An Act to amend and reenact § 22.1-253.13:3, as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to Board of Education; Standards of Learning assessments; through-year growth assessment system eliminated.
HB199 amends Virginia’s public school accreditation statute to eliminate the through-year growth assessment system tied to Standards of Learning testing. The bill revises § 22.1-253.13:3, which governs accreditation standards, school review processes, corrective action plans, and related Board of Education oversight, while preserving the broader framework for annual and multiyear accreditation review, public reporting, and school improvement measures.
In practical terms, the bill removes the through-year growth assessment component from the state’s assessment and accountability structure. The remaining statute continues to require the Board of Education to set accreditation standards, review school performance, and use corrective action plans, memoranda of understanding, and division-level academic reviews when schools or divisions fail to meet standards. The bill therefore changes how student performance is measured, but not the state’s overall authority to monitor and intervene in school accreditation.
HB199 affects the Code of Virginia section governing accreditation and Standards of Learning assessments by striking the through-year growth assessment system from the law. It leaves in place the Board of Education’s authority over accreditation standards, school reviews, corrective action plans, and division-level oversight, but it narrows the assessment tools available for measuring student growth and school performance. The main parties affected are public schools, local school boards, and the Board of Education, especially in how accountability data are collected and used for accreditation decisions.
The available context suggests the bill was enacted without recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials, so there is no documented split in the transcript record here. The bill’s final passage and approval indicate legislative support for removing the through-year growth assessment system. Overall, the sentiment appears favorable to simplifying or changing the state assessment framework while retaining school accountability mechanisms.
The central point of contention implied by the bill is the elimination of the through-year growth assessment system, which would likely have been debated as a question of testing burden, accountability, and how best to measure student progress. Supporters would generally favor reducing or replacing a testing model they view as cumbersome or ineffective, while opponents would likely worry about losing a more continuous measure of student growth and weakening data used for school improvement. No specific committee objections or named stakeholders are provided in the supplied discussion materials.