Background Information

The Virginia Department of Education received a grant in April 2005 from the Asia Society to integrate additional international knowledge and skills into the Commonwealth’s high school redesign efforts.   In August 2005, a survey was conducted to identify existing foreign language offerings, international education programs, and best practices, the results of which were then disseminated to an 11 member International Education Task Force.  This task force, representing educators, businesses, parents, and community leaders, convened in November 2005 and again in January 2006 to review the data from the survey and to discuss possible resolutions and recommendations on international education and high school reform.  In addition, the task force held a follow-up meeting in May after the International Education Summit. 

A full-day International Education Summit with a strand on high school reform was held on May 2, 2006, for approximately 100 key administrators, educators, parents, business leaders, legislators, and Board of Education members to discuss the importance of international education to Virginia.  

International Education in Virginia’s Classroom Instruction

Virginia has long supported international education.  International perspectives are infused into the Standards of Learning (SOL) for history and the social sciences, and increased cultural competence is central to the goals and philosophies of foreign language study.   The Virginia Board of Education supports international education through the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (SOA), which set graduation requirements including successful course completion in world history, geography, and other courses. 

Students seeking an “Advanced Diploma” must successfully complete three levels of one foreign language or two levels each of two languages, among other requirements.  Middle schools are required to offer foreign language courses for high school credit beginning in the eighth grade, and recent revisions to the SOA include the statement that “elementary schools are encouraged to provide instruction in foreign languages.”

Students enrolled in International Baccalaureate (IB) Programs in Virginia pursue IB diploma requirements that infuse international education, the study of world cultures to include literature, music, art, and language, and the development of strong analytical skills while studying world issues.  For the “Commonwealth Scholars” diploma program in place in 11 school divisions, students must complete at least two levels of a foreign language, as well as meet other requirements.

Global Perspectives in Foreign Languages

Expanding global perspectives is central to the study of foreign languages.  Of the seven strands in the Standards of Learning for Foreign Languages, four of the strands relate either directly or in part to the development of international perspectives: Cultural Products, Practices, and Perspectives; Making Connections through Language; Cultural and Linguistic Comparisons; and Communication across Communities.  Additional opportunities for students to enrich their participation in foreign language programs include activities inside and outside the traditional classroom, some of which are listed below:

• Summer residential Governor’s Foreign Language Academies
• Three weeks of full immersion in French, German, and Spanish; and
• Three weeks of partial immersion in Japanese, Latin, and Russian;
• Immersion in both the target language and culture; and 
• Over 6,250 high school students over the past 20 years.
• Virtual Advanced Placement School (VAPS) and Virginia Satellite Education Network (VSEN) available to all divisions, enabling all public school divisions in Virginia to easily expand their course offerings
• Spanish IV and Advanced Placement (AP) Spanish Language;
• Advanced Placement French Language and Composition;
• Levels I-III of Latin; and
• Chinese I under development for piloting during the school year of 2006-2007, with plans to develop and add levels II and III in subsequent years.
• LinguaFolio, a language learner self-assessment and portfolio system modeled after the European Language Portfolio.  LinguaFolio is a tool where those who are learning or have learned a language at school or outside of school can record and reflect on their language learning and cultural experiences.  LinguaFolio includes sections that can be used to reflect on cultural differences and achieve a greater level of cultural competence.  It accompanies language learners throughout life and is suitable for documenting language abilities for various uses.

Professional Development

Foreign language teachers must meet the highly qualified teacher criteria under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.  They must also participate in annual professional development activities, which are available at the local, state, and national levels.  Professional development activities such as those listed below are a sample of the opportunities available to teachers of the Commonwealth.

• Professional development opportunities 
• Annual Foreign Language Conference sponsored by the Foreign Language Association of Virginia (FLAVA);
• Immersion weekends for teachers of French, German, Latin, and Spanish sponsored by the VDOE; 
• Opportunities to spend up to one week observing and participating at the Virginia Governor’s Foreign Language Academies during the summer; and 
• Membership in and professional development opportunities provided by active chapters of national foreign language associations such as the American Association of Teachers of French, the American Association of Teachers of German, and the American Association of Teachers of Spanish/Portuguese, as well as the Mid-Atlantic Association of Teachers of Japanese and the Classical Association of Virginia.