GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Awarding Diplomas - Suffolk Public Schools shall award diplomas to all secondary school students, including students who transfer from nonpublic schools or from home instruction, who (i) earn the units of credit prescribed by the Board of Education; (ii) pass any prescribed tests; and (iii) meet such other requirements as prescribed by the Suffolk City School Board.

Profile of a Virginia Graduate – Both the Standard Diploma and the Advanced Diploma shall provide multiple pathways toward college, career, and citizenship readiness for students to follow in the later years of high school. Each such pathway shall provide meaningful and rigorous opportunities tied to instruction to achieve workplace and citizenship skills through experiences such as internships, externships, credentialing, and blended learning which may be offered for credit toward high school graduation. Each student who receives a standard or advanced diploma shall: (i) attain the knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences necessary to be successful in the evolving global economy whether immediately entering the world of work or pursuing a postsecondary education and (ii) acquire and be able to demonstrate foundational skills in critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship. (Virginia Administrative Code 8VAC20-131-51)

Service Learning Requirement

Students enrolled in 9th grade in 2020-21 and beyond will be required to complete a service learning experience embedded in a core area course (VA & US Government). Service Learning (SL) experiences enable students to learn to apply academic, social, and personal skills to improve the community, continue individual growth, and develop a lifelong ethic of service. During a service learning experience, students identify an interest and a community need, and then develop and complete a project under the supervision of a staff member or teacher.

Additional Requirements

• AP, Honors, IB, Dual Enrollment, Work-Based Learning, or CTE Credential -  Students shall (i) complete an Advanced Placement, honors, International Baccalaureate, or dual enrollment course; or (ii) complete a high-quality work-based learning experience, as established by Board guidance on work-based learning; or (iii) earn a career and technical education credential approved by the board, except when a career and technical education credential in a particular subject area is not readily available or appropriate or does not adequately measure student competency, in which case the student shall receive satisfactory competency-based instruction in the subject area to satisfy the advanced studies diploma requirements. The career and technical education credential, when required, could include the successful completion of an industry certification, a state licensure examination, a national occupational competency assessment, or the Virginia workplace readiness assessment.

• Virtual Course - Students shall successfully complete one virtual course, which may be a non-credit-bearing course or a required or elective credit-bearing course that is offered online.  Guidance on this requirement is provided in the Guidance Document Governing Certain Provisions of the SOA (8VAC20-131) (Word).

• First Aid, CPR, and AED Training - Students shall be trained in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED), including hands-on practice of the skills necessary to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Students with an IEP or 504 Plan that documents that they cannot successfully complete this training shall be granted a waiver from this graduation requirement, as provided in 8VAC20-131-420 (B).

• Demonstration of the 5 C’s – In accordance with the Profile of a Virginia Graduate, students shall acquire and demonstrate foundational skills in Virginia’s 5 C’s: critical thinking, creative thinking, collaboration, communication, and citizenship.