Glossary

This chart displays the percentage of students who were absent for less than 10 percent of the most recent school year for any reason. Students who are absent for more than 10 percent of the school year are at greater risk of academic failure.

Virginia’s accountability system supports teaching and learning by setting rigorous academic standards — known as the Standards of Learning (SOL) — and through annual statewide assessments of student achievement.  Results from these tests — which most students take online — are used by the commonwealth to identify schools in need of assistance and to inform parents and the public about the progress of schools through the awarding of annual accreditation ratings.

A process used by the Virginia Department of Education to evaluate the educational performance of public schools in accordance with Board of Education regulations.

Schools that fail to adopt or fully implement required corrective actions to address school-quality indicators rated at Level Three may be rated as Accreditation Denied. A school rated as Accreditation Denied may regain state accreditation by demonstrating to the state Board of Education that it is fully implementing all required corrective action plans.

Virginia’s school accreditation system measures performance on multiple school-quality indicators, including indicators that measure overall student achievement in English, mathematics and science, achievement gaps in English and mathematics, and student engagement. Performance on each school-quality indicator is rated at one of the following three levels:

• Level One (meets or exceeds the state standard);
• Level Two (near the state standard or making sufficient progress); or
• Level Three (below the state standard).

Schools with all school-quality indicators at either Level One or Level Two are rated as Accredited. High-performing schools with waivers from annual accreditation authorized by the General Assembly also are rated as Accredited.

Virginia’s school accreditation system measures performance on multiple school-quality indicators, including indicators that measure overall student achievement in English, mathematics and science, achievement gaps in English and mathematics, and student engagement. Performance on each school-quality indicator is rated at one of the following three levels:

• Level One (meets or exceeds the state standard);
• Level Two (near the state standard or making sufficient progress); or
• Level Three (below the standard).

Schools with one or more school-quality indicators at Level Three are rated as Accredited with Conditions.

The difference between the performance of reporting categories of students, especially those defined by gender, race/ethnicity, disability and socioeconomic status.

One of the two commonly used tests designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and their ability to complete college-level work in four skill areas: English, mathematics, reading, and science reasoning.

The pass rates on Standards of Learning tests and other state assessments that determine a school’s accreditation rating are adjusted to reward schools for successful interventions to increase the achievement of individual students. Adjustments are also made to exclude non-passing scores of English-language learners who have been enrolled in a Virginia public school for fewer than 11 semesters, and the non-passing scores of students who transfer into a school division after the 20th day of instruction in grades 3-8, or after the 20th hour of instruction in a tested high school course.

Advanced programs are college-level courses or programs that are available to high school students which may allow students to earn college credit.

Virginia students may substitute Advanced Placement examinations for end-of-course Standards of Learning tests in the same subject areas. Virginia also promotes AP participation through the Virtual Virginia online learning program, and uses federal grant money to subsidize test fees for low-income students. According to the College Board, students who score a three or higher on AP exams have greater academic success in college and are more likely to graduate on time with a degree than comparable non-AP peers.

A method to measure student educational attainment other than the typical multiple-choice test which may include portfolios, constructed response items and other performance measurement tools.

A school or center organized for alternative programs of instruction.

Method of measuring the learning and performance of students; examples include achievement tests, minimum competency tests, developmental screening tests, aptitude tests, observation instruments, performance tasks, etc.

Students who have a higher than average probability of dropping out or failing school.

Attendance rates are calculated by dividing a school or division’s average daily attendance by its average daily membership (enrollment). Efforts to improve school attendance are part of a larger effort to increase achievement and close performance gaps between student subgroups. Safe and healthy schools – ones that employ a challenging curriculum and reinforce high expectations for academics, behavior, and social responsibility – are schools that motivate students to attend.

The K-12 enrollment figure used to distribute state per pupil funding that includes students with disabilities ages 5-21, and students for whom English is a second language who entered school for the first time after reaching their 12th birthday, and who have not reached their 22nd birthday; preschool and post-graduate students are not included in ADM.

The SAT is the predominant college-admissions assessment in Virginia and is an indicator of the effectiveness of schools in preparing students for postsecondary education. Average SAT scores of Virginia students in reading, mathematics and writing are compared with those of students nationwide.

A standard for judging performance.

The Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award is the third-highest award in the commonwealth’s Virginia Index of Performance school recognition program. To earn this award, schools and divisions must meet all state and federal achievement objectives and make progress toward the goals of the governor and the board.

The Board of Education Excellence Award is the second-highest award in the commonwealth’s Virginia Index of Performance school recognition program. To earn this award, schools and divisions must meet all state and federal accountability benchmarks and make significant progress toward the Board of Education’s goals for increased student achievement and expanded educational opportunities.

Career and technical education programs in Virginia public schools serve more than 550,000 students in grades 6-12. These programs are designed to prepare young people for productive futures while meeting the commonwealth’s need for well-trained and industry-certified technical workers.

A school controlled by a local school board that provides free public elementary and/or secondary education to eligible students under a specific charter granted by the state legislature or other appropriate authority, and designated by such authority to be a charter school.

Class period is a segment of time in during the school instructional day that is allocated to lessons, courses, testing and assessments or other instructional activities and excludes homeroom.

A group of students who entered the ninth grade for the first time during the same school year.

The organization that administers SAT, AP and other standardized tests to high school students planning on continuing their educations at a post-secondary level.

When possible, school-quality indicators for overall achievement in English and mathematics express proficiency and growth through a combined rate that provides equal credit for students who passed SOL tests in the content area and for students who didn’t pass but met or exceeded progress benchmarks.

A combined school is a public school containing any combination of grades from kindergarten through grade 12, excluding elementary schools (K-5), middle schools (6-8), or high schools (9-12). Examples of combined schools include K-8 schools and K-12 schools.

A formula to determine the state and local government shares of K-12 education program costs, which is expressed as a ratio, indicating the local percentage share of the cost of education programs; for example, a locality with a composite index of 0.3000 would pay 30 percent and the state would pay 70 percent of the costs.

Conditionally Accredited: New School is a rating awarded for a one-year period to a new school comprising students who previously attended one or more existing schools to provide the opportunity to evaluate the performance of students on SOL tests and other statewide assessments.

The body of knowledge that all students are expected to learn in the subjects of English, mathematics, history/social science and science.

A CTE completer is a student who successfully completes a two-year career or technical education program and who also completes all requirements for a high school diploma or for an approved alternative education program, such as a high school equivalency.

A plan or document that a school or school division uses to define what will be taught and the methods that will be used to educate and assess students.

Occurs when what is taught includes or exceeds the content defined by the Standards of Learning.

A Virginia high school diploma signifies that the bearer has met expectations for learning and achievement established by the Board of Education in reading, writing, mathematics, science, history and other subjects.

Funding appropriated for the operation of public schools including funding for school employee benefits, Standards of Quality, incentive-based programs, allotment of sales tax and lottery revenues and specific appropriations for programs such as Governor’s Schools and adult literacy initiatives.

Presentation of educational data broken into subgroups of students instead of the entire student body which allows parents and teachers to measure how each student group is performing; typical subgroups include students who are economically disadvantaged, from different racial or ethnic groups, those who have disabilities or have limited English fluency.

Method of instruction in locations other than the classroom or places where teachers present the lessons, which uses various forms of technology to provide educational materials and experiences to students.

Students who leave high school before earning a diploma or other recognized credential, such as a GED.

The education of young children, especially under the age of 5.

A student who is a member of a household that meets the income eligibility guidelines for free or reduced-price school meals (less than or equal to 185% of Federal Poverty Guidelines).

An elementary school a school with any combination of grades kindergarten through five.

The total number of students of school age enrolled in the school at a grade or course with a Standards of Learning test; does not include students who are allowed an exclusion such as some English language learners and some students with disabilities.

A program of instruction and services for non-English-speaking or limited-English-proficient students to help them learn and succeed in schools.

A student whose first language is other than English and who is in a special program for learning English. The scores of English Language Learners enrolled in Virginia public schools fewer than 11 semesters may be excluded from the accreditation rating calculations. While all English Learners are expected to participate in the state assessment program, a school-based committee determines the level of participation of each English Language Learner.

This chart displays the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations for achievement in English Reading and Writing during the three most recent years by performing at the proficient level or advanced level on Standards of Learning tests and other state assessments.

Enrollment is the number of students counted in membership by the school, the school division or the state.

A waiver from the ESSA requirement that students take the mathematics test associated with their grade level (and in high school, Algebra I). Under the waiver, students who are enrolled in advanced mathematics courses take the state mathematics test for the course in which they are enrolled. In high school, certain national mathematics tests (AP, IB, SAT, and ACT) may be counted for students who have passed Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II before reaching 9th grade. The waiver contributes to improved academic achievement by encouraging accelerated course taking by advanced students that may lead to the attainment of post-secondary credits while they are enrolled in high school.

The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015 is the primary federal law affecting K-12 education. ESSA supersedes the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.

Number of recently arrived English language learners exempted from state reading assessments

An expelled student is not be permitted to attend school for a period of 365 calendar days. Only a local school board has the authority to expel a student.

Schools report annually on the number of students enrolled on September 30. This report, known as Fall Membership, is submitted by all schools that officially enroll students. Student counts are reported by grade assignment and ethnicity.

The Federal Graduation Indicator is a graduation rate reported to the U.S. Department of Education that counts as graduates only those students earning Advanced Studies or Standard Diplomas.

English, mathematics, science and history/social science for purposes of SOL testing.

The Virginia On-Time Graduation Rate expresses the percentage of students who earn a state Board of Education-approved diploma within four years of entering ninth grade for the first time. Percentages are based on longitudinal data and account for student mobility and retention practices.

Requirement through the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that education of students with disabilities (between the ages of 3 and 22) must be provided at public expense, under public supervision, at no charge to the parents and based on the child’s unique needs and not on the child’s disability.

The school breakfast program is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritious breakfast meals to students. The Virginia Department of Education administers the program at the state level and school divisions administer the program at the local level. Student achievement and behavior improves when students are well nourished and ready to learn.

Student achievement and behavior improves when students are well nourished and ready to learn.  The National School Lunch Program is a U.S. Department of Agriculture assisted meal program that provides nutritionally balanced lunches to school-aged children.  Participating school divisions receive USDA cash subsidies and donated food items for each meal served that meets Federal nutrition standards and meal patterns.

At the beginning of each school year, letters and meal applications are distributed to households of children attending school. This letter informs households that school nutrition programs are available and that free and reduced-price meals are available based on income criteria. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are eligible for free meals. Those between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast. All children in divisions implementing the community eligibility provision are eligible for free and reduced-price meals.

K-12 instruction that meets the commonwealth’s Standards of Learning and prepares children for elementary, secondary and postsecondary success.

Programs that provide advanced educational opportunities including accelerated promotion through grades and classes and an enriched curriculum for students who are endowed with a high degree of mental ability.

The Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence is the highest award in the commonwealth’s Virginia Index of Performance school recognition program. To earn this award, schools and divisions must meet all state and federal achievement objectives and achieve all applicable excellence goals for elementary reading, enrollment in Algebra I by the eighth grade, enrollment in college-level courses, high school graduation, attainment of advanced diplomas, increased attainment of career and industry certifications, and, if applicable, participation in the Virginia Preschool Initiative.

A school serving gifted high school students who meet specific admissions criteria for advanced educational opportunities in areas including the arts, government and international studies, mathematics, science, and technology; both academic-year and summer governor’s schools are offered.

A student who has earned a Board of Education recognized diploma.

Virginia defines a highly qualified teacher as a teacher who is fully licensed by the commonwealth, has at least a bachelor’s degree, has demonstrated competency in each subject taught, and is teaching content in his or her area of endorsement.

Instruction of a student or students by a parent or parents, guardian or other person having control or charge of such student or students as an alternative to attendance in a public or private school in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Virginia provisions (§22.1-254.1).

Instruction by a tutor or teacher with qualifications prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education, as an alternative to attendance in a public or private school and approved by the division superintendent in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Virginia §22.1-254; often used as an alternative form of home schooling.

Non-reimbursable educational services provided in the home setting (or other agreed upon setting) in accordance with the student’s individual education program who were removed from school for disciplinary or other reasons, but not the result of a medical referral.

Academic instruction provided to students who are confined at home or in a health-care facility for periods that would prevent normal school attendance based upon certification of need by a licensed physician or licensed clinical psychologist. For a student with a disability, the Individual Education Program (IEP) team must determine the delivery of services, including the number of hours of services.

Honors and rewards earned by Virginia public schools and divisions and reported on School Quality Profiles include the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, the Board of Education Excellence Award, the Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award and National Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

Honors and rewards earned by Virginia Public schools and divisions include the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, the Board of Education Excellence Award, the Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award and National Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

A written plan created for a student with disabilities by the student’s teachers, parents or guardians, the school administrator, and other interested parties. The plan is tailored to the student’s specific needs and abilities, and outlines attainable goals.

Team charged with developing, reviewing and revising a student’s IEP and consisting of the parent(s), the child (if appropriate), a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, an administrator qualified to supervise the provision of services and an individual who can interpret the instructional implications of evaluation results.

A written plan outlining the procedure necessary to transition a child with disabilities to preschool or other appropriate services.

Federal law guiding the delivery of special education services for students with disabilities which includes the guarantee of “free and appropriate public education” for every school-age child with a disability and allows parental involvement in the educational planning process, encourages access to the general curriculum and delineates how school disciplinary rules and the obligation to provide a free appropriate public education for disabled children mesh.

A program established to provide an internationally recognized; interdisciplinary; pre-collegiate course of study offered through the International Baccalaureate Organization, headquartered in Switzerland, and examination results are accepted by more than 100 countries for university admission.

A psychologist licensed by the Virginia Board of Psychology who must either be in a treatment relationship or establishing a treatment relationship with the student to meet eligibility requirements for requesting homebound services.

An individual who has been licensed by the Virginia Board of Medicine to practice medicine who can certify medical conditions for requesting homebound services.

An individual who has met all the current requirements for a teacher in the Virginia and holds a license from the Virginia State Board of Education, or, if teaching on-line, a license from Virginia or another state.

See English-language learners.

A calculation, approximating what most school divisions spend to operate their schools, used to establish the funded cost of many components of the Standards of Quality (SOQ), such as instructional salaries.

Kindergarten students are assessed on their knowledge of literacy fundamentals, including phonological awareness, alphabet recognition, concept of word, knowledge of letter sounds and spelling.

Established in the Constitution of Virginia (Article VIII, § 8) as a permanent and perpetual school fund that provides low-interest loans to school divisions for capital expenditures, such as construction of new buildings or remodeling of existing buildings.

A verified unit of credit awarded by a local school board in accordance with the SOA.

A Long-Term suspension is a suspension of more than 10 school days and less than 365 calendar days. A long-term suspension is usually imposed by a school division disciplinary hearing officer upon recommendation of a principal.

A public school that focuses on a particular area of study, such as performing arts or science and technology but also offer regular school subjects.

This chart displays the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations for achievement in mathematics during the three most recent years by performing at the proficient level  or advanced level on Standards of Learning tests and other state assessments.

A public school with grades 6 through 8.

A program of instruction and services for children who move periodically with their families from one school to another in a different geographical area to secure seasonal employment.

See “National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)”.

The only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America’s students know and can do in various subject areas including mathematics, reading, science, writing, U.S. history, geography, civics and the arts.

Honors public and private K-12 schools that are either academically superior in their states or that demonstrate dramatic gains in student achievement; awarded annually by the U.S. Department of Education through the Blue Ribbon Schools Program.

National Blue Ribbon Schools are selected by the U.S. Department of Education based on one of two criteria: performance on state assessments; or performance in closing achievement gaps between student reporting categories.

This chart displays the percentage of students who earn a state Board of Education-approved diploma within four years of entering ninth grade for the first time. Percentages are based on longitudinal data and account for student mobility and retention practices.

The Virginia Department of Education annually collects statistics on the number of students enrolled in public schools on September 30. Student counts are reported by grade assignment, race, ethnicity, disability, English proficiency, and economic status.

The Virginia Department of Education reports annually on total and per-pupil expenditures for public school operations by fund source for each school division and statewide.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent (approximately 18 days of a 180-day school year) or more of instructional days in a school year for any reason. Chronic absenteeism puts students at heightened risk of falling behind and dropping out of school.

Instructional expenditures include salaries and fringe benefits  for classroom teachers, instructional aides, librarians, school counselors, principals, and assistant principals; tuition for outside instructional services; and textbooks.

Under the state Board of Education’s Standards of Accreditation, performance on each school-quality indicator is rated at one of three levels:

• LEVEL ONE: Meets or exceeds standard or sufficient improvement
• LEVEL TWO: Near standard or making sufficient improvement
• LEVEL THREE: Below standard

All schools must develop a multi-year plan to support continuous improvement on all indicators. Specific local and state actions and interventions are required.

State-provided K-3 screening tool to help reduce the number of children with reading problems by detecting those problems early and providing research-based, small-group intervention.

A collection of student work chosen to exemplify and document a student’s learning progress over time.

This chart displays the most recent available data on the percent of high school graduates who enrolled in a two- or four-year college within sixteen months of graduating. Data displayed correspond with the School Quality Profile selected for viewing (school, school division or state).

Test results indicating that the student demonstrated the skills and knowledge outlined in the Standards of Learning (SOL).

This table reports the percentage of teachers teaching with provisional or provisional special education credentials.

For a school rated accreditation denied, it is a process to initiate a range of accountability actions to improve pupil performance and to address deficiencies in curriculum and instruction; may include, but is not limited to, restructuring a school’s governance, instructional program staff or student population.

The period of time between the opening day of school in the fall and the closing day of school for that school term that is at minimum 180 teaching days or 990 teaching hours.

A program designed to remedy, strengthen and improve the academic achievement of students who demonstrate substandard performance.

The implementation of a new organizational pattern or style of leadership and management to bring about renewed, more effective schools. It can mean reorganizing the school day or year and changing conventional practices, such as grouping students by age for an entire school year or giving competitive grades. Or it may refer to changing the roles of teachers and administrators, allocating more decision-making power to teachers, and involving parents in decisions.

Honors and rewards earned by Virginia Public schools and divisions include the Governor’s Award for Educational Excellence, the Board of Education Excellence Award, the Board of Education Distinguished Achievement Award and National Blue Ribbon awards from the U.S. Department of Education.

A way of estimating how a whole group would perform on a test by testing representative members of the group or giving different portions of the test to various subgroups.

One of the two commonly used tests designed to assess high school students’ general educational development and required for college entrance by many institutions of higher education; administered by the College Board.

A publicly funded institution where students are enrolled for all or a majority of the instructional day; those students are reported in fall membership at the institution and the institution, at minimum, meets requirements adopted by the Board of Education.

A child who is age 5 on or before September 30 and has not reached age 20; compulsory attendance school age is 5-18.

The school breakfast program is a federally assisted meal program that provides nutritious breakfasts to students. The Virginia Department of Education administers the program at the state level and school divisions administer the program at the local level.

Under the state Board of Education’s Standards of Accreditation, schools are evaluated on school quality indicators grouped in three categories: academic achievement, achievement gaps, and student engagement and outcomes.  Performance on each indicator is rated at one of the following levels:

• Level One: Meets or exceeds state standard or sufficient improvement
• Level Two: Near state standard or sufficient improvement
• Level Three: Below state standard
• Too Small: Too few students in school or group to evaluate

This chart displays the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations for achievement in science during the three most recent years by performing at the proficient level or advanced level on Standards of Learning tests and other state assessments.

A public school with any grades 9 through 12.

A short-term suspension is a suspension of 10 school days or less.  A short-term suspension may be imposed by a principal, an assistant principal, or a designee teacher in the principal’s absence.

This chart displays the percentage of students who met or exceeded expectations for achievement in history and social science during the three most recent years by performing at the proficient or advanced level on Standards of Learning tests and other state assessments.

Operations include regular day school, food services, summer school, adult education, pre-kindergarten, and other education, but do not include non-regular day school programs, non-local education agency programs, debt service, or capital outlay additions.

The apportionment of the state funds for public education is the responsibility of the General Assembly, through the Appropriations Act. General fund appropriations serve as the mainstay of state support for the commonwealth’s public schools, augmented by retail sales and use tax revenues, state lottery proceeds, and other sources.

Counties, cities and towns comprising school divisions also support public education by providing the locality’s share to maintain an educational program meeting the commonwealth’s Standards of Quality and local match requirements for incentive and lottery-funded programs. .

While public education is primarily a state and local responsibility, the federal government provides assistance to state and local education agencies in support of specific federal initiatives and mandates.

A service especially designed and at no cost to the parent/guardian that adapts the curriculum, materials or instruction for students identified as having educational or physical disabilities and tailored to each student’s needs and learning style and provided in a general education or special education classroom, home, hospital, separate school or other setting.

See “magnet school/center”.

A calendar day that averages at least five and one-half instructional hours for students in grades 1-12, excluding breaks for meals and recess, and a minimum of three instructional hours for students in kindergarten.

A school year of at least 180 teaching days or a total of at least 990 teaching hours per year.

Earned credit based on a minimum of 140-clock hours of instruction and successful completion of the requirements of the course.

Tests administered and scored under uniform (standardized) conditions. Because most machine-scored, multiple-choice tests are standardized, the term is sometimes used to refer to such tests, but other tests may also be standardized.

The Board of Education’s regulations establishing criteria for approving public schools in Virginia as authorized in the Standards of Quality (SOQ).

Virginia’s accreditation standards require school report cards to include information about school safety. The Offense Categories that are listed are the same as the offense categories defined in the Safe Schools Information Resource (SSIR) available on the VDOE Web Site.

The minimum grade-level and subject-matter educational objectives, described as the knowledge and skills “necessary for success in school and for preparation for life,” that students are expected to meet in Virginia public schools and specified by the Standards of Quality (SOQ).

The minimum program that every public school division in Virginia must meet; a major portion of state funding for direct air to public education is based on the SOQ; the standards are established in the Constitution of Virginia, defined in the Code of Virginia and prescribed by the Board of Education, subject to revision only by the General Assembly.

Data reflect achievement on Standards of Learning tests and other approved assessments and, for high schools, graduation and completion. Accreditation ratings are based on performance during the previous academic year, or on a three-year or four year average of achievement.

A child age 5 on or before September 30 up to age 18; a child with disabilities age 2-21; a child of limited English proficiency who entered a Virginia school after age 12 but not age 22.

The Virginia Assessment Program includes Standards of Learning tests and other statewide assessments in English reading and writing, history/social science, mathematics, and science. The chart below provides information for the three most recent years on the achievement of students on these tests, including percentages of students who demonstrate proficiency and advanced proficiency. The default view is overall performance in the content area. Use the drop down menu to select a specific grade-level or end-of-course test. Use the menu below the chart to view results for a specific student population.

Means the number of students a teacher instructs per class period multiplied by the number of class periods taught.

Teaching positions include classroom, home bound, media, and technology instructional teachers.

Tests approved by the Board of Education as substitutes for SOL end-of-course tests for awarding verified credit for high school; examples include Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), SAT II, as well as a number of certifications and licensing examinations in career and technical fields.

The Virginia Department of Education reports annually on the percentage of teachers with bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees in schools, school divisions, and the state by highest degree earned.

Federal funding program authorized by Title I of ESEA/NCLB to support instructional needs of students from low-income families to ensure that all children have a fair and equal opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach (at a minimum) proficiency on state academic achievement standards and assessments.

Title I of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, authorizes financial assistance to schools with high numbers or high percentages of children from low-income families to help ensure that all children meet challenging state academic standards. Under the federal law, the lowest-performing Title I schools are designated as either Priority or Focus schools and are subject to specific state interventions to improve student outcomes.

A school with a high rate of disadvantaged students making it eligible for participation in federal Title I programs.

The scores of students transferring within a Virginia school division are included in the calculation of state accreditation ratings. Students transferring into a school from another Virginia school division, another state, a private school, or who have been home schooled are expected to take the assessments for the content areas in which they received instruction. Under limited circumstances as described in Board of Education regulations, the failing scores of some transfer students may be excluded from the accreditation calculation.

Earned credit based on a standard unit of credit, plus a passing score on the end-of-course SOL test or substitute test approved by the Board of Education.

Means a system used to evaluate student achievement that includes SOL tests and additional tests which may be approved from time to time by the Board of Education.

Program providing state funds to schools and community organizations for quality preschool programs for at-risk four-year olds not served by federal programs such as Head Start or Title I.

A measurable range of skills and knowledge essential for four-year-olds to be successful in kindergarten.

A school or center organized for a program that offers a sequence of courses that are directly related to the preparation of individuals for paid or unpaid employment in current or emerging occupations requiring other than a baccalaureate or advanced diploma.