Graduation Requirements for Virginia Public Schools

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2 4 in 2004 And 05 and 06
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Graduation Requirements 2 4 in 2004

• Virginia Department of Education
• Sylinda Gilchrist,
• School Counseling Specialist
• Maureen Hijar,
• Director of Secondary Instruction
• Robin Barton,
• Transition Special Education Specialist

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Topics for Discussion

• Standard Credits vs Verified Credits
• Advanced Studies Diploma
• Standard Diploma
• Tracking System
• Earning Verified Credit during the Transition
  Years

• Content Issues
• First-Time Transfer to Virginia
• Expedited Retest
• Special Education Issues /Modified Standard
  Diploma
• Questions

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Effective Date for Graduation Requirements

• Graduation requirements
• are those that were in effect when a student
  entered the ninth grade for the first time.
• High school courses successfully completed prior
  to the ninth grade
• May be awarded standard and verified credits if
  they meet SOL content requirements or are
  equivalent in content and academic rigor as those
  courses offered at the secondary level

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Standard and Verified Credits
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A Standard Credit is Based on

• A minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction
• Successful completion of the requirements of the
  course

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A Verified Credit is Based on

• A minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction
• Successful completion of the requirements of the
  course
• The achievement of a passing score on the
  end-of-course SOL test or substitute test for
  that course

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Advanced Studies Diploma
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Advanced Studies DiplomaStandard and Verified
Credit Requirements
Transitional requirements
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Advanced Studies DiplomaCourse Requirements
Special provisions
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Standard Diploma
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Standard DiplomaStandard and Verified Credit
Requirements
Transitional requirements
Required for graduates in 2003 and beyond
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Standard DiplomaCourse Requirements
Special provisions
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Special Provisions

• Mathematics courses are at or above the level
  of algebra and shall include at least two
  selections from among Algebra I, Geometry,
  Algebra II, or other mathematics courses above
  the level of algebra and geometry.
• Science courses must include selections from at
  least two different science disciplines earth
  science, biology, chemistry, or physics.

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Special Provisions Continued

• History and Social Sciences courses shall
  include U.S. and Virginia History, U.S. and
  Virginia Government, and one world
  history/geography course.

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Tracking Standard and Verified Credits

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Tracking Standard and Verified Credits

• Records for tracking verified credits standard,
  advanced, and modified diplomas
• Documentation for students in jeopardy of not
  graduating because of verified credit requirement
• Notification to parents and students
• Transcripts should have total verified credits
  earned along with other transcript requirements
• For Transcript Regulations
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2002/inf0
  10a.pdf

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Ways to Verify a Credit during the Transition
Years 2004, 2005, 2006

• End-of-Course SOL Tests
• Substitute Assessments
• Locally Awarded Verified Credits
• CTE Certification and Licensure Exams

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End-of-Course SOL Tests Available for Verified
Credit
Reading/Literature/Research 100 pass rate
needed for class of 04 and beyond. Beginning
Fall 2003, course name and content will be
modified to reflect the 2001 SOL 1000 A.D. will
be changed to 1500 A.D.
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Substitute Assessments

• Students shall be counseled annually regarding
  the options for using substitute tests for
  earning verified credits . . . and the
  consequences of failing to fulfill the obligation
  to complete the requirements for verified units
  of credit.
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2001/inf0
  73a.pdf

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Substitute Tests

• The Board has approved additional tests that
  enable students to earn verified units of credit.
• Superintendents Memorandum, Informational, No.
  79, June 7, 2002
• Attachment A contains the complete list
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2002/inf0
  79a.pdf
• Form to nominate additional tests -
  Superintendents Memorandum, Informational, No.
  73, May 11, 2001
• Examples of these tests include
• Some AP tests Some SAT II tests
• Some IB tests Some CLEP tests

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Locally Awarded Verified Credit

• On July 25, 2002, the Board of Education adopted
  guidelines to enable
• local school boards to award a verified credit
  towards a Standard Diploma to students who
• entered the ninth grade in 2000-01, 2001-02, and
  2002-03 and
• have passed a course with an associated SOL
  test, but failed the test and
• have earned fewer than four of the
  student-selected verified credits required for
  the Standard diploma.

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Locally Awarded Verified Creditcontinued

• Science and History/Social Science Only
• Students must meet the following criteria
• Scores within 375-399 scale score on any SOL test
  after taking the test twice.
• Demonstrates achievement in the academic content
  through an appeal process administered at the
  local level.

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Locally Awarded Verified Creditcontinued

• General Provisions for Implementation
• No more than 4 verified credits may be awarded
  through this process
• These guidelines may not be used for awarding
  verified credits for Advanced Diploma
• Awarding of verified credits under these
  guidelines will not be used to recalculate a
  schools accreditation rating
• Local school boards shall adopt policies that
  specify local procedures for implementing these
  guidelines.

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Student-Selected Tests

• The student-selected test(s) may come from
• Any end-of-course SOL test that is not already
  satisfying a required verified credit
• Tests in computer science, technology, or other
  areas as prescribed by the Board

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Student-Selected Testscontinued

• The Board has approved a number of career and
  technical education certification and licensure
  exams that also may be used to satisfy
  student-selected verified credits.
• The complete list
• Attachment A to Superintendents Memorandum,
  Informational, No. 79, June 7, 2002
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2001/inf0
  73a.pdf

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Sequential Electives
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Sequential Electives

• Beginning with the graduating class of 2003
  (ninth graders in 1999-2000)
• at least two sequential electives are required
  for the Standard and Modified Standard Diplomas
• May be in any discipline as long as the courses
  are not specifically required for graduation

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Sequential Electivescontinued

• Students may take the focused sequence of
  elective courses in consecutive years or any two
  years of high school.
• An exploratory course followed by an introductory
  course may not be used to satisfy the
  requirement.
• Courses used to satisfy the one unit of credit in
  a fine or practical art may be used to partially
  satisfy this requirement.

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Sequential Electivescontinued

• An introductory course followed by another level
  of the same course of study may be used
• For career and technical education electives -
  check with the Department of Education
• Guidelines Governing Sequential Electives -
  Approved by the Board on February 5, 2002
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/2002/int0
  01a.pdf

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Fine or Practical Art

• One standard credit in a fine or practical art is
  required for the Standard, Advanced Studies, and
  Modified Standard Diplomas.
• Courses to satisfy these credits do not have to
  be approved by the Board of Education.
• Local school officials may determine which
  courses satisfy the requirement.

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Content Issues

• Algebra I Part I and Part II OR Algebra I Part I
  and Algebra I
• Geometry Part I and Part II OR Geometry Part I
  and Geometry
• Chemistry Part I and Part II OR Chemistry Part I
  and Chemistry

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First-Time Transfers to a Virginia Public School
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Standard DiplomaFirst-time Transfers to a
Virginia Public School

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Advanced Studies DiplomaFirst-time Transfers to
a Virginia Public School
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Expedited Retest for End-of-Course SOL
Assessments
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Expedited Retest

• Local school boards will provide opportunity for
  students who meet criteria adopted by the board
  to have an expedited retake of an end-of-course
  SOL test to earn a verified credit (8 VAC
  20-131-110)
• No expedited retest for English Writing Test
• Schools can request a retest 4 weeks after
  pass/fail results are received. Online testing
  has a 3 week window (except for alerted students)

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Expedited RetestContinued

• Retest request can be made after each
  administration fall, spring, summer
• Retest requests cannot be made after a failed
  expedited taken test
• School divisions have the option to conduct a
  fall administration

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Local Graduation Requirements
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Additional Local Graduation Requirements

• Local school boards may request and receive
  permission from the Board of Education to
  prescribe additional requirements for
  graduation.
• Local school divisions may not deny a Standard,
  Advanced Studies, or Modified Standard Diploma to
  any transfer student who has met the
  requirements for these diplomas if the student
  can meet the requirements only by taking a
  heavier than normal course load . . .

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Modified Standard Diploma
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Modified Standard Diploma

• Intended for certain students at the secondary
  level who have a disability and are unlikely to
  meet the credit requirements for a Standard
  Diploma
• Eligibility and participation determined by the
  students IEP team and the student, when
  appropriate

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Modified Standard Diplomacontinued

• Decisions of eligibility and participation may be
  made at any point after the students
  eighth-grade year
• Must have written consent from parent/guardian
  and the student for a student to choose this
  diploma program

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Modified Standard Diplomacontinued

• The student must
• be allowed to pursue a Standard or Advanced
  Studies Diploma at any time throughout his or her
  high school career
• not be excluded from courses and tests required
  to earn a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma
• pass literacy and numeracy competency assessments
  as prescribed by the Board of Education.

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Modified Standard DiplomaCourse Requirements
Special provisions
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Approved Courses for the Modified Standard Diploma

• The complete list
• Attachment A to Superintendents Memorandum,
  Administrative, No. 63, December 15,
  2000http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/suptsmemos/200
  0/adm063a.pdf

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For Further Information Regarding Academic
Requirements

• Deborah Kiger LymanMathematics
  Specialist804-786-6418 or dlyman_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
  
• Anita WallaceSecondary English
  Specialist804-781-7585 or awallace_at_mail.vak12ed.e
  du

• Maureen Hijar,
• Director of Secondary Instruction
• 804- 225- 2880
• mhijar_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
• Colleen BryantSecondary History and Social
  Science Specialist804-786-4640
  orcbryant_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
• Delores Dalton DunnSecondary Science
  Specialist804-371-0778 or ddalton_at_mail.vak12ed.ed
  u

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For Further Information School Counselors should
contact

• Sylinda Gilchrist, School Counseling Specialist
  804-786-9377 or sgilchri_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
• School Counselor Web page at VDOE
• http//www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/studentsrvcs/guidanc
  e-cnsl.shtml
• Robin Barton
• Transition Special Education Specialist
• 804-225-2700 or
• rbarton_at_mail.vak12ed.edu

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For Further Information Regarding Career
Technical Education Requirements

• Gordon Creasy
• Specialist, CTE Certification and Licensure
  Examinations
• 804-786-7986 or
• gcreasy_at_pen.k12.va.us

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For Further Information Regarding Accountability
Issues

• Cheryl Magill, Director of Accreditation at
  (804)-225-2708 or
• cmagill_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
• Ed Holstrom, School Accreditation Specialist at
  [phone] or eholstro_at_mail.vak12ed.edu
• Janet Callis, School Accreditation Specialist at
  [phone] or jcallis_at_mail.vak12ed.edu

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Reference Documents

• Regulations Establishing Standards for
  Accrediting Public Schools in VirginiaSeptember
  28, 2000(Standards of Accreditation - SOA)
• Guidelines Governing Certain Provisions of the
  Regulations Establishing Standards for
  Accrediting Public Schools in VirginiaNovember
  30, 2000

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Reference Documents

• Superintendents Memoranda
• The School Administrators Handbook of Course
  Codes, Position Codes, and Licensure Codes - July
  2000

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Questions/Sharing