ACADEMICS / PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM

Entrance Requirements
The Commonwealth of Virginia requires that children and youth attend school if they have reached their fifth birthday by the 30th of September and have not passed their 18th birthday. At the time of registration for new students, a parent or guardian must be present and provide proof of address as well as the enrollee’s official birth certificate, Social Security number, and physical exam report. The Commonwealth requires a physical exam that includes a tuberculin skin test for all students new to Virginia. For kindergartners, the examination must have taken place within the past 12 months. Required vaccinations include DPT, polio measles, Rubella, and mumps. For details or answers to specific questions, contact:

Virginia Department of Education
Richmond
800-292-3820
www.doe.virginia.gov

 

State and National Testing
The Virginia Standards of Learning or SOL test plays a vital role in the Commonwealth’s expectations for student achievement and learning in levels from kindergarten through 12th grade. Subjects included in SOL testing are English, mathematics, science, history/social science, technology, the fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education, and driver education. For those students who have disabilities that do not translate well into the SOL environment, the Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program is used instead.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP tests offer a comparison of the achievement level of Virginia students to that of other students across the nation. Frequently referred to as the “nation’s report card,” NAEP has been used as an operational assessment since 1969. Historically, NAEP average scale scores in Virginia for reading and mathematics tend to be higher than or equal to national public school average scores. For more information on assessment and testing in Virginia schools, contact:

Assessment & Reporting
Virginia Department of Education
804-225-2102
www.doe.virginia.gov

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