VDOE asks public to answer online survey about school quality and accountability

Virginia Department of Education is asking parents, educators and others interested in the state’s public schools to complete a brief online survey on school quality and accountability. Results from the survey will help inform the development of the commonwealth’s plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, the 2015 federal education law that replaced No Child Left Behind.

“We are asking parents and other members of the public to tell us what they think is important when evaluating how well a school is serving students,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples said. “We’re asking them to think about achievement on state tests, graduation and dropout rates, absenteeism, parent satisfaction and other indicators of school quality and then tell us which of these they think are extremely important, moderately important and so forth.”

The four-item survey may be accessed from the homepage of the VDOE website or directly at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ESSAinVA The s.urvey takes 5-10 minutes to complete and will remain active through Wednesday, November 9.

The survey is anonymous and participants are not asked to provide identifying information beyond describing themselves (e.g., parent, teacher, business professional) and where they live (e.g., Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads, Southwest Virginia).

The Every Student Succeeds Act, also known as ESSA, provides states with new flexibility to improve their accountability systems, assessment programs and overall approaches to closing achievement gaps and school improvement. The state Board of Education is expected to approve Virginia’s implementation plan in time for submission to the U.S. Department of Education in March 2017.