For Families
Learn more About Virginia Schools
Virginia’s School Quality Profiles
School Quality Profiles are a new way to look at the performance of Virginia’s public schools. School Quality Profiles are available for all schools, school divisions, and for the state.
School Enrollment
- Enrollment in Virginia Public Schools
- Virginia School Entrance Laws
- School Entrance Physical Exam Form (PDF) and Instructions (PDF)
- School readiness describes the capabilities of children, families, schools and communities that promote student success in kindergarten and beyond. Each component plays an essential role in the development of school readiness.
Graduation Requirements
Students have many options for earning a high school diploma and opportunities ways to maximize course selections.- Graduation Requirements for students entering the ninth grade in fall 2018 (Class of 2022).
- Graduation Requirements for students entering the ninth grade prior to fall 2018
- Frequently Asked Questions about Earning a Virginia High School Diploma for students entering the ninth grade prior to fall 2018
- Academic and Career Plan – Students in middle and high school must now have a personal Academic and Career Plan that aligns academic and career goals with the student’s course of study.
- Parents: How to Connect Student Learning to Careers: Parents, Start Early! (PDF)
Virginia’s Revised Standards of Accreditation (SOA)
- Impact on Schools and Students
- Revisions to School Accreditation
- Revisions to Virginia Graduation Requirements (Class of 2022)
Student Records
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is the federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children’s education records. For more information about FERPA, see Student Records & Privacy.
- To obtain copies of your public school records, contact your local school division’s administrative offices. Contact information on Virginia school divisions and schools is available on the Education Directories page.
- To obtain copies of your private school records, contact the private school’s administrative offices or the Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE).
Resources for Families
- Career Clusters - planning tools for career and college readiness. Career Clusters help students investigate careers and design their courses of study to advance their career goals.
- Driver Eduation
- Health and Medical Support
- Home Schooling
- Human Trafficking
- Local Alternative Education Options for Suspended and Expelled Students in the Commonwealth (PDF)
- Military Families - includes contact list for school liaison officers
- Parent’s Guide to Additional Services - includes information about summer school
- Private Schools
- School Nutrition Programs – including:
- National School Lunch Program
- School Breakfast Program
- Afterschool Snack Program
- USDA Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program
- Summer Food Service Programs
- Special Education
- A Parent’s Guide to Special Education (PDF)
- Guía de Educación Especial para Padres (PDF)
- Virginia Family Special Education Connection
- Guidance for Military Families with Students in Special Education (PDF)
- Steps to Success: Communication with Your Child's School (This is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Marshallese, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese.)
- TestNav8 SOL Practice Items - by subject and grade level allow students to practice using the same online tools and formats they will use for their actual test.
- Summer Learning - grade level content for parents.
- Virtual Virginia - offers pre-Advanced Placement (AP), honors and AP classes as well as academic electives and world languages classes online. Eligible students enroll in Virtual Virginia through their local schools.
Outside Resources
- US Department of Education Family and Community Engagement
- SOL Innovation Committee- works identifying ways to improve the Standards of Learning testing and accountability system. The committee is made up of educators, legislators, administrators, business leaders, parents and advocates selected from across the commonwealth who are committed to implementing lasting changes to our current system. To request to be added to the committee’s listserv, or to give your input, please send an email to: education1@governor.virginia.gov.
- Virginia 529 College Savings Plan
- FAMIS, low cost health insurance- A Virginia family of four can make as much as $49,713 a year and still qualify for FAMIS, low cost health insurance for kids. Call 1-855-242-8282 or apply for FAMIS online.
- The Senate and House of Delegates programs
- Preparing for College – Resources for Virginia high school students to learn how to prepare, apply, and pay for college.
- Internet Safety
Ways to Stay Involved in Education
Families are busy, but there are many different ways you can get involved in your child’s education. No matter how little or how much time you have, there are many ways you can positively impact your child’s education at school and at home. Remember, when families get involved and stay involved, all students achieve at higher levels.
- Volunteer at School: Schools often send home lists of various ways that parents can volunteer. If they don’t, let your child’s teachers, principal, or counselors know your special skills and ask what you can do to help.
- Show Your Child That You Care: Have a conversation with your child about school and homework regularly. Ask specific questions that inform you about your child’s day. Know what classes your child is taking, who your child’s friends are, and other essential information.
- Keep In Touch With The School: Get to know your child’s teachers, principal, counselors and school’s parent involvement coordinator. Make it a point to stay in contact with them throughout the school year.
- Express High Educational Expectations: Encourage your child to take challenging courses and monitor your child’s academic performance (homework, grades, and test scores) throughout the year. Emphasize effort and achievement.
- Attend School Meetings, Functions & Events: Make time to attend parent-teacher conferences, parent fairs, curriculum nights, award ceremonies and other school events. Your attendance and support matters to your child.
- Seek Out Information: Request a meeting with your child’s teacher regarding any aspect of your child’s education. If you have other questions, ask the school by calling or sending a note so they can link you with the appropriate person who can respond to your needs.
- Be An Active Part of Decision Making Committees: Participate in parent or school leadership organizations. Ask your school about the Parent Teacher Association or Parent Teacher Organization, school council, parent advisory committee or other parent organizations and then join one.
- Make School Important: Talk positively about school with your child. Send your child prepared for school each day with pens, pencils, notebooks, and homework completed. Make school a priority by ensuring they are at school every day and arrive on time.
- Be Seen At School: Arrange a visit to your child’s classroom, have lunch with your child at school, or visit the Parent Center. Your presence matters and shows the school that you are invested in your child’s education.
- Be Informed and Responsive: Ask, collect, read, and respond, if needed, to all information (school policies, field trip information, student handbook, etc.) that is sent from your child’s school or teacher. If you need to receive information in a language other than English, call or visit the school.
- Visit Your School's Website: Access all kinds of information, including homework assignments, class schedules, lesson plans, test dates, and grades on your child’s school website. If you don’t know your school’s Website, ask your child’s teacher or the school.
Find your school division or school using these tools:
- All Virginia Public Schools – listed by school division
- For more contact information about about schools and school division, visit the Directories web page.
- Participate in Workshops: Look for great opportunities to meet other parents at school through workshops that cover topics such as child development, school standards, and other shared parent concerns. If workshops are not offered regularly, help plan one or suggest ideas to your school counselors or parent involvement coordinator.
- Provide a Rich Learning Environment at Home: Make time for meaningful dinner conversations, trips, games, reading time, family sports, and daily routines. Activities like these will contribute to your child’s academic achievement at school.
- Drop in On After-School or Extracurricular Activities: Pick your child up from after-school activities or stop by a few minutes early to watch your child in action, if you are unavailable during the school day. It is also important to know your child’s after school teacher, instructor, or coach.
- Partner With The Community: Encourage local businesses, churches, clubs or civic organizations that you are involved with to volunteer or financially support the school. Have community partners provide schools and families with information about services and resources they provide that support student learning such as mentoring, tutoring, and service learning activities.