Alternative Pathways to Credits

While there is no waiver for the world language credit requirement for the Advanced Studies Diploma, there are several alternative pathways available for awarding the required credits. Some alternatives are mandated by legislation to be made available to qualifying students. Other options are permitted by the Standards of Accreditation, but require a locally adopted policy before the pathway is available to students.

Students with Disabilities: Credit Accommodation for the Advanced Studies Diploma

There is one credit accommodation available for the advanced studies diploma. This alternative for students to meet the world language requirement is available to students with an individualized education program (IEP) that specifies a credit accommodation for world languages.

§ 22.1-253.13:4. Permit a student who is pursuing an Advanced Studies Diploma and whose individualized education program specifies a credit accommodation for world language to substitute two standard units of credit in computer science for two standard units of credit in a world language. For any student that elects to substitute a credit in computer science for credit in world language, his or her school counselor must provide notice to the student and parent or guardian of possible impacts related to college entrance requirements.

English Learners

House Bill 443 as incorporated in § 22.1-207.5 of the Code of Virginia.

Course Substitution for English Learners (EL)-Beginning with the 2018-2019 school year, English Learners who have previously earned a sufficient score in one of the world language assessments listed below may substitute computer coding course credit for any world language course credit required to graduate, except in cases in which such world language course credit is required to earn an advanced diploma offered by a nationally recognized provider of college-level courses. § 22.1-253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia. The following shall be used to meet the sufficient scores for this provision:

Qualifying Assessments / Minimum Score

Advanced Placement (AP) world language examination - Three (3) or higher
International Baccalaureate (IB) world language examination - Four (4) or higher
SAT II World Language Subject Test with Listening - 400 or higher

This option is available only to students classified as English Learners under Section 8101(20) of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) guidelines. English Learners using this option to meet the world language course credit requirements for an Advance Studies diploma will need to take three years of computer coding courses, or two years of coding plus two years of a world language to meet the sequence requirements.

The Standards of Accreditation do not require that courses used to satisfy the Computer Coding credits for this requirement be approved by the Board. Therefore, local school officials should use their own judgment in determining which courses students take to satisfy the specific credit requirements. A general guideline is courses for which at least 50 percent or more of the learning objectives relate to computer coding may be counted as a computer coding course for the purpose of this substitution.

Local Alternative Pathways to Standard Units of Credit

The standards of accreditation address the awarding of credit in section8 VAC 20-131-110 . The SOA allow for school divisions to award credit for other than clock hours. It is a local decision as to whether you will award credits for other than clock hours and how that credit will be awarded, so long as the policy is consistent with the SOA regulations as outlined in the guidance document listed below. The guidance document includes information on alternative pathways to awarding standard units of credit in courses that include world languages.

In accordance with 8VAC20-131-110(A) of the Standards of Accreditation (SOA), a "standard unit of credit" or "standard credit" is a credit awarded for a course in which the student successfully completes 140 clock hours of instruction and the requirements of the course.

School divisions may waive the 140 clock hour requirement and elect to award credit on a basis other than the 140 clock hours of instruction. Such school divisions must develop a written policy and comply with Board of Education guidelines. The Board of Education guidelines may be found in the Guidance Document Governing Certain Provisions of the SOA, under 8VAC20-131-110 in the section titled “Alternatives to the 140 Clock Hour Requirement for Standard Units of Credit.”

Credits for Demonstrated Proficiency

One local pathway available is to award credits for demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English to students who achieve a minimum score on an approved assessment. In the guidance document referenced above, see page 76, item 2c for information on awarding credit by exam. For divisions adopting a local policy using this option, the following score to credit ratios are recommended:

Novice High - One (1) credit
Intermediate Low - Two (2) credits
Intermediate Mid - Three (3) credits