Seat Time Flexibility
Virginia is leading the way in transforming how learning time is structured. With the introduction of seat time flexibility, school divisions now have the opportunity to design learning environments that prioritize student mastery and personalized progress—not just time spent in a classroom.
News and Announcements
Virginia is reimagining how learning happens—and we’re launching a monthly webinar series to explore what’s next. These sessions will spotlight innovative approaches to instructional time and showcase how divisions across the Commonwealth are designing flexible, student-centered learning models.
As education continues to evolve, understanding and applying seat time flexibility will be key to building personalized, competency-based environments that meet every learner where they are.
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What Is Seat Time Flexibility?
Seat time flexibility is a forward-thinking approach that shifts the focus from rigid instructional hours to student-centered outcomes. Instead of measuring learning by the clock, schools can now emphasize academic mastery, allowing students to learn at their own pace while staying aligned with Virginia’s K-12 Standards of Learning (SOL).
This model encourages innovation, giving educators the freedom to tailor instruction to meet the diverse needs, interests, and strengths of every learner.
In 2024, Virginia enacted § 22.1-200.3 of the Code of Virginia, authorizing the Board of Education to grant local school boards maximum flexibility in meeting instructional time requirements. On August 28, 2025, the Virginia Board of Education approved Guidelines for Graduation Requirements: Local Alternative Paths to Standard Units of Credit (Alternatives to the 140- Clock-hour Requirement).
Seat Time Flexibility Action Kit
To support divisions in this transition, the Virginia Board of Education approved the Seat Time Flexibility Action Kit, a three-part resource designed to guide your team through planning, approval, and implementation:
- Guidelines and Resources: Explore the “why” behind seat time flexibility, discover model examples, and access tools to help your team design a customized approach.
- Notice Form: Submit your proposed model to VDOE for review. The form includes key details such as expected outcomes, communication strategies, and implementation plans. This step ensures your model is aligned with local board approval and state guidelines.
- Monitoring Form: Track progress and measure impact. This template helps divisions monitor student success, educator engagement, and overall effectiveness of the new instructional model.
Technical Support
To support divisions in their planning and implementation efforts, we are pleased to offer dedicated one-on-one technical assistance. These sessions are designed to help teams navigate model selection, explore implementation strategies, and address any questions related to the Action Kit. Whether your division is initiating early conversations or refining an existing approach, our team is committed to providing tailored guidance aligned with your local context and educational priorities. Please feel free to reach out to innovation@doe.virginia.gov for any questions and technical support.
What Happens Next?
Once your Notice Form is submitted, a cross-functional team at VDOE will review your proposal to ensure readiness for clock hour waivers. They’ll be looking for:
- Thoughtful planning
- Stakeholder engagement
- A clear focus on student achievement and well-being
The Virginia Department of Education supports school divisions in adopting innovative learning models through its seat-time flexibility initiative. By offering this flexibility, VDOE helps to meet the varied needs of students, ensuring that they can learn at their own pace and in ways that best suit their learning styles. This approach fosters more personalized learning experiences and allows students to engage with the curriculum in a manner that aligns with their individual strengths and interests. There are five models to support seat time flexibility include:
Model One: Alternative Hours
Introduces flexibility for times when students are learning. This could include options outside of the traditional school day (e.g., weekends, before- or after conventional hours) and year-round learning schedules.
Model Two: Course Innovation
Create flexibility in the amount of time students have to demonstrate mastery. (e.g., accelerated coursework or additional hours where needed). Accelerated mastery can create time needed for other subject areas or for hands-on projects or work-based learning time.
Model Three: Flexible Learning Settings
Provide options for where students learn and earn credits (e.g., work-based learning, apprenticeships, externships, and remote learning). Museums, parks, colleges, all provide motivational context for learning.Model Four: Blended Courses
Provide options for combinations of subjects students can learn in courses that blend two or more related subjects; begin by looking at the curriculum and identify areas in which related content can reinforce and deepen student understanding across multiple disciplines; as well as how project-based learning and early college become more accessible in this model. How can college courses more readily replace high school courses to earn credits for graduation and college without students having to take extra coursework.
Model Five: Emerging Local Practices
This model recognizes innovative instructional approaches that fall outside of the other four categories; or that blend components of more than one model. Many innovations are rooted in local contexts and evolving educational priorities. These practices may be in early stages of implementation, or work as an add on to an already existing choice model.Video Library
To further support school divisions in implementing these flexible learning models, VDOE has created a video library that offers innovative practices from Virginia school divisions. The video library serves as a resource to help school divisions visualize how others in Virginia are navigating the complexities of seat-time flexibility, ensuring they can create engaging, effective learning environments that meet the needs of all students.
Virginia Beach Public Schools Bio-Fit Course
Virginia Beach Public Schools Bio-Fit course highlights a blended course model combining biology and physical education in an interdisciplinary approach.
Hopewell City Schools Balanced Calendar
Hopewell City Public Schools balanced calendar uses the alternative hours model with intersessions to extend learning opportunities.
Hampton City Public Schools Flexible Learning Settings
The Academies of Hampton, Hampton City Public Schools, uses a flexible learning model offering opportunities to explore college and career pathways in settings outside the traditional classroom.
Louisia County Seat Time Flexibility
Louisa County Public Schools has been thinking differently about education. They have built a system of support for their students to connect instruction to real-world applications through flexibility learning locations both on and off school grounds.