Part V. Application of Standards for Biennial Approval of Education Endorsement Programs
8VAC20-543-50. Application of the standards.
A. As a prerequisite to education endorsement program approval, professional education programs in Virginia shall have national accreditation. Failure to do so will result in the education endorsement program being designated as "approval denied."
B. The education endorsement program's candidate passing rates, reported by percentages, shall not fall below 80% biennially for program completers and program noncompleters. Program completers are individuals who have successfully completed all coursework, required licensure assessments, and supervised student teaching or the required internship. Program noncompleters are those individuals who have been officially admitted into the education program and who have taken, regardless of whether the individual passed or failed, required licensure assessments, and have successfully completed all coursework, but who have not completed supervised student teaching or the required internship. Program noncompleters shall have been officially released (in writing) from an education endorsement program by an authorized administrator of the program.
C. The professional education program's authorized administrator is responsible to certify documented evidence that the following standards as set forth in 8VAC20-543-40 have been met by the education endorsement program:
1. The professional education program shall demonstrate candidate progress and performance on an assessment of basic skills as prescribed by the Board of Education for individuals seeking entry into an approved education endorsement program.
2. The professional education program shall provide structured and integrated field experiences.
3. The professional education program shall provide evidence of opportunities for candidates to participate in diverse school settings that provide experiences with populations that include racial, gender, exceptionality, religion, geographic, economic, linguistic, and ethnic diversity throughout the program experiences.
4. The professional education program shall provide evidence of contributions to preK-12 student achievement by candidates completing the program.
5. The professional education program shall provide evidence of employer job satisfaction with graduates completing the program.
6. The professional education program shall develop and provide evidence of biennial accountability measures for partnerships and collaborations based on preK-12 school needs.
D. After submitting to the Department of Education the information contained in 8VAC20-543-40, education endorsement programs in Virginia shall receive one of the following three ratings:
1. Approved. The education endorsement program has met all standards set forth in 8VAC20-543-40.
2. Approved with stipulations. The education endorsement program has met standards in subsections A and B of this section and is making documented progress toward meeting standards in subsection C of this section. Institutions with education endorsements programs that fall below the 80% biennial requirement shall submit to the Board of Education for approval an improvement plan to address the areas of stipulation, including measurable goals and timelines. Semiannual reports must be submitted to the Director of Teacher Education to document the progress in addressing the goals toward elimination of the stipulation until the next biennial review period. The biennial passing rates that fall below the 80% requirement for program completers and noncompleters shall result in the education endorsement program receiving a rating of "approved with stipulations." The passing rate for program completers and noncompleters must meet the 80% passing rate requirement by the end of the next biennial period for the program to be approved; if the 80% pass rate is not achieved, the program will be denied. However, if the education endorsement program has less than 10 program completers and noncompleters, the institution must submit an annual report attesting to continued progress in meeting the requirements.
3. Approval denied. Approval may be denied if:
a. The education endorsement program has not met standards in subsection A of this section;
b. The education endorsement program has met standards in subsection A of this section but has not met requirements in subsection B of this section for two consecutive biennial reporting periods. The program shall be denied and the public notified. The program may resubmit a request for approval at the end of the next biennial period.
Statutory Authority
§§ 22.1-16 and 22.1-298.2 of the Code of Virginia.
Historical Notes
Derived from Virginia Register Volume 34, Issue 24, eff. August 23, 2018.