Graduation and Transfer Requirements
To graduate from high school, all students shall meet the minimum requirements set forth from the Virginia Department of Education and FCPS schools for the Standard Diploma or the Advanced Diploma based on when students enter 9th grade for the first time. Counselors work with students and families by tracking the requirements needed to ensure that all students graduate on time with the correct number of credits and verified credits.
Description of Credits
A standard credit is earned when a student passes a course. A verified credit is earned when a student passes a course as well as the associated end-of-course SOL test. State guidelines prescribe the number of verified credits required for graduation for students entering a Virginia public high school for the first time during the tenth grade or after. Eligible students with disabilities have the opportunity to use credit accommodations to earn a Standard Diploma. Students must be found eligible for these accommodations. Consult your school counselor for specific information.
High School Credits Earned in Middle School
Students receive credit toward graduation for high school courses taken and passed in middle school. These courses count toward credits in the required sequences as well as toward the total number of credits required for graduation and calculation of the grade point average (GPA). Middle school parents may request that grades for any high school credit-bearing course taken in the middle school be removed from the student’s high school transcript, and therefore the student will not earn high school credit for the course. In addition, the student will not be eligible for a verified credit in any course which has been removed from the transcript. The request to remove a course from the transcript must be made in writing to the middle or high school the student will attend the following year, prior to the end of the first nine weeks. See current version of FCPS Regulation 2408.