Virginia Law

The following words and terms when used in this chapter shall have the following meanings unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

"Accelerated course" means a course that can be completed in less than the normal amount of time; the process of progressing through the school grades at a rate faster than that of the average student, either by skipping grades or by rapidly mastering the work of one course and moving on to the next higher course.

"Advanced-level courses/programs" means those academic, career/technical, fine and performing arts, or interdisciplinary high school courses/programs that enable students to acquire and master advanced knowledge. Such courses may be suitable for weighted credit in order to encourage students to take these courses and to be rewarded for the extra endeavor and academic performance these courses/programs require.

"Advanced Placement (AP) course" means an advanced-level course with a syllabus equivalent to the relevant Advanced Placement syllabus disseminated by the College Board.

"Assessment component" means any of the means by which one obtains information on the progress of the learner and the effectiveness of instruction; quantitative data, objective measures, subjective impressions, tests, and observations may all serve as instruments for deciding whether instructional objectives have been attained.

"Certificate of Program Completion award date" means the date when a Certificate of Program Completion is awarded. A Certificate of Program Completion is not to be included as a diploma option.

"Commonwealth College Course Collaborative (CCCC)" means a set of approved courses taken in high school that fully transfer as core requirements and degree credits at Virginia colleges and universities.

"Commonwealth Scholar" means a student who completes all of the requirements for at least a Standard Diploma and additional prescribed rigorous coursework in foreign language, history, mathematics, science, and other approved discipline areas consistent with the United States Department of Education's State Scholars Initiative.

"Credit" means a standard or a verified credit as specified in Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia (8VAC20-131).

"Credit summary" means the number of courses successfully completed in each discipline as required for graduation.

"Curriculum" means an official guide prepared for use by administrators, supervisors, and teachers of a particular school or school system as an aid to teaching in a given subject or area of study for a given grade; includes the goals and objectives of the course, the expected outcomes, assessment component, and the scope and nature of the materials to be studied.

"Dual enrollment course" means a course that carries both high school and college credit.

"Early College Scholar" means a student who signs the Early College Scholars agreement and completes the requirements of the program, which includes a prescribed number of potentially transferable college credits, maintaining a "B" average or better, and earning an Advanced Studies diploma.

"Grade point average" means a measure of average scholastic success in all high school credit-bearing courses taken by a student during a certain term or semester, or accumulated for several terms or semesters; obtained by dividing grade points by number of courses taken.

"Graduation date" means the date when diploma requirements have been met and a diploma is awarded.

"Honors course" means a course offered to academically advanced students to provide opportunities to study and learn with other advanced students and to accelerate their learning in a specific content area. These courses are designed to be more challenging by covering additional topics or some topics in greater depth.

"Industry certification credential" means a career and technical education credential that is earned by successfully completing a Board of Education-approved industry certification examination, a state-issued professional license, or an occupational competency examination.

"International Baccalaureate (IB) course" means an advanced-level course with a syllabus approved by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) and meeting the criteria offered through the IBO program.

"Secondary course" means a high school-level course of study that awards high school credits. In addition to providing content and knowledge, secondary courses encourage students to develop higher level thinking skills such as problem solving, critical analyses and syntheses of ideas. Students are encouraged to understand, appreciate, and formulate ideas related to scientific, technical and social concepts.

"Secondary school profile data" means information given in a summary format of a particular secondary school, such as location; description; achievement data; definition of curriculum; grading scale, grade distribution; weighted grades; rank in class, if a ranking procedure is used; graduation requirements; and an explanation of advanced-level, accelerated, and honors courses, industry certifications, and other specialized programs.

"Secondary school transcript" means an official list of secondary courses taken by a student, except those purged from a middle school record in accordance with 8VAC20-131, Regulations Establishing Standards for Accrediting Public Schools in Virginia, showing the final grade received for each course, with definitions of the various grades given.

"Weighted course" means an advanced-level course in which credit is increased as determined by local school board policies and defined on the school profile.