General Information

Students New to Shenandoah County

Parents of students new to Shenandoah County Public Schools should visit the division webpage at https://www.shenandoah.k12.va.us for registration information, forms, and documentation needed to register their student.

Purpose of the Program of Studies

This educational planning guide is designed to help students and their parents:

Learn about courses and programs offered in the middle and high schools of Shenandoah County Public Schools
Make informed choices about courses
Realize that academic performance from kindergarten through high school relates to future goals
Understand and prepare for Virginia’s graduation requirements, and assist students in planning and refining their academic and career plans (ACP) to meet educational and career goals.

Students should study this guide and consult with their parents, school counselors, and teachers in determining their individual plans.

Academic and Career Planning

All schools develop a personal Academic and Career Plan for each seventh-grade student with completion by the fall of the student’s eighth-grade year.

The components of the plan shall include, but not be limited to, the student's program of study for high school graduation and a postsecondary career pathway based on the student's academic and career interests. The Academic and Career Plan shall be developed in accordance with guidelines established by the Board of Education and signed by the student, student's parent or guardian, and school official(s) designated by the principal. The plan shall be included in the student's record and shall be reviewed and updated annually.

The goal of Academic and Career Planning is to provide career education and guidance to all students, teach goal setting skills, and build student capacity to strategically select coursework based upon area of interests and future goals. ACPs are fluid documents that are meant to guide the planning process, not a rigid structure to confine students to a particular pathway.

There are numerous methods for obtaining a career that lead to well-paying jobs and developing skills necessary to enter a career. All career pathways are valuable and necessary in today’s society. It is important for students and parents to discuss all possibilities and make choices based on the student’s career goals. Some methods to obtaining career goals are through skilled trade training, apprenticeship or on-the-job training, career studies certification, Associate’s degrees, Bachelor’s degrees, and Graduate level degrees.

Career Clusters

A Career Cluster is a grouping of occupations and broad industries based on commonalities. Within each career cluster, there are multiple career pathways that represent a common set of skills and knowledge, both academic and technical, necessary to pursue a full range of career opportunities within that pathway – ranging from entry level to management, including technical and professional career specialties. Based on the skills sets taught, all Career and Technical Education courses are aligned with one or more career clusters and career pathways.

The National Career Cluster model identifies 16 Career Clusters in which all Careers may fit within. Within each career cluster, there are numerous training and educational options. See below the examples of each cluster. The 16 Career Clusters are:

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