Expand Your Academic Vocabulary

Advanced Placement, Cambridge AICE, IB Diploma, and Courses

Certain courses have been designated as AP, Cambridge (AICE), and IB courses . These courses are externally moderated and exceed the expectations of grade-level objectives for a specific subject. Students taking these courses will have a plus sign (+) beside the course title listed on the student report card and on the student transcript. These courses offer weighted credit.

Career and Technical Education Industry Credentialing

A Career and Technical Education (CTE) credential is a Virginia Board of Education approved competency assessment or industry certification that validates a student’s academic and technical knowledge and skills. CTE industry credentials may include occupational competency assessments, industry certification exams from a recognized industry, trade, or professional organization (e.g., CompTIA, ServSafe), stackable industry certifications and entry-level exams (e.g., Automotive Service Excellence, Microsoft Office Specialist), a State-Issued Professional License required for entry into a specific occupation (Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN), Cosmetology), and/or the Workplace Readiness Skills for the Commonwealth assessment, which is most valuable when given in addition to appropriate course specific credentials that demonstrate mastery of valuable CTE Skills. High school students who are enrolled in a second-, third-, or fourth-year CTE course in a state-approved sequence are eligible for the industry credential aligned with the content of the course. These credentialing opportunities are provided to all students enrolled in the course at no cost to the student or family. Students who earn a credential by passing a certification or licensure examination may earn verified credits to meet graduation requirements. Earning one or more CTE industry credentials may be required for gradation if the student has not successfully complete an Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or Dual Enrollment (DE) course, or a High-Quality Work-Based Learning (HQWBL) experience.

Dual Enrolled

Students taking courses from a community college, trade school program, college, or university for a credit, while simultaneously enrolled in Prince William County Public Schools are said to be dual enrolled. Agreements between the college and PWCS must be in place before courses being approved for dual enrolled credit.

Elective

Electives are additional courses beyond the required courses that are needed to meet the total minimum standard units of credit for graduation.

Visual and Performing Arts or Career and Technical Education

• Visual and Performing Arts courses include those courses which lead to student's aesthetic education in the areas of visual arts, theatre arts, music, dance, creative writing, journalistic writing, or speech. The course taken to satisfy the visual and performing arts requirement may also serve as one of the two courses required to satisfy the sequential electives requirement.
• Career and Technical Education courses focus on 21st-century career skills presented in a real-world setting. All courses listed under Career and Technical Education, except Economics and Personal Finance; and Office Specialist 1, 2, and 3; and Employ 1 and 2 courses listed under Special Education meet this graduation requirement. The course taken to satisfy the CTE requirement may also serve as one of the two courses required to satisfy the sequential elective requirement.

First Aid, CPR, and AED Training

The requirements for the Standard and Advanced Diplomas shall include a requirement to be trained in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary, resuscitation, and the use of automated external defibrillators, including hands-on practice of the skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. PWCS students will be trained in these skills while enrolled in Health and Physical Education 1.

Sequential Electives

According to the Virginia Department of Education's Standards of Quality, students who enter the 9th grade for the first time during the 2018-19 school year and beyond who are pursuing either the Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma must complete at least two sequential electives. Students who successfully complete any career and technical education sequence that consists of at least two 36-week courses or semester equivalents that equal two 36-week courses will fully meet this requirement. For students pursuing the Standard Diploma, Career and Technical Education, Visual and Performing Arts, or the World Language course credit may be used to partially satisfy the sequential elective requirement.

For students pursuing the Advanced Studies Diploma who enter the 9th grade during the 2018-19 school year and beyond, the Visual and Performing Arts or Career and Technical Education course credit may be used to partially satisfy the sequential elective requirement.

Standards of Learning (SOL)

The Standards of Learning for Virginia Public Schools describe the Commonwealth's expectations for student learning and achievement in English, driver education, health and physical education, history and social science, mathematics, science, technology, visual and performing arts, and world language and for grades K-12.

Standards of Learning Tests (SOL Tests)

SOL tests are End-of-Course (EOC) tests which are required by the Virginia Department of Education to verify attainment of knowledge and skills in specific English, math, science, and social science courses. A standard unit of credit is earned when a student passes the course, he/she is taking. If a student passes the SOL test but fails the course, the student does not retake the SOL test. The student must, however, repeat the course. If they pass the course but fail the SOL test for that course, the student may retake the SOL test until he/she passes it. Students passing a course may proceed to the next level of a course without having passed the SOL test in the previous level. If both the course and the SOL test are failed, both must be repeated.

Standard Unit of Credit

A standard unit of credit for graduation is based on a minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction and successful completion of the requirements of the course. A semester course receives one-half credit.

Verified Unit of Credit

A verified unit of credit for graduation is based on a minimum of 140 clock hours of instruction, successful completion of the requirements of the course, and achievement of a passing score on the End-of-Course (EOC) Standards of Learning (SOL) test or additional test for that course as approved by the Board of Education. A verified unit of credit is earned when:

1. The course is passed in which a Standards of Learning (SOL) test is administered; and
2. The end-of-course SOL test is passed.

Students must complete five verified units of credit for the Standard and Advanced Studies Diplomas. Students entering a Virginia public school during the 11th grade or at the beginning of the 12th grade have reduced SOL requirements.

Locally Awarded Verified Unit of Credit

Students pursuing the Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma may earn one locally awarded verified unit of credit toward the five verified credits required to graduate. Students with an IEP or 504 plan who are eligible for credit accommodations may earn all verified units of credit through the local award process.

To be eligible to earn locally awarded verified credits in English, mathematics, science, or history/social science, a student must:

• Pass the high school course;
• Score within a 375-399 scale score range on any administration of the Standards of Learning test after taking the test at least twice; and
• Demonstrate achievement in the academic content through an appeal process administered at the local level.

Weighted Credit

Weighted credit refers to grade point values assigned to:

• Advanced Placement courses
• Cambridge courses
• Certain career and technical education courses
• Designated prerequisite courses
• Dual enrollment courses
• IB courses
• Qualifying college courses