RD83 - Annual Executive Summary for the Western Virginia Public Education Consortium (“WVPEC”)


    Executive Summary:
    WVPEC’s fiscal year coincides with school years (July 1 through June 30). Unless indicated otherwise, the information contained herein pertains to fiscal year July 2010 – June 2011.

    Mission and Purpose of WVPEC:

    WVPEC is composed of nineteen school divisions in western Virginia that include Alleghany, Bath, Bland, Botetourt, Craig, Floyd, Franklin, Giles, Henry, Montgomery, Patrick, Pulaski, Roanoke and Wythe County Public Schools; and Covington, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke and Salem City Public Schools. WVPEC’s goal is to support educational programming and student success in each of these school divisions and throughout the region, as a whole. School divisions support WVPEC efforts through student fees and through ongoing promotion of WVPEC projects and efforts.

    The nineteen school superintendents and representatives from Virginia Tech and Radford University form the Governing Board of this legislatively approved organization. An Executive Committee of six elected superintendents (listed below) oversees and supports the organization through monthly meetings in Radford. Day-to-day operations of WVPEC are overseen and supported by an Executive Director and an Executive Assistant, both of whom are part-time employees. WVPEC offices are located in Radford University’s Corporate Park, 6226 University Park Drive, Suite 2200, Radford, Virginia 24141 (phone number 540-831-6414). WVPEC’s website can be accessed at http://www.wvpec.org , and WVPEC officials may be reached by email at tarbogas@swva.net and wvpec.executive.asst@gmail.com.

    Members of the WVPEC Executive Committee on July 1, 2010

    Voting Members:

    Dr. Anthony Brads, Chair (Botetourt County)
    Dr. Terry E. Arbogast, Vice Chair (Floyd County)
    Dr. Lee Brannon (Wythe County)
    Dr. Lorraine Lange (Roanoke County)
    Mr. Ron Gordon (Craig County)
    Dr. Roger Morris (Patrick County)

    Non-Voting Members:

    The Honorable H. Morgan Griffith (R-8th)
    The Honorable James M. Shuler (D-12th)
    Dr. Robert McCracken (Radford University)
    Dr. M. David Alexander (Virginia Tech)

    July 1, 2010 — Amount of money in WVPEC accounts: $124,973.26
    June 30, 2011 — Amount of money in WVPEC accounts: $79,238.96
    WVPEC accounts are reviewed by a certified public accountant and results are shared with the WVPEC Governing Board during the fiscal year following the audit year.

    Major WVPEC projects/initiatives completed this year:

    • The WVPEC Career Switcher Program. Historically, around 15 students each year are enrolled in the WVPEC Career Switcher Program. This two-year program devotes its first year to intensive classroom instruction for candidates who already possess a bachelor’s degree. The second year of the program devotes attention to supporting and mentoring newly employed teachers through their first year of instruction with students. In June 2011, WVPEC made the decision to put its Career Switcher Program on hold and transfer its Level II participants to another regionally accredited institution.

    Career Switcher Program Level I participants: 8 enrolled and participated in the January 2011 program.

    Career Switcher Program Level II participants from the 2009-2010 Level I class: 3

    • The Virginia School Leaders Institute (VSLI). A year-long institute, with participants meeting at the Hotel Roanoke for four 3-day workshops, the VSLI for Recently Appointed Administrators commenced in October 2005 and is a joint effort with Virginia Tech. Based on the ISLLC standards for school leaders, the School Leaders Institute is a researched-based professional development activity for newly appointed administrators.

    Virginia School Leaders Institute for Recently-Appointed Administrators participants:
    27 of which 20 were WVPEC participants

    • The Virginia Principals Assessment Center (VPAC). The Virginia Principals Assessment Center uses the NASSP-supported principals assessment program as the basis for its work. Assessors are trained to assess, and superintendents then nominate school administrators-to-be for assessments. Generally, four assessment centers are held each school year.

    Virginia Principals Assessment Centers scheduled:
    October & November/December 2010
    January/February, March & April 2011

    Virginia Principals Assessment Centers held:
    November/December 2010
    Number of participants assessed: 3

    Number of newly trained assessors: 3
    Number of trained assessors to date: 43

    • High School Senior Exit and Graduate Follow-up Surveys. Each spring, high school seniors in the WVPEC region’s thirty-five high schools complete an online survey and data are then tabulated by WVPEC. Results are sent to each school superintendent detailing his/her graduating seniors’ perceptions of their high school experiences. In 2008, a new survey option, the WVPEC Graduate Follow-up Survey, was initiated. WVPEC High School Senior Surveys by participating schools: 16/35 (Spring 2011 results)

    • The WVPEC Regional Teacher Recruitment Job Fair. WVPEC holds a regional teacher recruitment fair each year which has drawn as many as 500 applicants. The February Job Fair is held each year in Salem, a central location in our region. Candidates often complete an on-line application that is used by Human Resource departments in WVPEC divisions.

    2011 Teacher Recruitment Job Fair participants: 233

    • The Regional Key Leaders Initiative (RKLI). Bringing together key instructional leaders from throughout the region, this initiative strives to bring attention to regional curricular or instructional issues, and then focuses attention toward addressing those concerns. A joint project with the Radford University Professional Development Center, this effort commenced in the fall of 2005.

    2010-2011 Regional Key Instructional Leader meeting dates:
    September 22
    October 20
    November 17
    December 15
    January 19
    February 16
    March 16
    April 20
    May 18

    • Professional Development. WVPEC districts have indicated they would like the organization to offer professional development workshops for their teachers and administrators and WVPEC is making progress in responding to their requests. In June 2011, WVPEC and Salem City Schools co-hosted their first Professional Development workshop entitled “Teacher Evaluation/Student Growth Models and Performance Pay” and the program was well received with over 140 attendees from many districts across the Commonwealth.

    In the future, WVPEC plans to hold at least three Professional Development conferences during its fiscal year.

    WVPEC does not intend to submit a further report for publication.