In order for teachers to be able to teach students in a meaningful way, class sizes must be small. For Virginia high school students, classroom sizes are among the lowest in the nation. According to Encarta.msn.com, there were 13 students for every teacher - this compares to a national average of 15.9 students per teacher.
According to the Virginia Department of Education (www.pen.k12.va.us), beginning with the graduating class of 2004, students need to earn both standard and verified units of credit in order to receive either Standard or Advanced Studies Diplomas. Students earn standard units of credit for courses by successfully completing 140 clock hours of instruction and by meeting the objectives of each course. Verified units of credit are awarded for courses in which students earn standard units of credit and achieve passing scores on corresponding Standards of Learning (SOL) tests or other tests approved by the Board of Education. Six verified credits need to be earned for a Standard Diploma. Nine verified credits need to be earned for an Advanced Studies Diploma.
Virginia's High School Graduation Requirements (2 types):
Standard Diploma
- English - Standard Units of Credit (SUC): 4; Verified Units of Credit (VUC): 2
- Mathematics - SUC: 3; VUC: 0
- Science - SUC: 3; VUC: 0
- History and Social Science - SUC: 3; VUC: 0
- Health and Physical Education - 2; VUC: 0
- Fine or Practical Arts - SUC: 1; VUC: 0
- Electives - SUC: 6; VUC: 0
- Student-Selected Tests - SUC: 0; VUC: 4
Advanced Studies Diploma
- English - Standard Units of Credit (SUC): 4; Verified Units of Credit (VUC): 2
- Mathematics - SUC: 4; VUC: 2
- Science - SUC: 4; VUC: 2
- History and Social Science - SUC: 4; VUC: 2
- Foreign Language - SUC: 3; VUC: 0
- Health and Physical Education - SUC: 2; VUC: 0
- Electives - SUC: 2; VUC: 0
- Student-Selected Tests - SUC: 0; VUC: 1
