Standards of Accreditation
News & Announcements
Effective May 9, 2018
Effective May 9, 2018, all students are eligible to be considered for locally-awarded verified credits in English and mathematics. Refer to Superintendent’s Memo #130-18 for additional information.
Introduction
Virginia Board of Education's Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia are designed to ensure that an effective educational program is established and maintained in Virginia's public schools. The accreditation standards:
- Provide an essential foundation of educational programs of high quality in all schools for all students.
- Encourage continuous appraisal and improvement of the school program for the purpose of raising student achievement.
- Foster public confidence.
- Assure recognition of Virginia's public schools by other institutions of learning.
- Establish a means of determining the effectiveness of schools.
Standards For Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia
The Board of Education’s 2017 Standards of Accreditation (SOA) support continuous improvement for all schools, and college, career and civic readiness for all students. The revisions include graduation requirements aligned with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate and school accreditation standards that include new measures of quality and performance.
- Regulations Establishing the Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (effective in the fall of 2018)
– These regulations were approved by the Board in November 2017. - The current version of the Standards of Accreditation-This is a PDF document., last revised in 2015, remains in effect until the beginning of the 2018-2019 school year.
- Emergency Amendments to the Standards of Accreditation-This is a Word document. addressing the availability of Locally-Awarded Verified Credits, effective May 9, 2018. These amendments impact both the current version of the Standards and those that become effective in the fall of 2018.
2017 Standards of Accreditation Communications Resources
Resources are provided to assist school divisions in communicating about these changes with parents and other stakeholders.
Fact Sheets & Printer-Friendly Handouts
- Standards of Accreditation: Impact on Schools & Impact on Students – Information detailing how the revised SOA impacts schools (school accountability, school-quality indicators, accreditation ratings) and students (requirements for graduation).
- School Accreditation – Information briefly explaining the indicators and performance levels that will go into determining a school’s accreditation rating.
- Graduation Requirements – Information briefly explaining graduation requirements for students entering the ninth grade in fall 2018 (Class of 2022).
- Frequently Asked Questions – Answers to questions submitted by school divisions
Videos from VDOE YouTube Channel
Standards of Accreditation Video Playlist – Detailed discussions of provisions and policy background of revised SOA; includes the following clips:
The Case for Reform – Diane Atkinson, Chairman of the state Board of Education’s Committee on School and Division Accountability, discusses the policy background and development behind the board’s revisions to the Standards of Accreditation.
Profile of a Virginia Graduate – Assistant Superintendent for Policy and Communications Cynthia Cave discusses the development of the Profile of a Virginia Graduate and the new graduation requirements that become effective with students entering the ninth grade in the fall of 2018 (class of 2022).
Continuous Improvement for All Schools – Assistant Superintendent for Student Assessment and School Improvement Shelley Loving-Ryder discusses how the revised Standards of Accreditation encourage continuous improvement for all schools, highlight achievement gaps, and recognize student growth.
Overview of Changes to the Standards of Accreditation in Recent Years
- Effective January 11, 2018-This is a PDF document.
- Effective October 8, 2015-This is a PDF document.
- Effective December 3, 2014-This is a PDF document.
- Effective August 29, 2012-This is a PDF document.
Guidance Documents
- Guidance for the Determination of the New Accreditation Rating: “Partially Accredited” (PDF)
- Guidelines for Graduation Requirements: Local Alternative Paths to Standard Units of Credit (Alternatives to the 140- Clock-hour Requirement) – For more information, see Superintendent’s Memo 271-15
- Guidance Document Governing Certain Provisions of the Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8 VAC 20-131) (PDF)
- Revised Guidance for the Determination of Student Eligibility Expedited Retakes of SOL Tests-This is a Word document.
- Revised Guidance Governing the use of Locally-Awarded Verified Credits-This is a Word document.
Resources
- School Accreditation Ratings
- Graduation Requirements – Information on college and career readiness, diploma requirements, coursework, assessments, and the Academic and Career Plan.
Standards of Accreditation Archives
Documents are PDF files. Standards from 1970 through 1992 are scanned documents and will take longer to download.