Diploma Seals

Diploma Seals to Recognize Performance 

A series of seals can be earned to be placed on the Advanced Studies or Standard Diplomas. Students who demonstrate academic excellence and/or outstanding achievement may be eligible for the following: 

Shenandoah Scholar Seal — A student who completes the requirements for the Advanced Studies Diploma and successfully completes four levels of accelerated English, three Advanced Placement (AP) courses and three levels of the same foreign language will receive a Shenandoah Scholar Seal on the diploma. 

Governor’s Seal — Awarded to students who complete the requirements for an Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “B” or better and successfully complete college-level coursework that will earn the student at least nine transferable college credits in Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, or dual enrollment courses. 

Board of Education Seal — Students who completes the requirements for a Standard Diploma or Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “A” shall receive a Board of Education Seal on the diploma. 

Board of Education Career & Technical Education Seal - The Board of Education's Career & Technical Education Seal is awarded to students who: 

• earn a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma and complete a prescribed sequence of courses in a career and technical education concentration or specialization that they choose and maintain a "B" or better average in those courses

• or pass an examination or an occupational competency assessment in a career and technical education concentration or specialization that confers certification or occupational competency credential from a recognized industry, trade or professional association

• or acquire a professional license in that career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Board of Education shall approve all professional licenses and examinations used to satisfy these requirements. Visit The Path to Industry Certification for the current approved licenses and examinations.

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Seal - The STEM Seal shall be awarded to students who earn either a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma and satisfy all Math and Science requirements for the Advanced Studies diploma with a “B” average or better in all course work, and 

• successfully complete a 50 hour or more work-based learning opportunity in a STEM area, and

• satisfy all requirements for a Career and Technical Education concentration (a concentration is a coherent sequence of two or more state-approved courses as identified in the course listing within the CTE Program Area Guide), and 

• pass one of the following:

  • a Board of Education CTE STEM-H credential examination, or

  • an examination approved by the Board that confers a college-level credit in a STEM field.

Seal for Excellence in Civics Education -The Seal for Excellence in Civics Education Seal is awarded to students who earn either a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma and meet each of the following criteria:

• Complete Virginia & United States History and Virginia & United States Government courses with a grade of "B" or higher.

• Have good attendance and no disciplinary infractions as determined by local school board policies.

• Complete 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities, such as volunteering for a charitable or religious organization that provides services to the poor, sick or less fortunate; participating in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or similar youth organizations; participating in Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC); participating in political campaigns, government internships, Boys State, Girls State or Model General Assembly; or participating in school-sponsored extracurricular activities that have a civics focus. Any student who enlists in the United States military prior to graduation will be deemed to have met this community service requirement.

Seal of Biliteracy - The Seal of Biliteracy is awarded to students who earn a Board of Education-approved diploma and:

• Pass all required End-of-Course Assessments in English reading and writing at the proficient or higher level

• Demonstrate proficiency at the intermediate-mid level or higher in one or more languages other than English as demonstrated through an assessment from a list approved by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. American Sign Language qualifies as a language other than English.

Please visit the Seal of Biliteracy webpage for more information, including the list of assessment options for meeting the foreign language proficiency requirement.

Seal for Excellence in Science and the Environment (available only to students who entered ninth grade in 2018-2019 or thereafter) - The Seal for Excellence in Science and the Environment is awarded to students who enter the ninth grade for the first time in the 2018-2019 year and thereafter, and meet each of the following criteria:

• Earn either a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma

• Complete at least three different first-level board-approved laboratory science courses and at least one rigorous advanced-level or postsecondary-level laboratory science course, each with a grade of “B” or higher

• Complete laboratory or field-science research and present that research in a formal, juried setting

• Complete at least 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities that involve the application of science such as environmental monitoring, protection, management, or restoration.