ACPS Policy Revisions: October 19, 2023

At the Alexandria City School Board meeting on October 19, 2023, the School Board amended five policies and the Superintendent approved revisions to one regulation. The following is a summary of the key changes, details are available on Electronic School Board.

AF - Comprehensive Plan

• Revision reason: code change

• Revised to reflect the amendment of the Code of Virginia § 22.1-253.13:6

  • Requires ACPS to establish a division wide literacy plan covering students in Grades K-8

  • Requires ACPS to employ one reading specialist for each 550 students in kindergarten through grade three

  • Requires ACPS to provide a program of literacy instruction which includes:

    • Reading intervention services to students in kindergarten through grade three who demonstrate deficiencies based on their individual performance on the Standards of Learning reading assessment or an early literacy screener provided or approved by the Department of Education; 

    • A reading specialist, in collaboration with the teacher of any student who receives such reading intervention services, develops, oversees implementation of, and monitors student progress on a student reading plan;

    • Each student who receives such reading intervention services is assessed utilizing either the early literacy screener provided or approved by the Virginia Department of Education or the grade-level reading Standards of Learning assessment again at the end of that school year. 

DB - Annual Budget

• Revision reason: code change

• Minor wording adjustments to align with the VSBA model policy

• Added a Board belief statement about being good stewards of public resources and that the budget should reflect the division’s values while balancing the needs to fund ongoing operations and the priorities established in the Strategic Plan.

• Revised the public notice time frames per the amendment of the Code of Virginia § 22.1-79

DJF - Purchasing Procedures

• Revision reason: code change

• Revised to include that the convictions that bar employment and contract work that requires direct contact with students on school property during school hours or school-sponsored activities in public schools include any offense involving the solicitation of sexual molestation, physical or sexual abuse, or rape of a child per the amendment of the Code of Virginia § 22.1-296.1.

IKFB - Transfer Students and High School Credits

• Revision reason: requested new policy

• Places into governance the current practice of evaluating and awarding HS credits based on prior school records.

• Includes that grades from the prior school are included in the student’s ACPS records.

JFCF/JFCI - Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD) in Schools

JFCF-R/JFCI-R - Alcohol and other Drugs (AOD) Abuse: Regulations

• Revision reason: legal references alignment

• Minor wording adjustments to align with the VSBA model policy

• Marijuana has always been specifically prohibited for students. The recent change in Virginia laws moves marijuana out of the category of ‘controlled substances’ and into the same category as alcohol. The policy has been revised to update the list of specifically prohibited substances (which currently includes alcohol) to also include marijuana. These substances are prohibited on ACPS property, on public property within 1000 feet of ACPS property, on school buses, at school bus stops, and on public property within 1000 feet of school bus stops when students are waiting to be picked up or dropped of for school 

ACPS has over 400 policies and regulations which are systematically revised prior to being presented to the School Board for information. The revision process includes alignment with the associated VSBA model policy, alignment with the Code of Virginia, an equity review, a legal review, revisions by a team of staff members, a Senior Leadership Team review, and a School Board Policy Committee review. Public input on proposed revisions is taken at School Board Policy Committee meetings and regular School Board meetings.