RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Lab schools in Virginia are one step closer to becoming a reality after clearing a critical hurdle in front of a state committee.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) defines lab schools as public, non-religious schools set up by higher education institutions.
The state’s first lab school, a partnership between Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and CodeRVA, a magnet school in Richmond, received approval from the College Partnership Lab Schools Committee on Friday.
Now all that stands in its way is final approval from the Virginia Board of Education.
The partnership between VCU and CodeRVA is two-fold. First, expanding CodeRVA from a computer science high school to include all grades within five years.
“I have a three-year-old and she already thinks about the screens, and she knows how to use a lot of technology already,” Dr. Kim McKnight, director of VCU’s Center for Teacher Leadership, told the committee. “I think we need to start early so everyone can see themselves as a computer scientist.”
In addition, the partnership will also expand VCU’s teacher residency program to help future teachers integrate computer science instruction into all subjects.
“It’s based on a medical residency model,” McKnight said. “We are paying people to get a degree in education, and they are in a mentor teacher’s classroom from the first day of teacher workweek until the last day of school.”
The Virginia Department of Education says lab schools could soon be open in every corner of the state.
“We currently have 17 applications that have been approved for a planning grant, so those applications have a year to develop their plan and ultimately submit a full application to the standing committee for their approval,” VDOE Chief of Staff Dr. Jeremy Raley said.
Raley added that if VCU’s partnership with CodeRVA is approved by the state’s education board later this month, the lab school will be open in the fall.
