VIRGINIA FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP

The ultimate goal in school improvement is for the people attached to the school to drive its continuous improvement efforts for the sake of their students and their academic achievement. Beginning in 2007, the Virginia Foundation for Educational Leadership (VFEL) began working with the Virginia Department of Education’s Office of School Improvement (OSI) to promote student learning and achievement by assisting schools, school divisions, and their leaders in the implementation of effective instructional strategies and best practices. With support from other collaborators, including the Center on Innovation and Improvement and the Appalachian Comprehensive Resource Center, VFEL developed The Virginia Model for School Improvement.

The Virginia Model for School Improvement, which was first introduced in 2008, provides training and technical assistance to principals, school improvement coaches, division contacts, and lead turnaround partners that is research based and quantitatively effective. The model includes professionally developed programs:  Breaking Ranks in the Middle™ (National Association of Secondary School Principals); teacher leader training (Center on Innovation and Improvement); Formative Assessment™ (TeachFirst); and division leadership training (College of William and Mary). Additional components of the model focus on inclusive practices for special education, mentoring and coaching (Virginia Association of Secondary School Principals), and lead turnaround partner follow-up technical assistance. The purpose of the training is to provide individual schools and school divisions with the knowledge, tools, and skills to empower teachers and principals as they make purposeful decisions that result in improved student achievement.