Students and Schools in Challenging Environments
Task Forces • Students and Schools in Challenging Environments
Overview
The mission of the VSBA Task Force on Students and Schools in Challenging Environments is to identify and share research, resources, and strategies that will empower Virginia’s schools to reach higher levels of acheivement for each student.
The charge from the VSBA Board of Directors is for the Task Force to make recommendations to the Board of Directors, the State Board of Education and the State Department of Education on how VSBA can partner to help challenged students and schools in Virginia.
Task Force Goals SY 2025-2027
- Literacy & Support: Improve student outcomes in literacy by supporting effectie school board governance.
- Accountability: Analyze the State of Students and Schools Report to reflect changes to Virginia’s new School Support Framework.
- Career & Workforce: Advances educational initiatives that prepare Virginia students for post-secondary success by strengthening work-based learning, career and workplace skills development, Career and Technical Education (CTE), and fostering strategic public/private partnerships.
- Advocacy: Engage with Virginia General Assembly and Virginia Board of Education.
- Collaboration: Establish a Bi-Partisan Challenged Students and Schools Caucus in the Virginia General Assembly.
Domains of Best Practices and Research
- Student Learning Including Workforce Readiness
- Leadership and Teacher Quality
- Specialized Training
- Funding & Resources
- Family, Parent, Community Engagement, & Outreach
Success and Impact – A Snapshot
- Report 4.0 Focus & Actions led by Co-Chairs Douglas Brown and Dr. Jason Van Heukelum: February 2025 meeting with Virginia BOE President Creasey; Hosted the Joint Legislative and Review Commission (JLARC) focus groups on Virginia’s new school accountability system, the School Performance & Support Framework; Hosted VDOE Listening Sessions related to SOL Proficiency and Cut Scores.
- Published reports – Report on the Task Force 1.0 (2014), 2.0 “Best Practices and Promises” (2020), “The State of the Schools in Challenging Environments” (2022/2023), “The Global Health Crisis & Its Impact on Student Performance,” 3.0 “Best Practices & Promises: Conquering a Pandemic and Its Impact.”
- March 2024 – Hosted Virginia Superintendent of Public Instruction, Dr. Lisa Coons, for a viewing and panel discussion on the film, “Right to Read.”
- November 2023 – Hosted an update to the 3.0 Report and State of Students and Schools in Challenging Environments Report at the Annual Convention.
- 2022 – Partnered with VSBA Executive Director Gina Patterson to establish the COSSBA Urban Boards Alliance now the Unified Boards Alliance.
- January 2022 – Co-Hosted a Coffee & Conversations event with members of the Virginia General Assembly.
- November 2020 – Presented the 2.0 Report to Governor Ralph S. Northam.
- March 2020 – VSBA launched Equity in Education Month and Newsletter.
- April 2019 – Hosted the Board of Education President and Superintendent of Public Instruction during the meeting of the Task Force to discuss areas of collaboration and offer recommendations to the Board’s review of the Standards of Quality.
- Spring 2019 – Conducted “VSBA Equity Webinar Series,” bringing content experts and school board members together to learn about challenges and opportunities in Virginia’s public schools.
- September 2018 – Conducted Equity in Rural Schools Legislator and Equity in Rural Schools School Leader Panel discussions at the VSBA Legislative Advocacy Conference.
- April 2018 – Hosted a VSBA Hot Topic Conference, providing attendees with strategies to advance outcomes for all students in Virginia’s school divisions.
- December 2014 – Initiated the Practices of Promise for Schools in Challenging Environments Summit.
- Hosted The School Board’s Role in School Improvement and Turnaround Conference.
- Developed a Students and Schools in Challenging Environments track at the VSBA Annual Convention.
Task Force Members
Douglas Brown, Newport News
Dr. Jason Van Heukelum, Winchester City
Dr. Angela Hairston, Danville City
Jenny Nichols, Washington County
Ron Ramsey, Staunton City
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt, Alexandria City
Dr. Francisco Duran, Arlington County
Dr. Jared Cotton, Chesapeake City
Dr. Cherly Burke, Richmond City
Dr. Mark Lineburg, Campbell County
Amanda Burns, Charlottesville City
Bob Hundley, Hanover County
Tanya Bhasin, Norfolk City
Joyce Watkins, Roanoke City
Task Force Reports
VSBA Task Force on Students and Schools in Challenging Environments 3.0 Report, Released June 2022.
VSBA Task Force on Schools in Challenging Environments 1.0 Report, Released October 2014.
Subcommittee on Workforce Readiness
Overview
In March 2015, the VSBA Board of Directors created the VSBA Task Force on Workforce Readiness to study how career and technical education programs are being implemented in Virginia school divisions and how these programs are preparing the state’s future workforce. In subsequent meetings, the task force members established the following mission of the task force:
The mission of the VSBA Task Force on Workforce Readiness is to support school
divisions by identifying and promoting workforce readiness opportunities that enable
students to be prepared to succeed in a new economy.
Primary Goals
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Conduct a statewide survey of Virginia school divisions on workforce readiness programs and initiatives
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Identify and share best practices
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Develop and implement statewide education and advocacy efforts
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Hold a spring VSBA Hot Topic Conference on workforce readiness
Statewide Survey Results
- In October/November 2015, the task force conducted a statewide survey of public school divisions to gather information Career & Technical Education (CTE) across the Commonwealth.
- 115 of 132 school divisions responded, with balanced statewide representation.
- Survey results are available for download here.
- On January 18, 2016, task force co-chair Bill Kidd (school board member, Wythe County) and Dr. Tom Brewster (superintendent, Pulaski County) presented the task force findings to the House Education Committee. Full details of this visit are available on the January 18 posting on the VSBA Legislative Update Blog.
Stakeholder Engagement
An additional priority for the task force has been to involve other key stakeholder groups. As a result, representatives from the following organizations have been active participants in the task force efforts:
- Virginia Association of School Superintendents
- Virginia Chamber of Commerce
- Virginia Department of Education
- Virginia Community College System
- Virginia PTA
- REL Appalachia