School Board Policy Update

At the Alexandria City School Board meeting on May 8, 2025, the School Board amended three policies, retired three policies and updated one policy. The superintendent amended two regulations, retired one regulation and established one new regulation. The following is a summary of the key changes and details are available on BoardDocs.

IF - Curriculum Development.

IF-R - Curriculum Development Regulations.

IFA - Assessment and Evaluation.

IFD - Curriculum Adoption.

IFE - Curriculum Guides and Course Outlines.

• Five-Year Review.
• Standard changes.
• Relocated content from IFA to IF and revised (note: IFA is only being updated, not fully reviewed).
• Relocated process content from the policy to a new regulation, IF-R.
• Relocated content from IFD to IF-R, marked IFD for retirement.
• Relocated content from IFE to IF-R, marked IFE for retirement. 
• Added a School Board Belief statement.
• Added a definition of curriculum.
• Revised the process to align with the current curriculum revision process.

IGAA - Writing Instruction.

IGAA-R Regulations Governing Writing Instruction and Assessment Policy.

• No Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) model policy.
• Recommended for retirement.
• This is the only core subject area policy and is not necessary.

IGBJ - Academic Excellence and Educational Equity.

• Five-year review.
• Revised the School Board Belief Statement.
• Added language around removing systemic barriers to education.
• Added sections on the education of staff and families.

JFCD - Weapons in School.

• Five-year review.
• Standard changes.
• Reorganization to align with the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) model.
• Added irritant/incapacitating sprays and unloaded firearms in closed containers to list of weapons.
• Added a requirement that ACPS distribute firearm safety annual and post firearm safety resources on the website.
• Expanded the section on disciplining students with disabilities in alignment with the Virginia School Board Association (VSBA) model.

JM - Managing Student Behaviors in Emergency Situations.

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

• Required annual review.
• Standard changes.
• Updated to prohibit the use of seclusion.
• Legal and cross reference updates.

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 Virginia School Board Association (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.