STANDARD DIPLOMA

22 CREDIT DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

The requirements for a student to earn a diploma shall be those in effect when the student enters the ninth grade for the first time.

The following applies to students who entered ninth grade prior to 2011-12.

To graduate from high school, students shall meet the minimum requirements for the Standard Diploma as outlined below, including 22 standard credits, 6 of which must be verified credits. A standard credit is earned when a student passes a course. A verified credit is earned when a student passes a course and the associated end-of-course SOL test. In some cases, students may utilize substitute tests, certifications, or the appeal process to earn verified credits. State guidelines prescribe the number of verified credits required for graduation for students entering a Virginia public high school for the first time during the tenth grade or after. In 2013, the Virginia Board of Education voted to amend the graduation requirements for students with disabilities. The changes in graduation requirements provide eligible students with disabilities the opportunity to use credit accommodations to earn a Standard Diploma. Students must be found eligible for these accommodations. Consult your school counselor for specific information.

Students receive credit toward graduation for high school courses taken and passed in middle school. These courses count toward credits in the required sequences as well as toward the total number of credits required for graduation and calculation of the grade point average (GPA). 

Middle school parents may request that grades for any high school credit-bearing course taken in the middle school be removed from the student’s high school transcript, and therefore the student will not earn high school credit for the course. In addition, the student will not be eligible for a verified credit in any course which has been removed from the transcript. The request to remove a course from the transcript must be made in writing to the middle or high school the student will attend the following year, prior to the end of the first nine weeks. See current version of FCPS Regulation 2408.

Standard Diploma Course Requirements (8 VAC 20-131-50)
Subject Area	Standard Credits	Verified Credits
English	4	2
Mathematics 1	3	1
Laboratory Science 2, 6	3	1
History and Social Sciences 3, 6	3	1
Health and Physical Education	2
Fine Arts or Career and Technical Ed	1
Electives 4	6
Student Selected Test 5		1
Total Credits	22	6

NOTES:

1. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall be at or above the level of algebra and shall include at least two course selections from among Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or other mathematics courses above the level of algebra and geometry. The Board of Education (Board) may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.
2. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include course selections from at least two different science disciplines: earth sciences, biology, chemistry, or physics. The Board may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.
3. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement are U.S. and Virginia History, U.S. and Virginia Government, and either World History/Geography I or World History/Geography II. AP World History satisfies the requirement for World History-Geography II.
4. Courses to satisfy this requirement shall include at least two sequential electives.
5. A student may utilize additional tests for earning verified credit in computer science, technology, career and technical education, or other areas as prescribed by the Board in 8 VAC 20-131-110.
6. Students who complete a career and technical education program sequence and pass an examination or occupational competency assessment in a career and technical education field that confers certification or an occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association, or acquires a professional license in a career and technical educational field from the Commonwealth of Virginia may substitute the certification, competency credential, or license for (i) the student selected verified credit and (ii) either a science or history and social sciences verified credit when the certification, license, or credential confers more than one verified credit. The examination or occupational competency assessment must be approved by the Board as an additional test to verify student achievement.

 

ADVANCED STUDIES DIPLOMA

24 CREDIT DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION

The requirements for a student to earn a diploma shall be those in effect when the student enters the ninth grade for the first time.

The following applies to students who entered ninth grade prior to 2011-12.

To graduate from high school with an Advanced Studies Diploma, students shall meet the minimum requirements as outlined below which include 24 credits, 9 of which must be verified credits. A standard credit is earned when a student passes a course. A verified credit is earned when a student passes a course and the associated end-of-course SOL test. In some cases, students may utilize substitute tests or certifications to earn verified credits. State guidelines prescribe the number of verified credits required for graduation for students entering a Virginia public high school for the first time during tenth grade or after. Consult your school counselor for specific information.

Students receive credit toward graduation for high school courses taken and passed in middle school. These courses count toward credits in the required sequences as well as toward the total number of credits required for graduation and calculation of the grade point average (GPA). 

Middle school parents may request that grades for any high school credit-bearing course taken in the middle school be removed from the student’s high school transcript, and therefore the student will not earn high school credit for the course. In addition, the student will not be eligible for a verified credit in any course which has been removed from the transcript. The request to remove a course from the transcript must be made in writing to the middle or high school the student will attend the following year prior to the end of the first nine weeks. See current version of FCPS Regulation 2408.

Advanced Studies Diploma Course Requirements (8 VAC 20-131-50)
Subject Area	Standard Credits	Verified Credits
English	4	2
Mathematics 1	4	2
Laboratory Science 2	4	2
History and Social Science 3	4	2
World Language 4	3
Health and Physical Education	2
Fine Arts or Career and Technical Ed	1
Electives	2
Student Selected Test 5		1
Total Credits	24	9

NOTES:

1. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall be at or above the level of algebra and shall include at least three different course selections from among: Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, or other mathematics courses above the level of Algebra II. The Board of Education (Board) may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.
2. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include course selections from at least three different science disciplines from among: earth sciences, biology, chemistry, or physics; or completion of the sequence of science courses required for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. The Board may approve additional courses to satisfy this requirement.
3. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include U.S. and Virginia History, U.S. and Virginia Government, and World History-Geography I and World History-Geography II. AP World History satisfies the requirement for World History-Geography II.
4. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include three years of one language or two years of two languages.
5. A student may utilize additional tests for earning verified credit in computer science, technology, career or technical education or other areas as prescribed by the Board in 8 VAC 20-131-110.

 

MODIFIED STANDARD DIPLOMA

20 CREDIT DIPLOMA REQUIREMENT FOR GRADUATION

The requirements for a student to earn a diploma shall be those in effect when the student enters the ninth grade for the first time.

The following applies to students who entered ninth< grade between 2000-01 and 2012-13.

The Modified Standard Diploma is intended for certain students who have a disability and are unlikely to meet the credit requirements for a Standard Diploma. Eligibility and participation in the Modified Standard Diploma program shall be determined by the student’s Individual Education Program (IEP) team including the student, when appropriate, at any point after the student’s eighth grade year. There are no verified credit requirements for the Modified Standard Diploma. Students pursing the Modified Standard Diploma are required to meet literacy and numeracy requirements on the eighth grade English reading and mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) tests. Students may substitute a higher level high school SOL test for the eighth grade SOL tests for the literacy and numeracy requirements.

A student who has chosen to pursue a Modified Standard Diploma shall also be allowed to pursue the Standard Diploma, or Advanced Studies Diploma. The student may not be excluded from courses and tests required to earn a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma:

Modified Standard Diploma Course Requirements (8 VAC 20-131-50)
Subject Area	Standard Credits
English	4
Mathematics 1	3
Science 2	2
History and Social Sciences 3	2
Health and Physical Education	2
Fine Arts or Career and Technical Ed	1
Electives 4	6
Total Credits	20

NOTES:

1. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include content from among applications of algebra, geometry, personal finance, and probability and statistics in courses that have been approved by the Board of Education (Board).
2. Courses completed shall include content from at least two of the following: applications of earth science, biology, chemistry, or physics in courses approved by the Board.
3. Courses completed to satisfy this requirement shall include one unit of credit in U.S. and Virginia History and one unit of credit in U.S. and Virginia Government in courses approved by the Board.
4. Courses to satisfy this requirement shall include at least two sequential electives in the same manner required for the Standard Diploma.

Applied Studies Diploma

Students with disabilities who complete the requirements for his/her IEP and do not meet the requirements for other diplomas shall be awarded an Applied Studies Diploma. Access additional information on the Applied Studies Diploma on Virginia's Department of Education website.

Contact the Office of Special Education Instruction at 571-423-4190 or the Office of Career and Transition Services at 571-423-4150 for additional information.