Virginia Department of Education

Standards of Accreditation

Standards of Accreditation Review

The Board of Education is revising the Standards of Accreditation (SOA) to ensure that all children in the commonwealth have access to public schools that pursue academic excellence and continuous improvement while preparing their students for success in college and the workplace. Revisions to the SOA will include diploma requirements aligned with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate and new standards for school quality and improvement. For more information on what the board is considering, read the Proposed Revisions to the SOA (PDF).

Superintendent of Public Instruction Steven R. Staples and Board of Education President Billy K. Cannaday Jr. discuss changes in the state accountability program and SOL testing under proposed revisions to the state board's Standards of Accreditation.

Go to Educational Initiatives for more information about the board’s work.

Public Comment Welcome

Submit public comment to BOE@doe.virginia.gov, P.O. Box 2120, Richmond, VA 23218, or use the form below:

Virginia Board of Education 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

Regulations Establishing the Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (PDF)

Overview of Changes to the Standards of Accreditation in Recent Years

Please submit any questions you have about the regulations or guidance document to the Office of Policy by phone 804-225-2092 or by email at policy@doe.virginia.gov

Guidance Documents

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.

| 1970 | 1974 | 1976 | 1978 | 1983 | 1988 | 1992 | 1997 | 2000 | 2006 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 |

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