Virginia Administrative Code › Title 8 - EDUCATION › Agency 20 - STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION › Chapter 160 - REGULATIONS GOVERNING SECONDARY SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS › Section 8VAC20-160-10 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 24, July 15, 2024
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.
Statutory Authority
§ 22.1-16 of the Code of Virginia.