SD21 - Preliminary Report on the Analysis of Statewide Data Relating to the Requirements for Obtaining a High School Diploma for Students with Limited English Proficiency


Executive Summary:
Summary: Senate Bill (SB) 683 required the Virginia Board of Education (BOE) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) to collect statewide data on Virginia's public school students with limited English proficiency (LEP). The bill required information on demographics, school division programs and services, and academic indicators of success such as scores on Standards of Learning (SOL) assessments for these students. The bill also required that the BOE and the VDOE analyze the relationships between these factors as they relate to LEP students and the requirements for obtaining a high school diploma as set forth in the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia and the No Child Left Behind Act of2001, and make recommendations on the steps to take to resolve the issues relating to the requirements for obtaining a high school diploma.

To meet the requirements of SB 683, the VDOE and the BOE conducted a study that used a snapshot of data from students in grades 9-12 enrolled during the 2005-2006 school year. Some of the data required to meet the General Assembly's request were not available for this report. This preliminary report describes the results of the analyses completed thus far, and ongoing VDOE activities that support LEP student achievement. A final report will be provided in January 2007 that will describe the results of the additional analyses and recommendations for statewide initiatives for LEP high school students.