Good afternoon Madam Chair. My name is Mike Asip and I am the Policy Chair of the Virginia Council of Administrators of Special Education. I want to thank Del. Laufer for bringing HB85 before this body. I speak for my organization strongly in support of HB85, which seeks to create a postsecondary transition counselor certificate program that can improve successful enrollment, support, and performance of students with disabilities in Virginia's two and four year colleges and universities. Some of our students are provided extensive services in their Pre-K-12 settings and could be capable in college with the added support of a skilled transition counselor. That hand off and supports from secondary to post secondary settings would make a tremendous difference for our students. HB85 is a low-risk, high-leverage strategy. There is no mandated hiring, no required participation, and no state budget impact. Our students with disabilities in post secondary demonstrate completion gaps that persist even when students are academically qualified, indicating barriers related to support and navigation rather than ability. I am aware of other states that provide more than accommodations, with support services that close this completion gap. We would appreciate the subcommittee's support of HB85 for the futures of Virginia students with disabilities, enhancing Virginia's educational opportunities and workforce development. Thank you Madam Chair and members of the Subcommittee.

Comments Document

On behalf of the Virginia Division on Career Development and Transition (VADCDT), we ask that you review our attached written letter of support for Delegate Laufer's HB85 to require the State Council of Higher Education to develop and establish a Virginia-specific postsecondary transition counselor certificate program.

Good afternoon Madam Chair. My name is Katie Smith and I work at Henrico County Public Schools as the Director of Special Education and also am a member of the Virginia Council of Exceptional Children and Council of Administrators of Special Education. I am strongly in support of HB85, which seeks to create a postsecondary transition counselor certificate program that can improve successful enrollment, support, and performance of students with disabilities in Virginia's two and four year colleges and universities. Some of our students are provided extensive services in their Pre-K-12 settings and could be capable in college with the added support of a skilled transition counselor. Many of our transition supports are geared towards supporting students who are not college bound, and a transition counselor would help significantly to ensure we provide a balance of resources and support to all students with disabilities and their families/guardians to ensure post-secondary success. Again, please support HB85 for the futures of Virginia students with disabilities . I would like to thank Del. Laufer for patroning this bill. Thank you Madam Chair and members of the Subcommittee.

Good afternoon Madam Chair. My name is Lauran Ziegler and am a retired special educator of 38 years in both Chesterfield and Hanover Schools and a member of the Virginia Council of Administrators of Special Education. I speak for my organization strongly in support of HB85, which seeks to create a postsecondary transition counselor certificate program that can improve successful enrollment, support, and performance of students with disabilities in Virginia's two and four year colleges and universities. Some of our students are provided extensive services in their Pre-K-12 settings and could be capable in college with the added support of a skilled transition counselor. In my many ears as a special educator I have seen that opening opportunities for special education students to access post secondary support will enable our students to continue to achieve their goals in careers and life. Again, please support HB85 for the futures of Virginia students with disabilities. We thank Del. Laufer for patroning this bill. Thank you Madam Chair and members of the Subcommittee."

All religions have the right to pray. The right is for everyone especially Christian’s and Jewish people who have been assaulted by violent rioters like Antifa, and radical leftists. Respect everyone equally in our state.

I applaud Del. Simon’s bill HB131 that will allow all students to practice their religion while on their campuses of higher learning. It is essential that we uphold our right to celebrate our faith for all Americans, as long as the separation of church and state is properly protected and upheld. Please support HB131.

As co-chair of the Virginia Coalition for Human Rights, an organization that supports all human rights with our emphasis on Palestinian rights, I want to express our support for Del Simon's bill. It is vital that students of all religious beliefs are afforded the rights to practice their religion on our college campuses. Thanks to Del Simon for introducing the bill and I hope that it will be approved by the subcommittee and passed in the House and Senate.

While this would admittedly be a wonderful addition to the staff of a high school, it represents yet another unfunded mandate coming out of Richmond. Would Delegate Simonds have any suggestions for how already financially strapped, rural school divisions like mine should pay for this mandated position? I oppose this bill because of the unfunded mandate it creates.

The Virginia Association of School Superintendents is conerned regarding abut this bill interms of the difficulty in finding persons to cover the staff absences and the cost. Thank you, Dr. Tom Smith

Attached, please find Greater Washington Partnership's written testimony urging a favorable report for HB 180. This bill aligns with our Skills & Talent priority of aligning what employers need with what educators teach, including by advocating for the development and promotion of work-based learning opportunities (e.g., apprenticeships, internships, project-based learning, and more).

HB 332 is a common-sense solution because it leverages professionals who are already teaching these subjects at accredited institutions. It maintains rigorous safety standards by requiring compliance with existing background and conduct regulations. Furthermore, it ensures stability by linking the license to the instructor’s continued employment at their college or university. This bill empowers our high schools to offer high-level technical training and college-credit courses that prepare our students for the modern workforce. I urge the committee to report HB 332." As Virginia continues to focus on workforce development, the greatest challenge often lies in the gap between classroom instruction and real-world application. HB 180 addresses this by establishing a Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program. By providing dedicated coordinators to school divisions, we can ensure that every student has access to high-quality internships, apprenticeships, and clinical experiences. This bill is particularly vital because it: Centralized Coordination: It removes the burden of finding work-based learning opportunities from teachers and puts it in the hands of specialized coordinators. Supports All Students: The pilot program includes funding for essential costs like background checks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and onboarding, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating. Ensures Quality: The program aligns professional development with the Board's CTE High-Quality Work-Based Learning Guide, guaranteeing a standard of excellence across participating divisions. Investing in these coordinators is an investment in Virginia’s future workforce. I urge the committee to report HB 180. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to our students.

I oppose this bill. What I have heard for several years is equity in education. In order to keep that equity, students should be required to take the same core courses for graduation including history and social studies. The two African American studies can be offered as electives. If they are allowed as substitute, not all students will receive the same education in history, thereby having a skewed understanding of history.

I oppose this bill. January 6th was not an insurrection and should not be taught as such in public schools. That is misinformation leading students to believe it is truth. This is propaganda is leading to indoctrination of our vulnerable children and needs to be stopped. SCOTUS ruled that federal prosecutors overreached in using an obstruction of justice law to charge January 6th rioters. To prevent any other words to be used to describe the January 6th events is irresponsible.

As an educator, I am hesitant about this bill, not because I oppose teaching African American History, but I believe the unintended consequences could include 1) weakening common academic expectations by making foundational world history optional, 2) fragmenting the curriculum, so students in the same diploma track graduate with non-comparable coursework, and 3) reducing exposure to global history, undermining civic literacy. Also, in a nation comprised of multiple ethnicities, why is African American History singled out, but not Asian American, or Hispanic American, or Native American, etc.? I am most concerned that it could serve to sideline core world history knowledge that should be the standard program of studies for all students. I don't think this should be a decision at the legislative level but rather left to the local school boards and their communities to decide.

I oppose this bill. It places yet another burden on already overtaxed school divisions to address issues entirely outside of their control and purview. Let firearms dealers and pharmacies share this information with families and leave schools alone to fulfill their core responsibility - teaching academics. Children have families, and families are well-equipped to make the decisions pertinent to their own homes. Please vote no on this legislation.

I support this bill because access to unsecured firearms also contributes to gun violence among children and teens.

My name is Sara Pluchino and I support this bill as a Moms Demand Action volunteer as well as a former elementary school teacher of 10 years and a mother of a 2-year-old and a 5-year-old who is about to enter Virginia public schools. As a parent, I would like to know that my school board is required to do everything in their power to prevent students from gaining access to a weapon (or substance) that could cause significant harm to themselves or others. This bill has the potential to save lives by prompting parents who may not have otherwise thought of it or who were not aware of the legal obligation to safely secure their firearms and ensure that their child cannot access them. With gun violence being the leading cause of death among children in the United States- a fact that should never cease to be shocking, heartbreaking and terrifying to each of us, no matter how many times we hear it- educating as many people as we possibly can about secure storage is absolutely crucial.

As a mother and retired educator, I support Delegate Cohen's bill. We must do everything in our power to keep children and their teachers safe from gun violence. Safe storage at home is one simple and reliable way to do so. Delegate Cohen's measure is just one more practical and common-sense step in that process.

On behalf of PositiveAge, the LeadingAge Virginia foundation, which focuses on transforming the aging experience in Virginia by building coalitions and developing innovative solutions to promote positive aging. PositiveAge is proud to support House Bill 254 and its thoughtful approach to strengthening Virginia’s Child Care Subsidy Program through an income-based phased reduction model. This proposal addresses a real and persistent challenge facing working families — the sudden loss of child care assistance when a modest raise or additional hours pushes income just beyond eligibility thresholds. Too often, families are forced to turn down opportunities for workplace advancement because they risk losing affordable child care. HB 254 replaces that “benefits cliff” with a gradual, predictable phase-out that encourages work, supports economic mobility, and provides stability for children. From the perspective of aging support and services, access to reliable child care is also a workforce issue. Many of the professionals who care for older Virginians — nurses, CNAs, home care workers and others are parents balancing low wages with high child care costs. Policies like this directly support employee retention and participation in the workforce serving older adults. We also appreciate the bill’s built-in safeguards, including limits on reduction percentages, opportunities for appeal, and flexibility for families facing hardship or disability-related needs. LeadingAge Virginia and PositiveAge believe this is a proven, common-sense reform that strengthens families, supports employers, and promotes long-term economic stability across the Commonwealth. We respectfully urge your support for House Bill 254.

HB478 This testimony is in favor of the enactment of a Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on high school diplomas. In considering the Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on a diploma, a lot is to be considered. Guidelines and criteria should reflect the dedication students have given to the Fine Arts Program of their school district to receive such an honor. This honor would be not only an encouragement to the dedication and participation of the programs that really compliment the educational experience students receive academically, This recognition would not only serve to encourage the students participating and dedicating themselves, but also be a lighthouse to beacon prospective students to participate in such programs. We have long known the value of such programs to improve academic improvement, aid in responsibility through punctuality and taking ownership of being a part of team effort. These skills are valuable and carry young people into adulthood and through the rest of their lives. To recognize their significant dedication to such programs for most of their formidable high school years will I believe shape stronger intellect and success in our future graduates. Please deeply consider the positive impact this will have on future graduates when approving this measure. Respectfully, Mrs. O’Neill

Affordability? Who is paying for all this? This is setting up fraud, waste, and abuse, on the Somali/Minn. level.

Dear Members of the Virginia General Assembly, My name is Jolisa Rhoyal, and I am writing in strong support of HB 2454. I offer this comment not only as a concerned citizen, but as a public school employee who has served within Virginia’s education system for more than ten years. Through my firsthand experience working with students at both the middle school and high school levels, I have consistently observed a major gap between academic instruction and real-life preparedness. Many students, even as they approach graduation, have little understanding of what life will look like after school whether that includes entering the workforce, pursuing higher education, or navigating adulthood responsibly. HB 2454 is a meaningful step in the right direction because it recognizes the value of work-based learning, apprenticeships, internships, and externships. These opportunities expose students to real-world environments, teach responsibility, and help them identify career interests early. I strongly believe these programs should not be optional or secondary, but instead taught and encouraged at a much higher demand across our schools. In addition to work-based learning, I urge the General Assembly to continue expanding and prioritizing instruction in financial literacy and real-life skills. Students should graduate with a working knowledge of: • Budgeting and saving • Money management • Investing and building generational wealth • Maintaining a healthy credit score • Avoiding and managing debt These are essential life skills that directly impact long-term stability, independence, and economic success. When students understand finances and career pathways early, they are better positioned to make informed decisions and avoid cycles of financial hardship. As someone who sees the needs of our students daily, I believe HB 2454 has the potential to positively shape their futures. I respectfully encourage your continued support of this bill and future efforts that prepare students not just academically, but practically, for life beyond the classroom. Thank you for your time, service, and commitment to Virginia’s children. Respectfully, Jolisa Rhoyal

In early care and education services, there is a need for clarity within laws and standards when referring to child care that is taking place in a licensed home-based setting. In VA, this type of care has been called family day homes and doesn’t provide the public or lawmakers a clear distinction between center-based child care and home-based child care. I support changing the language as proposed by Del Simonds in HB 258.

I tried to sign up to speak on these bills. VASS supports HB195, HB332, HB785 and HB1171 Dr. Tom Smith

HB 332 is a common-sense solution because it leverages professionals who are already teaching these subjects at accredited institutions. It maintains rigorous safety standards by requiring compliance with existing background and conduct regulations. Furthermore, it ensures stability by linking the license to the instructor’s continued employment at their college or university. This bill empowers our high schools to offer high-level technical training and college-credit courses that prepare our students for the modern workforce. I urge the committee to report HB 332." As Virginia continues to focus on workforce development, the greatest challenge often lies in the gap between classroom instruction and real-world application. HB 180 addresses this by establishing a Work-Based Learning Coordinator Pilot Program. By providing dedicated coordinators to school divisions, we can ensure that every student has access to high-quality internships, apprenticeships, and clinical experiences. This bill is particularly vital because it: Centralized Coordination: It removes the burden of finding work-based learning opportunities from teachers and puts it in the hands of specialized coordinators. Supports All Students: The pilot program includes funding for essential costs like background checks, personal protective equipment (PPE), and onboarding, ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent students from participating. Ensures Quality: The program aligns professional development with the Board's CTE High-Quality Work-Based Learning Guide, guaranteeing a standard of excellence across participating divisions. Investing in these coordinators is an investment in Virginia’s future workforce. I urge the committee to report HB 180. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to our students.

1374 keep VMI the historical state college HB 333 do not reach the liberal viewpoint of Jan 6 Hb56 give funds for family members

I oppose this bill. January 6th was not an insurrection and should not be taught as such in public schools. That is misinformation leading students to believe it is truth. This is propaganda is leading to indoctrination of our vulnerable children and needs to be stopped. SCOTUS ruled that federal prosecutors overreached in using an obstruction of justice law to charge January 6th rioters. To prevent any other words to be used to describe the January 6th events is irresponsible.

As an educator, I STONGLY OPPOSE this bill. It represents an unprecedented move by lawmakers to dictate historical interpretation in statute, replacing professional judgment with political edict. Under this bill, schools may teach about January 6 only if they adopt state-mandated conclusions written into law. It would set a dangerous precedent for legislating history, remove discretion from teachers and school boards, raises serious First Amendment and academic freedom concerns, invite politicized complaints and enforcement, and turn classrooms into compliance zones rather than places of research, debate, and inquiry. HB 333 is the very definition of politicizing education, locking a single charged political narrative into law and punishing any deviation. It proves those critics of public education who claim "indoctrination, not education" 100% correct. Please do not pass this horrendous legislation into law.

House Bill NO.333 attempts to formalize and institutionalize a one-sided narrative for instruction in our public school system. This bill refers to January 6, 2021, but it does not really matter what the topic is. Any law that would dictate only one point of view to be presented as fact in our schools, making alternative viewpoints or discussion forbidden, is promoting propaganda by the state. Per Wikipedia: Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded language to produce an emotional rather than a rational response to the information that is being presented. Propaganda can be found in a wide variety of different contexts. If the sponsors really believe the language of their bill represents established historical facts, what is the need then for the legislation? By censoring any descriptions and portrayals of a contrary point of view, they are attempting to control the narrative, to shamelessly prop up their version of the truth. The old Soviet censorship body Glavlit would be proud of these gentlemen. I urge you to reject this bill.

I support this bill because I want to be sure that our youth are learning the truth about what happened that day rather than harmful lies and conspiracy theories. It was a dark day in our history and provides context to where we are right now and any evidence, video footage, and testimonies confirm that.

I oppose any attempt to mislead people in the slightest bit about January 6th. There are still plenty of missing pieces in this matter. All educational institutions must be neutral in their curriculum materials. Same goes with Afghanistan Pullout under the leadership of the Democrats and form President Joe Biden-Obama administration. All opinions, bias social media, leaders, and politics must be omitted. Integrity is a must and the parents must be aware of the lessons.

Please bear with me as I am a high school drop out with a GED and dyslexia. As a parent of two children with IEP's I do not believe the SOLIS should be any part of their grade. These test are an added steps, worry and disappointment to most students as it is. NO religion should be posted on school property. NO TEN COMMANDMENTS. And truths from all sides of history should be taught including January 6th. Our children deserve the truth.

I STRONGLY OPPOSE THIS BILL. Get the facts ( IT IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION) before trying to play psyop games with our children. We know that you are trying to secure future votes, but parents are NOT going to approve this. Schools will loose their state and federal funding. Parents will NOT have them go to public INSTITUTIONS (grooming breading grounds). This is NOT important curriculum. What IS IMPORTANT is the Trade industry. ALL SCHOOLS NEED TO HAVE TRADE INDUSTRY classes into the curriculum. POLICTICS should NEVER be in schools/curriculum. More important than the report’s factual errors are the serious questions never investigated by the Select Committee. Why did Democrat congressional leaders turn down repeated offers of National Guard troops to protect the Capitol that day? Why was security so lax outside the Capitol despite expectations of a large demonstration? How many FBI informants and other undercover federal law enforcement officials were in the crowd? What communication did the FBI or FBI informants have with protest organizers ahead of the event? Why wasn’t then-Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund told there were federal informants in the crowd? Why did the U.S. Capitol Police open the doors and allow demonstrators into the building? Why did federal law enforcement authorities demand cell phone location data for the thousands of people who were outside the Capitol but broke no laws? Why does the FBI still have no idea(NOW PROVEN) who planted the pipe bombs near the headquarters of the Republican National Committee and the Democratic National Committee on the evening of January 5? The disclosure about the 26 informants invites further questions about what other elements of federal law enforcement were present that day and what exactly they were doing. The video released by McCarthy shows that Ray Epps, a man who is suspected of being an FBI informant and who was at the heart of the events of January 6, lied to Congress about his movements. When the Select Committee had him testify in an attempt to clear his name after footage emerged of him urging the crowd to storm the Capitol, Epps told committee members that he never entered the Capitol. He testified that when he texted his nephew at 2:12 p.m. that day, writing that he had “orchestrated the protests at the Capitol,” he was already back at his hotel room. But surveillance footage shows this is not true. Epps remained at the Capitol for half an hour after he sent that text. Members of the committee knew this but never followed up.

HB478 This testimony is in favor of the enactment of a Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on high school diplomas. In considering the Fine Arts Seal of Excellence on a diploma, a lot is to be considered. Guidelines and criteria should reflect the dedication students have given to the Fine Arts Program of their school district to receive such an honor. This honor would be not only an encouragement to the dedication and participation of the programs that really compliment the educational experience students receive academically, This recognition would not only serve to encourage the students participating and dedicating themselves, but also be a lighthouse to beacon prospective students to participate in such programs. We have long known the value of such programs to improve academic improvement, aid in responsibility through punctuality and taking ownership of being a part of team effort. These skills are valuable and carry young people into adulthood and through the rest of their lives. To recognize their significant dedication to such programs for most of their formidable high school years will I believe shape stronger intellect and success in our future graduates. Please deeply consider the positive impact this will have on future graduates when approving this measure. Respectfully, Mrs. O’Neill

Comments Document

On behalf of the Alexandria City School Board, please see the attached letter in support of HB382.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments in support of HB383. My name is Richard Cheng and I am a Scrum Alliance Certieid Scrum Trainer (CST) and a Kanban University Accredited Kanban Trainer (AKT). I am writing based on my direct professional experience working with organizations that either are or were SCHEV certified, including Excella Training, NextUp Solutions, and Sprightbulb Training. While I fully support appropriate oversight of higher education, the SCHEV certification requirements place a significant and costly burden on professional training organizations like ours, particularly in terms of ongoing maintenance, reporting, and administrative overhead. Agile, Scrum, and Kanban training programs are already governed by rigorous and well established professional bodies, most notably Scrum Alliance and Kanban University. These organizations enforce strict standards for curriculum, instructor qualification, learning objectives, and certification integrity. In practice, this professional governance already provides strong consumer protection and quality assurance. Our courses are short duration professional classes, typically ranging from one to three days, and they lead to well regulated, industry recognized certifications. They are not degree programs, nor are they intended to function as traditional academic education. The current SCHEV requirements create practical challenges that directly impact students. Each physical training location must be separately certified, which makes it difficult to move classes to locations that are more accessible or better suited to student needs. In addition, the administrative overhead slows our ability to rapidly introduce new courses, even when those courses are created and released by Scrum Alliance or Kanban University in response to evolving industry demand. HB383 provides a reasonable and targeted exemption that recognizes the unique nature of professional Agile training while preserving appropriate oversight through existing professional certification bodies. I strongly support its passage. Thank you for your consideration. Richard Cheng

Comments Document

See attachment.

I write today in support of HB427 to include Student Parents in data collection at institutions of higher education in Virginia. Too often parenting students are left out of funding consideration due to being an invisible population on campuses across the country. One in five students in undergraduate programs are also parenting children under the age of 18. Parenting students are often faced with barriers to their success through no fault of their own. Parenting students face having to reduce working hours, spend less time caring for their children, and reducing sleep in order to be successful students. These factors can cause parenting students to drop out or stop out of their educations at higher rates than their non-parenting peers. By including parenting students in data we can offer better support to the unique challenges that student parents face when trying to be successful in their educations. As a former parenting student who now supports parenting families, I know first hand the difficulties and invisibility faced by these students. Biases against parenting students still exist in higher education settings; yet these students show up everyday without asking for help and suffering in silence. We owe it to them to say that we see you and we count you, because you matter. Please vote yes on HB427, so we can count the many students who are parenting and support them in their success.

I tried to sign up to speak on these bills. VASS supports HB195, HB332, HB785 and HB1171 Dr. Tom Smith

Voices for Virginia's Children supports HB859. Farm to school initiatives are a revolutionary way to stimulate local economies and allow schools to provide nutritious foods to fuel the minds and bodies of youth. This bill lays the groundwork for improving the logistics of implementing this model. For these reasons, Voices for Virginia's Children supports this bill.

I speak today as a parent, a former Virginia special education teacher, and an advocate for students with disabilities across the Commonwealth to express my support for HB 1171. In all three roles, I have seen the real and lasting consequences of how graduation pathways are designed—and who they unintentionally leave behind. As a teacher, I worked with students who were appropriately found eligible for the Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) based on their cognitive and functional profiles. When policy changes narrowed access to VAAP, many of those same students were removed from eligibility. Their needs did not change. Their abilities did not change. The system changed around them. As a result, many students were left without a meaningful or attainable path to earning a Standard Diploma, despite continuing to need alternative ways to demonstrate learning and competence. For these students, requiring passing scores on Standards of Learning assessments does not reflect what they know, what they can do, or how prepared they are for adulthood. Instead, it creates an artificial barrier to graduation. As a parent and advocate, I see the broader impact of this gap. A system that offers no viable pathway to graduation for certain students with disabilities—despite well-documented needs and strengths—fails to meet its obligation to provide a Free Appropriate Public Education under federal law. Alternative graduation pathways are not about lowering expectations or replacing existing diploma requirements. They are about equity, access, and compliance. Developing and implementing alternative graduation pathways that include non-assessment demonstrations of competence, hands-on learning, and alignment with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate is essential. These pathways would restore opportunity for students displaced by prior policy changes and ensure that all students have a fair chance to earn a Standard Diploma in a way that reflects their abilities, growth, and readiness for postsecondary life. As both a professional and a parent, I am asking you to ensure that no student’s future is determined by a system that removes pathways without replacing them.

Changes VDOE made in July 2024 to paperwork that families must fill out for their child to qualify to take the Virginia Alternative Assessment Program (VAAP) has resulted in children with disabilities who have been on the VAAP track for years being told they are no longer eligible and put in SOL-track classes. While I fully support more students graduating with standard diplomas, as the applied studies diploma is essentially a certificate of attendance and not recognized federally as a diploma, VDOE did not include any mechanisms to successfully transition from VAAP track classes to SOL classes. My child was impacted by this. She has not been adequately taught addition or subtraction and has not had any instruction in multiplication or division, and yet - as an 8th grader now no longer eligible for VAAP track, was put into a PreAlgebra class. This is a disservice both to my daughter and to her teachers, as it sets them both up to fail. The ESSA requirement that 1% or less of the population take the alternative assessment only applies to the assessment itself - not the diploma the children receives. So right now Virginia is refusing to allow these students to take the alternative assessment, while at the same time not providing them the knowledge needed to actually take and pass SOLs at all. Virginia will look better on paper being under 1%, but these kids will still graduate with applied studies diplomas having been given no way to realistically pass an SOL. Alternative pathways to standard diplomas are necessary, or these children with be lost in the cracks where no one is being held accountable for their progress - a free and appropriate public education requires more than just sitting in a classroom. It requires that districts and states be accountable for the progress of ALL kids. I strongly urge the general assembly to support additional alternative pathways to earning a standard diplomas. Please keep in mind that colleges now have programs for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities - like George Mason and Syracuse University. But our children can't access financial aid to attend these colleges without federally recognized diplomas, which the applied studies diploma is not. If the state is going to say these kids can't take the alternative assessment because they don't qualify any longer, the state has a responsibility to remediate instruction - to provide the instruction the VAAP track denied them - and provide alternatives to graduate with a standard diploma.

I tried to sign up to speak on these bills. VASS supports HB195, HB332, HB785 and HB1171 Dr. Tom Smith

The SOL Tests have an outsize impact on our students in so many ways. I support this bill providing viable alternatives for achievement of a standard diploma without limiting a student to only 1 alternative verified credit. The ability to pass a test should solely determine if a student can receive a standard diplma.