HB 836

Abstract

Department of Education; microcredentials; plan. Requires the Department of Education to develop a plan to adopt and implement standards for microcredentials used toward add-on endorsements and renewal of licenses earned by Virginia license holders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. The bill requires such plan to include (i) a process for reviewing and administering educator microcredentials; (ii) assurances that educator microcredentials rely upon demonstrable evidence from the submission of artifacts, such as student projects and teacher lesson plans, that are then objectively scored against existing rubrics; and (iii) assurances that educator microcredentials focus on interrelated competencies leading to logical teacher professional development pathways and stacks of educator microcredentials and align with the Board of Education's ongoing work on educator professional development. Such plan shall also include the resources needed for statewide implementation. The bill requires the Department of Education to complete and submit the plan to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Education, the House Committee on Appropriations, the Senate Committee on Education and Health, and the Senate Committee on Finance and Appropriations no later than December 1, 2020.

Department of Education; microcredentials; standards.Requires the Department of Education to develop and adopt standardsfor microcredentials earned by public school teachers in the Commonwealth,including microcredentials used toward add-on endorsements, initiallicensure, renewal of licensure, and professional development pointsin science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields,that align with nationally-accepted standards for microcredentials,such as those utilized by the nonprofit organization Digital Promise.Such standards shall include (i) educator microcredentials focusedon discrete competencies based upon relevant, peer-reviewed researchin the specific domain or discipline; (ii) educator microcredentialsthat rely upon demonstrable evidence from the submission of artifacts,such as student projects and teacher lesson plans, that are then objectively scored against existing rubrics; and (iii) educator microcredentials that focus on interrelated competencies leading to logical teacherprofessional development pathways and stacks of educator microcredentials.The bill requires any entity that issues microcredentials to publicschool teachers in the Commonwealth to comply with such standards.