Department of Education

 

GDForum ID: 2201

Description of Proposed Guidance Document Changes

The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) evaluates industry credentials on an on-going basis against prescribed criteria for graduation requirements for the Standard Diploma 8VAC20-131-51 B and verified credit (8VAC20-131-110 C). Credentials that meet the criteria are presented to the Virginia Board of Education annually for approval, and the guidance document is posted on the VDOE website and Virginia Regulatory Townhall. The process for reviewing and validating industry credentials for the purpose of awarding verified credit is based on the following criteria: (1) the test must be standardized and graded independently of the school or school division in which the test is given; (2) the test must be knowledge based; (3) the test must be administered on a statewide, multistate or international basis, or administered as part of another state’s accountability assessment program; and (4) to be counted in a specific academic area, the test must measure content that incorporates or exceeds the Standards of Learning content in the course for which verified credit is given. Important to this process is ensuring that the credential is relevant and recognized in the workplace. The 24 recommended industry or trade association certification examinations, professional licenses, and occupational competency assessments meet the Board’s graduation requirements as identified for the Standard and Advanced Studies Diplomas in 8VAC20-131-51 (effective with the students who enter the ninth grade in the 2018-2019 school year). Students shall earn the required standard and verified units of credit described in subdivision two of the appropriate subsection. The industry credentials starting on page 7 meet the criteria to satisfy requirements for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) Seal and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Seal. Industry or trade association certification examinations, professional licenses, and occupational competency assessments are continually being revised or discontinued to stay current with technology and new techniques. Industry Credentialing providers have discontinued 4 previously approved certification examinations for the 2023-2024 school year. Certifications that are recommended for deletion from the Board-approved list can be found starting on page 8. These changes may be such that individual certifications are no longer available or no longer meet the Board of Education’s criteria for the academic specific verified credit, the Standard Diploma’s Career and Technical Education credential or the additional requirements for graduation in accordance with the Standards of Quality, and the diploma seals awards for exemplary student performance in Career and Technical Education and STEM.

 

Guidance Document(s) for this Comment Forum

Document ID	Document Title	Document in Effect	Proposed Document
Instruction	Board of Education Approved Industry Certifications, Occupational Competency Assessments, and Professional Licenses	Document	Proposed Document	Posted with Revised Changes on 12/14/2023

 

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