Addition and Deletion of Courses and Programs 6-24

School Board of the City of Virginia Beach
Policy 6-24

INSTRUCTION

Addition and Deletion of Courses and Programs

1. Addition of General Education Courses and Programs and Academic and Arts Academy Programs

   The Superintendent may recommend to the School Board the addition of courses and programs.

   New courses and programs, including the academic and arts academy programs, which may improve the educational opportunity for students, are encouraged by the School Board to the limits of financial practicability, student interest, and student need.

   The Superintendent or designee may recommend to the School Board the implementation of an Academy program, the expansion of an existing Academy program, or the deletion of an existing Academy program. Information on the process for creating/modifying an Academy Program is promulgated in School Board Policy 6-45 and School Board Regulation 6-24.2.

   All new courses and programs must have the approval of the School Board. All new programs must include a provision for assessment by the Department of Planning, Innovation, and Accountability. All new courses must be assessed by the Department of Teaching and Learning. Exceptions shall include school-sponsored programs funded with money raised at the school or provided by benefactor programs and not considered of an experimental nature. Such programs will be approved by the Chief Academic Officer.

   When approving courses that the Virginia Board of Education has not provided guidance for, the approved courses should be aligned with applicable regulations or law.

2. Deletion of General Education Courses and Programs and Academic and Arts Academy Programs

   The Superintendent may recommend the deletion of courses and programs including the academic and arts academy programs based on, but not limited to: decline in student enrollment; inappropriate content; curriculum covered in other courses; changes in the Standards of Accreditation or Virginia Standards of Learning; unfavorable program evaluations; funding availability; or other good and just cause. Exceptions shall include school-sponsored programs funded with money raised at the school or provided by benefactor programs and not considered of an experimental nature and have been approved by the Chief Academic Officer. The school principal has the authority to discontinue such programs.

3. Sunset Provision

   All new program proposals shall include a sunset provision. This provision will include a date by which the program will sunset unless reauthorized by the School Board. This date will be subject to School Board approval and shall be no more than five (5) years after the program’s implementation date.

Legal Reference

Virginia Board of Education Regulations. 8-VAC-20-131-10, et seq., as amended. Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia.

Related Links

School Board Regulation 6-24.2
School Board Policy 6-45

Adopted by School Board: August 21, 1990
Amended by School Board: July 16, 1991
Amended by School Board: July 13, 1993 (Effective August 14, 1993)
Amended by School Board: August 4, 1998
Amended by School Board: May 11, 2004
Amended by School Board: June 6, 2006
Amended by School Board: September 5, 2007
Amended by School Board: February 5, 2008
Scrivener’s Amendments: September 28, 2011
Scrivener’s Amendments: January 8, 2014
Amended by School Board: February 21, 2017
Amended by School Board: June 20, 2017
Amended by School Board: February 13, 2024