                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

(EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026) STANDARD 5. QUALITY OF CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION AND
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP (§ 22.1-253.13:5)

A. Each member of the Board shall participate in high-quality professional
development programs on personnel, curriculum and current issues in education as
part of his service on the Board.

B. Consistent with the finding that leadership is essential for the advancement
of public education in the Commonwealth, teacher, principal, and superintendent
evaluations shall be consistent with the performance standards included in the
Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation Criteria for
Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents. Evaluations shall include student
academic progress as a significant component and an overall summative rating.
Teacher evaluations shall include regular observation and evidence that
instruction is aligned with the school&#8217;s curriculum. Evaluations shall
include identification of areas of individual strengths and weaknesses and
recommendations for appropriate professional activities. Evaluations shall
include an evaluation of cultural competency.

C. The Board shall provide guidance on high-quality professional development for
(i) teachers, principals, supervisors, division superintendents, and other
school staff; (ii) principals, supervisors, and division superintendents in the
evaluation and documentation of teacher and principal performance based on
student academic progress and the skills and knowledge of such instructional or
administrative personnel; (iii) school board members on personnel, curriculum
and current issues in education; (iv) teachers of the blind and visually
impaired, in cooperation with the Virginia Department for the Blind and Vision
Impaired, in Braille; (v) any individual with an endorsement in early/primary
education preschool through grade three, elementary education preschool through
grade six, special education general curriculum kindergarten through grade 12,
special education deaf and hard of hearing preschool through grade 12, special
education blindness/visual impairments preschool through grade 12, or English as
a second language preschool through grade 12, or as a reading specialist that
builds proficiency in science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy
instruction; (vi) each teacher with an endorsement in middle education grades
six through eight who teaches English that builds proficiency in evidence-based
literacy instruction and science-based reading research; (vii) each middle
school principal and teacher with an endorsement in middle education grades six
through eight who teaches mathematics, science, or history and social science
that builds an awareness of evidence-based literacy instruction and
science-based reading research; (viii) each teacher with a provisional general
education or special education license or an endorsement in early/primary
education preschool through grade three, elementary education preschool through
grade six, middle education grades six through eight, and secondary education
grades six through 12; each principal with an endorsement in administration and
supervision preschool through grade 12; and each teacher&#8217;s aide or other
paraprofessional that builds proficiency in instructional practices to support
specially designed instruction in inclusive settings; and (ix) each teacher with
a provisional special education license or an endorsement in special education
general curriculum preschool through grade 12, special education deaf and hard
of hearing preschool through grade 12, or special education blindness and visual
impairments preschool through grade 12 that builds proficiency in implementing
the Virginia IEP established pursuant to subdivision 11 of &#xA7; 22.1-214.4 and
the referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility forms and worksheets
referenced in subdivision 6 of &#xA7; 22.1-214.4; and (x) all instructional
personnel and school board employees whose duties include regular contact with
students on communicating with and supporting students with autism spectrum
disorder.
			The Board shall also provide technical assistance on high-quality
professional development to local school boards designed to ensure that all
instructional personnel are proficient in the use of educational technology
consistent with its comprehensive plan for educational technology.
			The Department shall provide technical assistance, including literacy
coaching, to local school divisions to provide professional development in
science-based reading research and evidence-based literacy instruction for
students in kindergarten through grade eight. The Department shall also create a
list of professional development programs aligned with science-based reading
research and evidence-based literacy instruction that includes programs that
provide training in dyslexia for reading specialists as required by subsection G
of &#xA7; 22.1-253.13:2. The list shall be approved by the Board. The Department
shall provide resources to local school divisions to ensure that each division
is able to provide professional development to teachers and reading specialists
listed in subdivision E 2 in one of the programs enumerated in the list approved
by the Board pursuant to this subdivision and that such professional development
is provided at no cost to the teachers and reading specialists.
			The Department shall provide technical assistance to local school divisions
to implement professional learning resources from the list of vendors approved
by the Department pursuant to subdivision K 3 of &#xA7; 22.1-253.13:1.
			The Department shall provide technical assistance, including special
education coaching, to local school divisions to provide professional
development in special education and related services and in instructional
practices to support specially designed instruction in inclusive settings. The
Department shall provide resources to local school divisions to ensure that each
division is able to provide professional development to the teachers,
principals, teacher&#8217;s aides, and other paraprofessionals listed in
subdivisions E 4 and 5 at no cost to such individuals.

D. Each local school board shall require (i) its members to participate annually
in high-quality professional development activities at the state, local, or
national levels on governance, including, but not limited to, personnel policies
and practices; the evaluation of personnel, curriculum, and instruction; use of
data in planning and decision making; and current issues in education as part of
their service on the local board and (ii) the division superintendent to
participate annually in high-quality professional development activities at the
local, state, or national levels, including the Standards of Quality, Board
regulations, and the Guidelines for Uniform Performance Standards and Evaluation
Criteria for Teachers, Principals, and Superintendents.

E. Each local school board shall provide a program of high-quality professional
development (i) in the use and documentation of performance standards and
evaluation criteria based on student academic progress and skills for teachers,
principals, and superintendents to clarify roles and performance expectations
and to facilitate the successful implementation of instructional programs that
promote student achievement at the school and classroom levels; (ii) as part of
the license renewal process, to assist teachers and principals in acquiring the
skills needed to work with gifted students, students with disabilities, and
students who have been identified as having limited English proficiency and to
increase student achievement and expand the knowledge and skills students
require to meet the standards for academic performance set by the Board; (iii)
in educational technology for all instructional personnel which is designed to
facilitate integration of computer skills and related technology into the
curricula; and (iv) for principals and supervisors designed to increase
proficiency in instructional leadership and management, including training in
the evaluation and documentation of teacher and principal performance based on
student academic progress and the skills and knowledge of such instructional or
administrative personnel.
			In addition, each local school board shall provide:

   1. Teachers and principals with high-quality professional development programs
   each year in (i) instructional content; (ii) the preparation of tests and
   other assessment measures; (iii) methods for assessing the progress of
   individual students, including Standards of Learning assessment materials or
   other criterion-referenced tests that match locally developed objectives; (iv)
   instruction and remediation techniques in English, mathematics, science, and
   history and social science; (v) interpreting test data for instructional
   purposes; (vi) technology applications to implement the Standards of Learning;
   and (vii) effective classroom management;

   2. High-quality professional development and training in science-based reading
   research and evidence-based literacy instruction, from the list developed and
   the resources provided by the Department pursuant to subsection C or an
   alternative program that consists of evidence-based literacy instruction and
   aligns with science-based reading research approved by the Department, for
   each elementary school principal and each teacher with an endorsement in
   early/primary education preschool through grade three, elementary education
   preschool through grade six, special education general curriculum kindergarten
   through grade 12, special education deaf and hard of hearing preschool through
   grade 12, special education blindness/visual impairments preschool through
   grade 12, or English as a second language preschool through grade 12, or as a
   reading specialist that builds proficiency in evidence-based literacy
   instruction and science-based reading research in order to aid in the
   licensure renewal process for such individuals;

   3. High-quality professional development and training in science-based reading
   research and evidence-based literacy instruction, from the list developed and
   the resources provided by the Department pursuant to subsection C, or an
   alternative program that consists of evidence-based literacy instruction and
   aligns with science-based reading research approved by the Department, for (i)
   each teacher with an endorsement in middle education grades six through eight
   who teaches English that builds proficiency in evidence-based literacy
   instruction and science-based reading research and (ii) each middle school
   principal and teacher with an endorsement in middle education grades six
   through eight who teaches mathematics, science, or history and social science
   that builds an awareness of evidence-based literacy instruction and
   science-based reading research;

   4. (Effective July 1, 2027) High-quality professional development in
   implementing the Virginia IEP established pursuant to subdivision 11 of &#xA7;
   22.1-214.4 and the referral, evaluation, reevaluation, and eligibility forms
   and worksheets referenced in subdivision 6 of &#xA7; 22.1-214.4 for each
   teacher with a provisional special education license or an endorsement in
   special education general curriculum kindergarten through grade 12, special
   education deaf and hard of hearing preschool through grade 12, and special
   education blindness and visual impairments preschool through grade 12; and

   5. (Effective July 1, 2027) High-quality professional development in
   instructional practices to support specially designed instruction in inclusive
   settings for each teacher with a provisional general education license or an
   endorsement in early/primary education preschool through grade three,
   elementary education preschool through grade six, and secondary education
   grades six through 12; each principal with an endorsement in administration
   and supervision preschool through grade 12; each teacher&#8217;s aide or other
   paraprofessional; and any teacher with a provisional special education license
   for whom the school board determines there is a need for such professional
   development; and

   6. High-quality professional development each year in communicating with and
   supporting students with autism spectrum disorder for any instructional
   personnel and school board employees whose duties include regular contact with
   students, in accordance with the guidance provided by the Board pursuant to
   clause (x) of subsection C, that includes (i) an overview of the
   characteristics and behavioral recognition of autism spectrum disorder, (ii)
   strategies for communicating and interacting with and supporting students with
   autism spectrum disorder, and (iii) best practices for responding to and
   de-escalating certain behavioral challenges and situations. Such professional
   development shall be optional, provided, however, that any instructional
   personnel or school board employee who completes such professional development
   shall be eligible for professional development points toward renewal of his
   license for the number of in-person hours of coursework completed.

F. Schools and school divisions shall include as an integral component of their
comprehensive plans required by &#xA7; 22.1-253.13:6, high-quality professional
development programs that support the recruitment, employment, and retention of
qualified teachers and principals. Each school board shall require all
instructional personnel to participate each year in these professional
development programs.

G. Each local school board shall annually review its professional development
program for quality, effectiveness, participation by instructional personnel,
and relevancy to the instructional needs of teachers and the academic
achievement needs of the students in the school division. Such review shall
consider the extent to which the professional development program supports
teachers in implementing the textbooks and other high-quality instructional
materials adopted for division and school use.

HISTORY: 1988, cc. 645, 682; 1990, cc. 820, 839; 1992, c. 132; 1997, c. 827;
1998, cc. 826, 852; 1999, cc. 830, 1030, 1037; 2000, c. 867; 2004, cc. 939, 955;
2005, cc. 331, 450; 2007, c. 234; 2013, cc. 588, 650; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 23,
24; 2022, cc. 549, 550; 2023, cc. 645, 646; 2024, cc. 468, 502; 2025, cc. 516,
680, 683.