Virginia’s first lab school officially opened this month at Virginia Commonwealth University.
The VCU x CodeRVA Lab School is a joint project between VCU’s RTR Teacher Residency Program and CodeRVA Regional High School. It is actually a repositioning of CodeRVA, a regional Richmond high school launched in 2017 that focused on computer science.
Students at the new school will learn computer science curriculum, obtain real-world work experience and have the opportunity to graduate with a Virginia high school diploma, an associate degree from the Virginia Community College System and industry certifications.
Last year, Gov. Glenn Youngkin launched the lab school initiative with $100 million in funding from the General Assembly. The initiative allows any public or private college or university to open a charter school with the simple approval of the state Board of Education. It also allows colleges or universities to convert existing schools into charter schools with board approval. Youngkin, a Republican, has tabbed the initiative as a way to create more schools that operate outside of the eye of local school boards but still receive public money.
“Through Virginia’s first lab school, we are unleashing opportunities and giving parents new options for their kids to learn in innovative and creative ways,” Youngkin said in a statement. “We can break the status quo of a one-size-fits-all education and provide every student in the commonwealth access to an extraordinary education.”
VCU’s RTR program is a residency program for undergraduates and graduate students that places aspiring teachers with mentors while they earn an education degree from the school. It is the largest and longest-standing teacher residency program in the state.
“Our partnership with VCU will enable our teachers to train educators just entering the profession in both our signature instructional model and the integration of computer science across the curriculum,” CodeRVA’s Kume Goranson said in a statement. “Our students will benefit from their access to VCU's resources and cutting-edge research.”
Two more lab schools have been approved in the state: Germanna Community College’s Future Educators Academy and the University of Mary Washington’s Academy of Technology and Innovation. There have been a total of 20 applicants, according to the governor’s office.
VCU President Michael Rao said the Richmond university was interested in pursuing a lab school because it addresses the state’s innovation and workforce needs, and helps make STEM education more accessible.
