School Board Policy Revisions: Updates from May 9, 2024

Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) policy revisions that are adopted by the Alexandria City School Board are available to access on our website, with staff being notified through the ACPS Insider newsletter. These are updates of existing Board policies, and we are informing staff of these changes as they govern school division operations. For more details about the policy revisions adopted by the School Board, please visit the webpage.

At the Alexandria City School Board meeting on May 9, 2024, the School Board amended the following 14 policies and seven regulations. The following is a summary of the key changes, details are available on Electronic School Board.

CBG - Evaluation of the Superintendent

• Code change
• Added element about ongoing two-way dialog
• Policy updated to reflect requirement of HB 1904/SB 1196 (2021).
• Teachers and other licensed school board employees; cultural competency.
• Legal Reference updated

EBBA - First Aid, CPR and AED Certified Personnel (also GBEG)

• Code Change
• Standard changes
• Policy updated to reflect amendment of Va. Code §§ 22.1-271.2 and 54.1-2957.02 by 2023
• SB 975. Certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse practitioners; designation as advanced practice registered nurses.

GBG - Staff Participation in Political Activities and School Board Election Campaigns

• 5-year review
• VSBA model policy alignment
• Relocated content relating to individuals running for the School Board to the ACPS website.
• Renamed policy to limit scope to staff participation in political activities

GBL - Personnel Records

GBL-R - Personnel Records Regulations

• 5-year review
• VSBA model policy alignment
• Struck provision that permitted maintaining information after an allegation was determined to be unfounded
• New regulation that lists the contents of the employee record, based on the Virginia Administrative Code
• Added a provision permitting the maintenance of transactional information which informs items that will go into the permanent record.

GCPA - Reduction in Licensed Staff Workforce

GCPA-R - Reduction in Licensed Staff Workforce Regulations

• 5-year review
• VSBA model policy alignments
• Limited the recall order of RIFed staff to seniority
• Added that staff who have been identified for RIF may apply for any open position and will only be RIFed if they are unable to find a new position
• Added that recalled RIFed staff will be placed by the Superintendent
• Added that a RIFed staff member who received unsatisfactory ratings on their most recent summative evaluation will not be recalled.

GCQA - Non-school Employment by Staff Members

• 5 year review
• Standard changes
• Updated leave exception authorization from the Chief Human Resources Officer to the Superintendent or Superintendent’s Designee
• Added cross-references

GCQAB - Tutoring for Pay

• 5 year review
• Standard changes
• Removed redundant wording
• Clarified which organizations might sponsor tutoring
• Removed inaccurate provision regarding how staff members are paid for tutoring from other organization
• Removed provision preventing ACPS from providing a stipend to teachers for additional tutoring

IGAE/IGAF - Health/Physical Education

• Requested review
• Added a clarification that the right to opt out of Family Life Education does not extend to the rest of the Health and PE curriculum.

IGBD - Extended Day Opportunities

• 5-year review
• Standard changes
• Added a definition of Extended Instructional Day to clarify the intent of the policy
• Changed references and policy title to Extended Instructional Day

IGBG - Off-Site Instruction and Virtual Courses

IGBGA - Online Courses and Virtual School Programs

IGBGA-R - ACPS Online Learning Program

• 5 year review
• Added a vision statement
• Clarified the definitions
• Renamed the ACPS full day virtual program the ACPS Virtual Academy
• Added the benefits of online courses and the ACPS Virtual Academy
• Clarified the enrollment process
• Clarified that tuition is only charged during summer and at the same rate as in-person summer school
• Added processes to the regulation
• Revised the roles in the regulation to improve clarity.

IKH - Retaking SOL Assessments

IKH-R - Retaking SOL Assessments Regulations

• 5 year Review
• VSBA model policy alignment
• Added that students in Grades K-2 are not required to retake SOL assessments, the current version states Grades 3-8.
• Relocated content not in the VSBA model policy to a new regulation
• Minor adjustments to improve readability

IM - Evaluation of Instructional Programs

• 5 year review
• No model policy
• Standard changes
• Updated state and federal reporting groups

JEG – Exclusions and Exemptions from School Attendance

JEG-R – Protocol on Religious Exemptions

• 5-year review
• Standard changes
• Added breadcrumbs to Policy LBD – Home Instruction
• Reorganization to improve readability
• Emphasized that religious exemptions must be from a bona fide religious training or belief
• Revised the process to reflect this a Board process

JM - Managing Student Behaviors in Emergency Situations

JM-R - Regulations for the Management of Student Behavior in Emergency Situations

• 5 year review
• Standard Changes
• VSBA model policy alignment
• Addition of restorative approaches when recovering fees
• The regulation is from the budget (pp 74-75 in the FY24 budget book) and is approved as part of the budget process