Item 119 | First Year - FY2025 | Second Year - FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Pupil Assessment Services (18400) | $101,051,012 | $51,917,836 |
| Test Development and Administration (18401) | FY2025 $101,051,012 | FY2026 $51,917,836 |
| Fund Sources: | ||
| General | FY2025 $89,858,849 | FY2026 $33,858,849 |
| Special | FY2025 $293,607 | FY2026 $293,607 |
| Federal Trust | FY2025 $10,898,556 | FY2026 $17,765,380 |
Authority: § 22.1-253.13:3, sections C and E, Code of Virginia; P.L. 107-110, Federal Code.
A.1. Out of this appropriation, $25,380,678 $86,380,678 the first year and $25,380,678 $30,380,678 the second year from the general fund is provided to support the costs of contracts for test development, administration, scoring, and reporting as well as other program-related costs of the Standards of Learning testing program.
2. a. Pursuant to Chapter 760, 2022 Acts of the the General Assembly, the Department shall include in its annual report a plan to implement a new state assessment system, including a revised timeframe; estimated short- and long-term costs, including the costs to transition to the new system; staffing and training needs; key milestones; and project deliverables. The Department shall request the funding needed to implement the new contract for inclusion in the Governor's introduced budget bill for the 2025 Regular Session. The Department may consider issuing a request for information (RFI) as part of the process to better determine the costs and requirements of the new system. The Department shall submit the annual report no later than November 1, 2024.
b. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, the Department of Education is authorized to extend current assessment contracts for one additional year to provide sufficient time for the Department to initiate procurement processes as necessary to select an assessment vendor.
3. Of this amount, $61,000,000 the first year and $5,000,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to support the additional costs of a new assessment contract, including any additional one-time costs to transition to the new contract. This amount shall be unallotted. The Department of Education shall report to the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Finance, and the Director of the Department of Planning and Budget on the cost to support this transition and the ongoing cost of the planned new assessment contract based on a request for proposal (RFP) response and supporting documents. Additionally, this report shall include any test or system changes proposed for the new contract as compared to the current contract, including an accounting of any scope of work changes made through contract modifications or extensions executed between fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2026 that established the basis of the current contract. Upon review of this report by the Secretary of Education, the Secretary of Finance, and the Department of Planning and Budget, the Department of Planning and Budget shall allot funds necessary to support identified costs. Any balance for the purposes specified in this paragraph that are unexpended on June 30, 2025, or June 30, 2026, shall not revert to the general fund but shall be reappropriated for expenditure in the next fiscal year for the same purpose.
B. Out of this appropriation, $1,551,416 the first year and $1,551,416 the second year from the general fund is provided for continued computer adaptive test transition and revision.
C. Notwithstanding any contrary provisions of law, the Department of Education shall not be required to administer the Stanford 9 norm-referenced test.
D. Out of this appropriation, $300,000 the first year and $300,000 the second year from the general fund is provided for assessment related materials for a verified credit in high school history and social science. In establishing graduation requirements, the State Board of Education shall require students to earn one verified credit in history and social science. Such verified credit shall be earned by (i) the successful completion of a state-developed end-of-course Standards of Learning assessment; (ii) achievement of a passing score on a Board-approved standardized test administered on a statewide, multistate, or international basis that measures content that incorporates or exceeds the Standards of Learning content in the course for which the verified credit is given; (iii) achievement of criteria for the receipt of a locally awarded verified credit from the local school board in accordance with criteria established in Board guidelines when the student has not passed a corresponding Standards of Learning assessment; or (iv) successful completion of assessments that include state-developed performance tasks scored locally in accordance with Board guidelines using state-developed rubrics.