Diploma Seals

Download as PDF

Students meeting specific requirements for graduation and demonstrating exemplary performance may receive diploma seals for recognition. VDOE makes available to local school divisions the following seals:

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), or dual enrollment courses.

Board of Education Seal

Awarded to students who complete the requirements for a Standard Diploma or Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of “A” beginning with the ninth-grade class of 2006-07 and beyond.

Board of Education’s Career & Technical Education Seal

Awarded to students who:

  • earn a Standard Diploma 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.

Board of Education’s Seal of Advanced Mathematics and Technology

Awarded to students who earn a Standard Diploma or Advanced Studies Diploma and satisfy all of the mathematics requirements for the Advanced Studies Diploma (four units of credit including Algebra II; two verified units of credit) with a B average or better; and either:

  • pass an examination in a career and technical education field that confers certification from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association;

OR

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

OR

  • pass an examination approved by the board that confers college-level credit in a technology or computer science area.

This seal is available to students who entered 9th grade in 2017-18 and prior.

Board of Education’s Seal for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)

Awarded to students who earn a Standard Diploma or 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 CTE courses

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.

Board of Education’s Excellence in Civics Education Seal

Awarded to students who meet each of the following four criteria:

  • Satisfy the requirement to earn a Modified Standard Diploma, a Standard Diploma or an Advanced Studies Diploma,
  • Complete Virginia and U.S. History and Virginia and U.S. Government courses with a grade of “B” or higher,
  • 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; and 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,
  • Have good attendance and no disciplinary infractions as determined by local school board policies.

Board of Education's Seal of Biliteracy

Graduating high school students who achieve a high level of proficiency in English and in one or more languages other than English receive the Seal of Biliteracy. To attain this seal, the Virginia Board of Education requires students to meet the following criteria:

  • Earn a Board of Education-approved diploma

AND

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

AND

  • be proficient at the intermediate mid-level or higher in one or more languages other than English, as demonstrated through an approved assessment.