Reading

The Overviews of Revisions provide grade-level specific overviews of the changes in both the structure and content of the 2024 English Standards of Learning and explains the increase in rigor and academic expectations from the 2017 English Standards of Learning.

These recorded PowerPoints can be used by school leaders, grade level teams, or individual teachers individually to review the 2024 standards.

The Grade Level Side-By-Side charts show the vertical progression of the standards across grade levels and can be utilized to support planning for appropriate scaffolds to meet grade level expectations and extension opportunities for students. Interventionists and teachers use these guides to understand the progression of skills throughout the grade bands and to better support students with interventions where unfinished learning has been identified.

The Understanding the Standards documents offer targeted instructional guidance on grade-level content and instructional practices. Details within each grade level document provide in-depth explanations regarding the expectations for what should be included during instruction. These documents can be used in trainings with educators to deeply dive into the depth and rigor of what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

The Progression Charts illustrate how skills and content increase in complexity from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Each strand chart clarifies where skills and content first appear in a grade level, how skills grow in complexity throughout grade levels, and when skills are subsumed into other skills and no longer explicitly taught in a grade level. Literacy teachers, interventionists, and reading specialists use these to support internalizing the standards and how to best support students needing intervention.

2024 K-12 2024 English Standards of LearningInstructional Guides

These guides will "go live” in late November 2024 and will provide an overview of evidence-based instructional strategies that educators can utilize to support students with literacy instruction at each grade level. Teachers and instructional coaches use these guides during teacher collaboration as they plan for units and lessons within their curriculum.

This train-the-trainer professional development allows division leaders to access materials and supports to gain a deeper understanding of standards implementation, high-quality instructional materials and research-based best practices and pedagogy in literacy. Trainers redeliver the content to their divisions to support standards implementation and on-going training opportunities.

These lists of Board-approved textbooks and instructional materials support divisions in the selection of standards-aligned, research-based curriculum. Divisions should use these lists to identify and select core, supplemental, and intervention programs as outlined in the Virginia Literacy Act. Teachers will use the approved materials for core literacy instruction and interventions through EIRI to improve student literacy outcomes.

It is anticipated that the Secondary Reading Textbook and Instructional Materials list will be approved by the Board of Education at the December 3, 2024 meeting.

Educators can use this on-stop web page to stay current on available supports and resources for successful implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act. Monthly Virginia Literacy Updates, literacy screener supports, Student Reading Plan guidance, and webinars are included.

The VLA Implementation Playbook is designed to support division and school leaders in implementing the VLA through their Division Literacy Plan. This Playbook acts as the roadmap on how to implement theevidence-based practices required of the VLA, the selection high-quality instructional materials, and the roles teachers, reading specialists, building leaders, divisions, and community members play in implementing the Virginia Literacy Act. Division leaders should use the Playbook as they develop, implement, and refine division literacy plans.

This series supports school divisions as they use the VLA Implementation Playbook to make instructional shifts to align to the expectations of the VLA and to facilitate the process of the Division Literacy Plan development.

This statewide reading specialists training provides a more in-depth training on how a reading specialist should impact a school’s reading instruction including how to support teachers with instruction, how to provide intervention for students, and how to make data driven decisions aligned to student needs.

This statewide training specifically for school leaders provides training on evidence-based literacy instruction, how to support teachers with instruction, intervention supports for students, and how to use data to drive decision-making aligned to evidence-based practice.

These courses allow school and division leaders to gain a deeper understanding of how to use evidence-based literacy instruction and science-based reading research to impact the instruction in their schools.

The Practice Items are for Grades 3-12 test items grouped by content area and grade level or course available for use by teachers, parents, and students in Virginia. They serve as examples of the types of online test items, including technology-enhanced items (TEI), that are presented to students during an online state assessment. Teachers can use these to familiarize students with types of questions they will see on their end of year assessment. Practice Items aligned to the 2024 English Standards of learning are coming in January 2025.

This webpage provides critical resources and training for teachers and school-based staff regarding how to ensure students with disabilities are prepared for taking the alternate assessment called VAAP. Additionally, instructional resources designed for students with significant cognitive disabilities are available to support specialized instruction.

The VDOE has established a microcredential program through Canvas for the purpose of permitting any teacher who holds a renewable or provisional license to earn a provisional reading specialist endorsement to be employed in this role at a school. Upon completion of the Reading Specialist Microcredential, participants will have a strong understanding of the cognitive science and reading research that supports an evidenced-based approach to literacy instruction, what strong literacy instruction consists of, and the alignment between the research and the Virginia Literacy Act.

Divisions can use this webinar series designed in Tennesse as a model for creating their own family literacy night focused on evidence-based science of reading.

Walkthrough tools are used to support teachers on lesson delivery and are followed by feedback and coaching sessions. School leadership facilitate feedback and coaching sessions to support teachers, discussing what worked well and what is needed to strengthen future planning and lesson delivery.Training for school and division leaders will be available in December 2024.

Reading specialists from the Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Literacy Partnerships host bi-weekly office hours (Wednesdays at 9:30 am, bi-weekly) to provide assistance and answer questions regarding the implementation of the Virginia Literacy Act.To learn more, see #2024-27 Virginia Education Update July 11, 2024.

Divisions should use this list to identify and select intervention programs as outlined in the Virginia Literacy Act. Teachers will use the approved materials for interventions through Early Intervention Reading Initiative (EIRI) to improve student literacy outcomes.

EIRI furnishes incentive funds for school divisions to provide students who are designated as high-risk on their VALLSS screener with additional 2.5 hours of reading instruction weekly. School divisions should connect with their budget office staff for information regarding available funding to support the intervention time for qualifying resources.

This webpage provides resources regarding the standards-based IEP. School division leaders can use these resources for training and supporting staff in reading goals for IEPs. Case managers and teachers can use this information to create IEP that incorporate state content standards of learning and link to Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL).

$50,000 grants were provided to twenty schools to support the implementation of high-quality instructional materials (HQIM) for elementary schools that serve students in Kindergarten through Grade 5. This funding supported attendance at a national conference for HQIM implementation, training for teachers, and year-long support for lesson preparation around the implementation of the school’s adopted core instructional literacy program.

From the learning of this group of schools, best practices, models, and resources for strong implementation of lesson preparation and instructional leadership team structures will be shared in the Spring.

Reading specialists provide division and school technical assistance with the implementation of high-quality instruction. Contact vdoe.english@doe.virginia.gov for support.

The LISN supports ten at-risk divisions and ensures their school leadership teams have additional training on implementation of scientifically-based reading practices. Network convenings, walkthrough tools, and coaching resources will be shared here for all school to use.

This course supports division and school leaders in analyzing the different LIEP models in Virginia to determine which model is the most effective for instructing the English Learners and understanding the research behind the models and its importance in the implementation of instruction for English Learners.

This hub is designed for K-12 educators and leaders to support the instruction of English Learners (EL) and incudes resources, videos, templates, and professional learning recordings and presentations in EL instruction.

This portal provides teachers and leaders access to resources, webinars, and professional learning on the instruction and assessment of English Learners.

The five essential components of equitable literacy instruction for multilingual learners across grade levels and subject areas can be found in this document.

This resource highlights key ideas and concepts related to reading and multilingual learners. These can be used for small group discussion during professional learning communities or planning meetings.

Application information will be available in the November 14, 2024, Virginia Education Update for this multi-year cohort of school divisions. School and division leadership teams will focus on the support for English learners on HQIM, instructional walkthroughs and teacher feedback, technical assistance and coaching calls, and creating and executing a data-driven improvement plan.

Application information will be available in the November 14, 2024, Virginia Education Update for this multi-year cohort of school divisions. School and division leadership teams will focus on the support for students with disabilities on HQIM, instructional walkthroughs and teacher feedback, technical assistance and coaching calls, and creating and executing a data-driven improvement plan.

During February 2025, school and division teams will register for a multi-session series that will occur beginning spring 2025.These sessions will focus on how to facilitate effective leadership team effective byusing data (e.g., walkthrough tools, student work, formative assessments) to make instructional decisions and build the capacity of staff aligned to teacher and student needs.

Divisions should use this list to identify and select intervention programs as outlined in the Virginia Literacy Act. Teachers will use the approved materials for interventions through EIRI to improve student literacy outcomes.

EIRI furnishes incentive funds for school divisions to provide students who are designated as high-risk on their VALLSS screener with additional 2.5 hours of reading instruction weekly. School divisions should connect with their budget office staff for information regarding available funding to support the intervention time for qualifying resources.

This webpage provides resources regarding the standards-based IEP. School division leaders can use these resources for training and supporting staff in reading goals for IEPs. Case managers and teachers can use this information to create IEP that incorporate state content standards of learning and link to Virginia’sStandards of Learning (SOL).

In the November 14, 2024 Virginia Education Update, ATSI, TSI, CSI K-2 schools will be able to apply to receive Take-Everywhere Packs for each child which include decodable books that parents can use to read at home with their child. These student-tailored packs align to the skills each child needs and their classroom instruction. Teachers also receive small group lessons to use for each pack of books.

In January 2025, Special Education Administrators Academy will support leaders of federally identified schools in implementing best practices and effective systems and structures to support students with disabilities.

This year-long network supported teachers and principals in the five divisions with those most need on instructional strategies for English learners. Divisions can access the training materials and walkthrough forms to support schools in expectations of how teachers support English learners in the classroom.

School improvement experts are assigned to schools to provide support to school leadership teams through the continuous improvement process which includes a needs assessment, developing a school support plan with evidence-based interventions, applying for funding, and monitoring implementation. Division and school leaders can contact their specialist for any assistance needed.

In March 2025, a comprehensive guidance document, trainings, and role-alike webinars will be provided on staffing and scheduling best practices that support all learners in student growth and performance. School leaders, counselors, and divisions leaders of special education, English learners, and counseling will be trained on and create master schedules that support core instruction and intervention, ensuring all students receive core instruction alongside their peers, and content-strong staff are teaching the students with the most need.

In April 2025, school leaders can elevate a teacher into a leadership role while they still remain in the classroom by identifying a Teacher Collaboration Leader. The teacher will complete the microcredential process and receive a stipend to become an expert at planning and facilitating teacher collaboration grounded in HQIM and the lesson preparation cycle.

Schools with the identified need for the student group of students with disabilities will receive professional learning focused on research-based practices and strategies on inclusion of students with disabilities in the general education setting alongside their grade-level peers which improves student growth and student performance.