation from both middle and high school levels, which includes 29 teachers from 15 schools with an explicit focus on math 6, math 7, math 8, and algebra 1 at the high school level. As you can see, we continue to stay engaged and ready to serve our dedicated teachers, administrators, and instructional coaches, and teacher assistants on the front lines who work incredibly hard to meet the needs of all students. We thank you for your attention, and our team is standing by ready to answer what questions you may have. Thank you, Mr. Ken. Excuse me. Thank you. Um, slide nine. You have a sample task with a compelling question. Yes. This may be
035taking us off course a little bit. And if so, I'll apologize if that's the reality. But it left me with an interesting realization. Since computer science was one of the subject matters that you addressed in your presentation, this served as a perfect example for me as I continue my journey down the world of technology and AI related information. It was easy to just feed the database with the question of to what extent did manifest destiny benefit the United States and at what cost? In a matter of seconds, I had a robust response to that very complicated question involving lots of different perspectives from a historical point of view. The question that may be off course was this. In our challenge of addressing AI and having people confronted with the difficult task of exploring, understanding, assessing,
036and evaluating questions such as this and at the same time having students equipped with pieces of technology in their possession where this is, I'm assuming, available at the touch of a button. How do we handle the question of addressing the ability to access such detailed information at the click of a button instead of rigorous research that used to accompany the process of answering a question like this? And secondarily, since we're trying to create a process whereby people develop the art of critical thinking, what struck me as the analysis of the question that AI brought to my attention after I asked the question was the fact that there were lots of value judgments incorporated into the answer that was provided which made me come away with the impression that gosh, this tool is astonishing in what
037information it can make available at the touch of a button. But it's also not teaching me the art of how to think. It's actually slanting the information in a way of this is what you should think when a question like this comes up. So, I know that question went down 17 rabbit trails and I apologize for that in my introduction, but this is what a question like this in the world of AI and our attempt to try and get our hands wrapped around it and teach people the art of critical thinking as well as teaching them how to think instead of what to think. And so, I'll stop since I'm finding I'm repeating myself a little bit. So, I apologize for that. But that's my question in a broad-based way. Go for it. I saw
038Dr. Kawuchi's light come on. So, I'm gonna let her go first. I know better. So, I'll defer to her and if I can add anything, I'll be happy because I think what you described, Mr. Callum, is a perfect example of why it is so critical that we do educate our students and that we provide highquality professional learning to our teachers. Uh, if you recall, we talked about AI resistant lesson plans and learning design. We've put guard rails in place with uh the schoolboard's feedback, the community's feedback, so our teachers have the ability to turn off access on our Chromebooks to Google Gemini at the high school level. And of course, our middle school and elementary students wouldn't have access via their Chromebooks and our cell phone policy would prohibit usage of that. So, we're deeply
039invested in exactly what um that concern is that our students who are using these things at home may be limiting their critical thinking skills. So, we are going to be requiring them to site their evidence, use the directions on the LAVC2, which is a secured testing environment, which Mr. um Lovejoy could speak to more about those um guidelines that he has to ensure are implemented when we're giving these types of rigorous assessments. So on something like this, they would not have access to that. Wow. Good luck. God bless you as you attempt to try and steer this ship through all these turbulent waters because this has got to be terribly difficult with again the example that's presented here on this page. So thank you for your answer. Thank you, Miss Rogers. Thank you so much
040for your presentation. I just wanted to um clarify you said sunset computer program and tandem corsets and you mentioned the probability and statistics with discrete math and trigonometry. And I'm sorry that's on slide 21. I got it. I see you flipping already going. Um, and then further down you said expand probability and statistics to a year-long course. So would that take kind of the half credit probability and stats with the discrete math and trigonometry and kind of slide it into that year-long? Is that the purpose or is it different? Mostly correct uh in in your analysis. So one, we would take that semester probability that course and make it a year-long course. Give them a chance to go a lot deeper in the material. um you know hit the depth and complexity and obviously with
041math it's a lot about confidence. It's the only subject where confidence takes a hit pretty quick you know and bouncing back I see the look on some faces you've had that same experience I had thank goodness for those good math teachers so that would be that to sunset discreet um the half or the semester longstat as well as computer crime will come off the course request list and it would free up space it reduce the number of preps that teachers because you could have multiple preps just by having those little spots they go through. So hopefully it'll also support the master schedule just create a more fluid schedule and as you look at the sequence it's going to drive them in that path that's going to take them a little bit more focused again but
042give teachers that opportunity to be able to kind of refine their learning plans in a way where they have the time to do so as opposed to how many they have to plan. So, when we're sunsetting this, and the reason I'm asking, I have a high schooler and obviously, you know, you're taking credits and you've got, you know, AB AB classes and then you've got 4x4s. And so, um, I just want to make sure that when we're sunsetting this, we're not messing up somebody in their junior senior year that was planning on taking this as a 4x4 to get this class in that they need and now suddenly they have to take a year long. And do you see what I'm saying? like I just want to make sure that we are doing that to
043some of our older students. No, absolutely. A great question. You always want to look for the unintended outcomes. Uh we are meeting uh with high school principles again on the 6th of November to talk about we call future ready registration. Uh we're working Mr. Jameson, his office to really refine that conversation that we have. So to kind of push in a a more uh focused direction, how can we have better conversations to get kids in the courses that they really need to take and should, you know, maybe just don't understand what that course is. I've gotten a really good lesson on data science. I had no idea what data science was until I talked to the team. I was like, "Oh, that's what that I would have taken that." So I think elevating the knowledge
044level of the students so they can get idea of I don't want to take math. I got my credits versus no, let's go ahead and get you set up for the next four or you know your career path or you know maybe we'll elevate your score in that ASVAB so that when you get into the military you got a few more choices on that plate of where you want to go and what you want to do. So that's kind of the endgame that we're looking at for uh refining that pathway. Perfect. And then my last question is on um slide 22 um the curriculum refinements um for middle school. Um, I just want to make sure that um, you know, our our elementary and middle school teachers, especially with all of the changes to language
045arts and all of the state changes that we are doing revisions, but we're giving them enough time um, to then create for their classroom and planning to create that they're not having to do some of the state usually gives us a very heavy lift with no time. So I don't want to make up put that on our staff within our own division. And you are right and we appreciate you acknowledging that and we're always keeping that in mind. A lot of the committee work will happen in the late spring early summer. Uh it is very much teacherdriven. The committees they go through reorganize. They tell us what they like, what they don't, what they need. You know with the late adoption of the math standards we were we were scrambling to get done which we
046all experienced and you know makes you feel a certain kind of way. On the flip side, you can now go back and really say, "All right, what worked versus what was not in the best order." And so, we've taken that feedback and completely reorganized based again on teacher and I I shouldn't just say teacher, but coaches, you know, specialists, we've talked to administrators with oversight over mathematics, you know, to really dial in. You know what? We'll do it again, you know, because it's, you know, sometimes third times the charm. So, we'll see how this goes as we continue to deal with the legislation from VDUA. They always keep us uh on our toes. I know. I know. I just want to make sure that we're not within our own division creating more um than the
047state's already put on us. That's all. We definitely don't wish to do that and we'll always be reflective. Thank you. Thank you. So um my I have a couple of questions. Um the first one is and it's it's mostly because I know that as we move to there's an abbreviation LVAC. Is that correct? LAVC or the LAC? Which which level? Elementary verified um credits. So, I'm talking about the the history here. Yes, ma'am. Um, you know, I I recognize the double-edged sword of the SOS sometimes and, you know, some of the challenges that they create and then I also recognize some of the oversight um that that produces. So what type of oversight is in place for that um that so where we're verifying that you know they've passed this so with a performance-based task
048and how are we verifying that to the state um that they they're up to standard. All right. So much like the World Series last night I'm going to go to the bullpen and call Chad Gangar and Taylor Lovejoy to come speak to you and they can articulate in reverse order from the LVC2 we've done at the high school level back to the vision that Mr. gang or has for the elementary. Okay, thank you. Good evening and great question. Um, most of our uh existing protocols and procedures will remain uh we still maintain uh standards of learning across the both grades four and five. Uh a lot of what is going to uh be verified by the state is to be determined. um all again passed uh with House Bill 1957 uh in early May last
049year. And so we're still waiting a lot of guidance on that. What we have as a navigational beacon is what we have in grade three. So when they removed the grade three science and uh social studies as well many years ago, we implemented a process for that for which we have teachers both crosscore uh select tasks, grade those tasks and submit to us as a verification procedure. We've been uh desk audited on that a number of times with no refinements from the state thus far. Um and we try to have most uh at the greatest level of importance is maintain the level of rigor. Uh what is the type of rigor that is being brought forward by the standards of learning assessment? How do we take that and couple it with a authentic task that
050our students are showing demonstration and the ability to showcase those tasks and not just kind of set on those pieces. We maintain uh a balanced assessment practice. So we will maintain our you know division level unit assessments. Uh we'll continue to collect formative assessment data through the report cards and the proficiency scores there. And then this will be sort of a a culminating capstone uh to each unit and give us the ability to really see that demonstration of learning. Okay. And and in part I know that you know there will be a lot of questions in the community as well. So, I I just wanted to get that explanation so that our community is also aware of um what we're doing and how we're making sure that these students are still having being challenged with
051rigorous academic opportunities. Um my second thing is not really a question and I I think it's probably um for you. Um, so the math and you you have here a sequencing uh high school math, middle school math sequencing and um I'm going to take the opportunity to continue to advocate as far as math and English at least go for creating a sequencing of varying levels um of those courses that our students could take that would lead them into potential things that if they were interested in going off to college that they can kind of pick their path early and know exactly where they're going um and what is required next. Um, you know, I I don't want to share a personal story, but I I actually had one with my own son where uh he
052took a math in algebra 2 instead of an algebra 2 trig and then he could not do um I think it was pre-calculus um because he did not take that correct math um at the time. Um, and so, you know, I I think that if we can make sure that it's easily available, and I I know that our guidance counselors do a great job, but I think some some families may see this best through sequencing. So, if there is a way to kind of get the order and sequencing that people would need to to get to the math or to get to that English that they may seek to get to, I would love to see that. Um, so that's my my comment on that. Thank you. Thank you. Um, and I don't see any
053other questions. So, we are going to move on to school security and we're going to welcome Tommy Shadic, director of security and emergency management. Um, we may run out of time because we're going to hard stop at 5:30, but we'll figure out how we can get back to this. But go ahead. Absolutely. Uh, Madam Chair, Mad Vice Chair, members of the board, uh, Dr. Robertson. So, for many of you, you've seen a version of this. Uh, it's been updated. There are some of you that have not seen this. So, we're going to walk you through the update uh from a blue ribbon panel recommendation standpoint. It'll make more sense when they go through it. Um, and then we'll be as expeditious as possible and answer your questions. Just a reminder, when we get to answer
054questions, we will do our best to answer your questions, but there may be points that we get to. If it is a potential vulnerability that it's going to share, we may ask to sidebar that question. We'll get you the answer. uh but we may not uh share it publicly. Uh with that and it'll be Mr. Tommy Shadic and Mr. Bobby Jameson who will talk about the mental health component related to these which is a critical part of it and it is also Mr. Tommy Shadic's birthday. So with that I'll invite him to the podium. Best birthday ever. Good afternoon. Yeah. Yeah. My name is Thomas Shadic and I am the director of the office of security emergency management. We're on our way. At Virginia Beach City Public Schools, we approach school safety as a shared
055mission, one that combines preparedness, prevention, and partnership. Our work is grounded in a simple belief that a safe and secure learning environment is essential for effective teaching and learning. Our approach to security is holistic. Security and mental health are interconnected, and we recognize that addressing the emotional well-being of our students is vital to preventing crisis before they occur. Collaboration with our counseling and behavioral health teams remains an essential part of our overall safety strategy. Today, Robert Jameson and I are proud to share our division's accomplishments in furthering our mission of providing the safest environment for our amazing students and dedicated staff. In 2018, representatives from the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, the Virginia Beach Police Department, the United States Navy, and several other committee members convened a blue ribbon panel on school safety and security.
056That panel laid the foundation for our comprehensive approach to school safety, one that combines physical security, emergency preparedness, mental health support, and community partnerships. While the blueprint panel laid the cornerstone of our security initiatives, we continuously engage with various stakeholders throughout the community to ensure our school division remains an industry leader in school safety and student well-being. Today's presentation highlights the progress the division has made in keeping fidelity with both the recommendations from the Buddh panel and school security best practices. The next two slides, the slide included, summarizes the recommendations from the blue ribbon panel which focus on the following categories as you can see in the top top screen. Safety protocols, emergency preparedness, safety infrastructure, and security personnel. And I'm going to go through all eight of those points in the presentation one by
057one as we go through. Give you a few seconds to read. Okay. And the next slide with Mr. Jameson's speaking points and the recommendation from the Broom panel regarding Mr. Jameson's categories would be increase behavior mental health staff, increase mental health awareness, and increase community engagement and collaboration. Recommendation: Refine and expand training exercises. The Office of Security Emergency Management or OSUM continually provides a wide range of emergency response training designed to enhance preparedness across our schools. Our team consists of subject matter experts with extensive backgrounds in law enforcement, military leadership, and school administration. Leaning on this expertise, our team facilitates tabletop exercises with our school leadership teams, school administrators, and staff to include security personnel. Tabletop exercises serve to enhance organizational preparedness, improve communication, and identify potential weaknesses in response plans. Our goal is to
058make emergency preparedness a continuous embedded practice, not a one-time event. Recommendation: implement a robust system of preventive security. The rave alert system is a cell phone application that enables us, excuse me, that enables the user to notify 911 of specific emergency situations while simultaneously notifying other personnel within their geographical area. Our team is in the final phase of implement implementation of the RAE system and we expect to have divisionwide access to all staff by January 2026. Additionally, we are in the process of installing mass notification devices in all school buildings. These devices when paired with public address systems allow school personnel to quickly place a building in the appropriate safety posture with the touch of a button. We have also installed LED message boards that when synced with the mass notification devices will provide additional
059layer of emergency notification especially for our hearing impaired students and staff. Excuse me. Next slide. Conduct more frequent and unannounced safety audits. Accountability remains a cornerstone of school safety. OSEN conducts annual school safety audits, unannounced entry reviews, and ongoing patrols of all campuses. We also review crisis response team handbooks and emergency drill management data to ensure compliance with state code and best practices. These unannounced checks help ensure that safety procedures are more than policies. They're active daily habits. Strengthen procedures for controlling access. Controlling access is one of the most effective ways to prevent incidents. Effective key control in schools is essential to maintaining a secure learning environment by ensuring that only authorized personnel have access to buildings and restricted areas. Proper management of keys help prevent unauthorized entry, theft, and potential safety risks. A wellorganized
060key control system also supports accountability and quick response during emergencies. Our office has placed a significant emphasis on expanding the number of access control devices. These systems allow authorized personnel to utilize their ID cards to access our buildings. Access can be quickly removed should ID become lost or stolen. Simple actions like ensuring doors remain closed and locked have an enormous impact on campus security. And I address this in our summer presentation a few months ago. Recommendation re-evaluate the security personnel program. Our security personnel program continues to grow stronger each year. As a reminder from my last presentation to the school board, our coordinators and myself are state certified instructors, enabling our division to conduct in-house certification training for our 275 security assistants. As I mentioned previously in presentations, we've added a second security officer to
061every elementary school and expanded the armed school security officer 2 program by recruiting and hiring highly qualified law former law enforce Try that one more time. And hiring highly qualified former law enforcement professionals. These enhancements ensure our schools are staffed by capable trained professionals who know our students and our communities. Evaluate and increase the use of cameras and sensors. Technology continues to play a critical role in prevention and response. Since 2019, we've increased our number of cameras by 14%, replacing outdated analog systems with highdefinition compatible digital cameras. In order to support all of the functionality offered by our enhanced camera systems, OSM has purchased additional desktop computers that are assigned exclusively to the security desk. These upgrades allow real-time visibility, analytics, and improved coordination with our public safety partners. Strengthen infrastructure for securing classrooms and
062school sites. Every class from Virginia Beach public schools has a means to lock their doors. Routine inspections ensure first story classroom windows are also secure. Classroom doors and windows are inspected annually by building leaders, maintenance services, and our OSUM audit team. Additionally, our OSUM school security officers conduct routine patrols of our campuses both day and night. I like that picture. Collaboration with Virginia Beach Police Department and a collaboration with Virginia Beach Police Department and safety task force. Collaboration is essential to our success. OSEN works handinhand with the Virginia Beach Police Department through joint scenario-based training, the implementation of the SRO program, and serving together on committees such as the gun violence prevention program and the juvenile juvenile justice committee. As I have previously previously stated, I cannot thank the Virginia Beach Police Department enough for
063their dedication and unwavering support to our school division. Thank you. All right. The Virginia Beach School City Task Force intent is to enable all stakeholders involved in supporting school safety and security to work collaboratively to address and prioritize areas for continuous improvement. The task force meets quarterly to discuss emerging topics in the field of school security. In addition to improving our security processes and initiatives, the task force has been a tremendous success in building relationships amongst various stakeholders. And at this time, welcome Robert Jameson. Yes, sir. So, I'm not sure how much time your um set of slides, few slides, your few slides are going to take. So, I can make it happen. Okay. Don't take any breaths. Well, can we speak? That's right. No punctuation. Good afternoon, Chairwoman Brown, Vice Chair Williams, members of
064the school board, and Dr. Robertson. My name is Robert Jameson, executive director of student support services. In terms of brevity, recommendation number nine asked BBCPS to allocate additional positions to support students exhibiting mental health needs. The Office of Student Support Services received additional allocations for psychologists, behavior intervention specialists, and school counselors during the 2019 2020 school year. The staffing shortage across the country for psychologists impacted our ability to fill these allocations. However, after creating a psychometrist position to increase the pool of candidates to fill these vacancies, we are now almost fully staffed with only one vacancy. The school division steadily increased the number of behavior intervention specialists since 2020 and we now have all allocations filled. Similarly, similarly, we increased the number of elementary school counselor positions along with the number of high school counselor
065positions over the past six years. When we shared the original blue ribbon panel recommendations, we also communicated the need not to solely rely on existing social workers, psychologists, and school counselors to address mental health needs. So, I just want to offer a quick reminder about the work of our blue, excuse me, our mental health task force as it is directly related to this work here today for the blue ribbon panel. As part of recommendation number 10, we'll see how far we get. The blue ribbon panel's objectives to integrate bullying prevention, uh, positive relationships, and social media ethics, support the development and implementation of additional divisionwide mental health awareness training, and provide training for administrators on threat assessments. We've worked to create additional bullying awareness prevention lessons and made a concerted effort to promote pro-social behaviors
066at all schools with specific lessons curated by school counselors and health and PE teachers. As part of the annual mandatory employee training in the previous years, all school staff completed the student mental health training module. And this course provided an overview of when student behavior warrants uh mental brings to light mental health concerns and warrants school staff to then uh refer students to qualified school personnel. Since 2019 2020, just to point out, the offices of student support services, student leadership, and security and emergency management have collaborated each year to organize resources, update protocols and procedures, and provide training to staff on the threat assessment process. In addition to the specific training opportunities mentioned on the previous slide, our school division has offered a variety of professional learning opportunities for each of the past six years
067related to behavioral and mental health. Several examples are on the screen. Each of these have been offered multiple times over the past few years. The blue ribbon panel asked our school division to secure the assistance of partner agencies, particularly the department of human services and when student misbehavior impacts this learning environment to develop strategies and solutions related to school safety and students mental health. This slide shows a short list of the mental health agencies and organizations we work with regularly to support students, staff, and families. Last slide. Rather than read the script, here's what I will share. We have created quite a few partnerships again with Virginia Beach Police Department. Two in particular are the law enforcement against drugs and violence, which are a set of lessons that we will be implementing with student support
068specialists, school counselors, and SRO's at our middle schools, particularly Renaissance Academy for grades 6 through 12. And we also have the partnership for EMS and VBPD as part of that group with handle with care where once we know of a situation in the community that impacts a student that could be one of uh a traumatic experience, school staff will simply be told this student may need additional assistance. Please handle that student with care. And as you see at the bottom slide where the bottom part of the slide, additional training has also been provided to students and staff in terms of recognizing mental health concerns and knowing how to respond use of 988 as well as the Marcus alert which allows for the appropriate response in the community when a student or person may have violated
069uh one of our local laws, but it could be attributed to a mental health concern. So that Marcus alert allows for appropriate CIT trained staff to respond in addition to mental health supports being provided to that person in the community. This time that concludes our presentation available for any questions. Okay. So I I think I want to take a pulse first if there are any questions from board members related to this. And yes, um and I'm going to suggest to my colleagues um that we consider moving the questions portion of this to information a um because we have staff here that typically um doesn't stay till the end of the meeting so that they can go home. So um I will ask that we do that um when we get to the adoption of the
070agenda. So we're going to adjourn this informal session and we will return at 6 pm for a formal session.