State Education Services for Adult Education (1910400): §§ 22.1-223 through 22.1-236, Code of Virginia; Part B., P.L. 100-297, as amended, P.L. 102-73, Adult Education Act.

State Education Services for Research, Testing and Evaluation (1910700): § 22.1-19, Code of Virginia; Article VIII, Section 2, Constitution of Virginia.

State Education Services for Public School Support (1910800): §§ 22.1-16, 22.1-138 through 22.1-141, 22.1-186, 22.1-238 through 22.1-253, 22.1-346 through 22.1-357, Code of Virginia.

State Education Services for Early Childhood (1910900): §§ 22.1-199 through 22.1-221, Code of Virginia.

State Education for Preadolescent (1911000): §§ 22.1-200 through 22.1-221, Code of Virginia.

State Education Services for Adolescent (1911100): §§ 22.1-200 through 22.1-221; §§ 22.1-228 through 22.1-237, Code of Virginia.

State Education Services for Regional Services (1911200): §§ 22.1-213 through 22.1-221, Code of Virginia.

Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program (1911700): §§ 9-325 through 9-329, Chapter 41, Code of Virginia.

A. The Superintendent of Public Instruction is encouraged to implement school/community team training.

B. The appropriation for State Education Regional Services includes $55,000 the first year and $55,000 the second year from the general fund to provide technical assistance to localities in developing a comprehensive, coordinated, quality preschool program for serving at-risk four-year-old children.

C. Out of the amounts for State Education Services, $97,948 the first year and $97,948 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Virginia Business-Education Partnership Program.

D. Out of the amounts for State Education Services, $321,000 the first year and $296,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for the Virginia VIEWS Program.

E. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall provide direction and technical assistance to local school divisions in the revision of their Vocational Education curriculum and instructional practices.

F. Out of the amounts for State Education Services, $11,100,252 the first year and $12,377,034 the second year from the general fund are provided for the development and administration of new assessment materials and tests related to the Standards of Learning.

G. The appropriation for State Education Regional Services includes $50,000 the first year and $50,000 the second year from the general fund to provide technical assistance and assessment services to localities implementing truancy intervention/safe schools projects.

H. The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall examine various models for predicting local school enrollments. If the examination results in a model that is reliable and valid for predicting such enrollments, the resulting model will be disseminated to local school divisions for planning purposes.

I. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, in cooperation with the Commissioner of Social Services, shall encourage local departments of social services and local school divisions to work together to develop cooperative arrangements for the use of school resources, especially computer labs, for the purpose of training Temporary Assistance to Needy Families recipients for the workforce.

J. Out of the appropriation for State Education Services for Research, Testing and Evaluation, an amount estimated at $1,371,187 the first year and $892,242 the second year from the general fund is provided to continue the Literacy Passport Test pursuant to the Standards of Quality § 22.1-253.13.

K.1. The amounts for State Education Services include $800,000 from the general fund in the first year to develop model teacher, principal and superintendent training in-service activities and programs geared specifically to the Standards of Learning, the statewide assessments and technology applications. Information on these programs, and actual training in the provision of these model activities and programs at the local level shall be provided to local school divisions in the first year. In the first year, the Department of Education shall also develop and disseminate to local school divisions classroom materials for each grade and each core content area. Such materials shall include instructional manuals, video tapes, multi-media packages or computer software which provide a day-to-day source of information and reinforcement for classroom teachers. In developing the activities, programs and classroom materials, the Department is encouraged to seek the assistance of the state's Standards of Learning testing contractor, institutions of higher education, local school divisions and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

2. The amounts for State Education Services include $20,000 from the general fund in the first year for a peer review process to use in approving local school divisions' training plans.

L. The amounts for State Education Services include $190,000 and three positions the first year from the general fund and $190,000 and three positions the second year from the general fund for an evaluation unit in the Department of Education.

M. The Department of Education shall conduct a statewide review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the following state-funded programs established to address the academic deficiencies of those students at risk of educational failure: Standards of Quality (SOQ) Remediation; Preschool Programs for At-Risk Four-Year-Olds; Remedial Summer School; Standards of Learning (SOL) Assessment Remediation; Drop-Out Prevention Programs; Regional Alternative Education; and the At-Risk Add-On Program. The Department shall provide by December 1, 1998, an interim report addressing the evaluation methodology and, by July 1 of each year thereafter, a report on the results of the assessment, including any recommendations, to the Governor and the Chairmen of the House Appropriations, House Education, Senate Finance and Senate Education and Health Committees, as well as the Chairman of the Standing Joint Subcommittee on School Dropout Prevention and the Chairman of the Joint Subcommittee Studying Remediation.

N. The amounts for State Education Services include $375,000 from the general fund in the first year to conduct an analysis of the status of educational technology availability and usage in each public school in the Commonwealth. Such analysis shall include the following Items:

1. A survey of classroom teachers and building principals to determine:

a. The availability of the technologies necessary for students to meet the Technology Standards of Learning.

b. The availability and type of technology available for instructional activities on a daily basis.

c. The use of technology within the curriculum.

d. The training available to classroom teachers.

2. An on-site review of selected schools across the Commonwealth to verify the availability and use of educational technology in the classroom.

3. A review of the Board of Education's Six-Year Educational Technology Plan for Virginia and recommendations regarding any changes which may be appropriate.

4. A comparison of existing educational technology to the Board of Education's Six-Year Educational Technology Plan for Virginia.

5. Recommendations for future educational technology improvements to implement the Board of Education's Six-Year Educational Technology Plan for Virginia.

O. Out of the appropriation for State Education Services, $100,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for developing the plan for assessing the success of the Teacher Training Standards of Learning program, as required in Item 138 C 6 k.

P. Out of the appropriations for State Education Services and Administrative Support Services, amounts estimated at $1,588,080 from the general fund and $303,865 in nongeneral funds the first year and $2,626,629 from the general fund and $601,671 in nongeneral funds the second year are provided to implement the Governor’s Best Practice Centers.

Q. Out of the appropriation for State Education Services, $50,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to develop a plan that affords school divisions the flexibility to hire nontraditional classroom teachers. These nontraditional teachers may include, but shall not be limited to, quality individuals who are college graduates or practicing professionals, but do not possess teacher certifications. In the process of developing the plan, the Board of Education shall identify and recommend changes to applicable laws and regulations that currently prohibit school divisions from hiring such individuals. The Department of Education shall collaborate with the Secretary of Education to complete this plan.

R. Notwithstanding § 4-1.05 b 3 of this act, the Superintendent of Public Instruction may apply for grant funding to be used by local school divisions consistent with the provisions of House Bill 1270, contingent upon its passage by the 1999 Session of the General Assembly. The nongeneral fund appropriation for this agency shall be adjusted by the amount of the proceeds of any such grant awards.

S. Out of the appropriation for State Education Services, $177,700 in the second year from the general fund and two positions are provided for training, technical assistance, materials and staff support for the secondary schools' general educational development test (GED) and preparatory program.

T. Out of the amounts for State Education Services, $250,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to conduct a statewide assessment of the effectiveness of the remedial programs outlined in paragraph M of this Item and to assess the effectiveness of retesting students who fail any Standards of Learning (SOL) tests after they receive remedial instruction.

U. The Department of Education, in collaboration with the Office of Comprehensive Services, shall provide training to local staff serving on Family Assessment and Planning Teams and Community Policy and Management Teams. Training shall include, but need not be limited to, the federal and state requirements pertaining to the provision of the special education services funded under § 2.1-757, Code of Virginia. The training shall also include written guidance concerning which services remain the financial responsibility of the local school divisions. Training shall be provided on a regional basis, but must be conducted prior to January 1, 2000. Written guidance shall be provided to local Comprehensive Services Act teams by July 1, 1999. In addition, the Department of Education shall provide ongoing local oversight of its federal and state requirements related to the provision of services funded under § 2.1-757, Code of Virginia.