ACADEMICS / PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM
Entrance Requirements
VIRGINIA
The Commonwealth of Virginia requires that children and youth attend school if they have reached their 5th birthday by September 30 and have not passed their 18th birthday. At the time of registration for new students, a parent or guardian must be present and provide proof of address and the enrollee’s official birth certificate, Social Security number, and physical exam report. Virginia requires a physical examination that includes a tuberculin skin test for all students new to Virginia. For kindergartners, the exam must have taken place within the past 12 months. Required vaccinations include DPT, polio (oral vaccine), measles, Rubella, and mumps. For details or answers to specific questions, contact:
Virginia Department of Education
Richmond
www.doe.virginia.gov
NORTH CAROLINA
Students must be at least five years old on or before October 16 of the enrollment year to register for kindergarten and at least six years old on or before the same date for first-grade registration. Several documents will be necessary for registration, including proof of residency, the child’s certified birth certificate and social security number, and a health assessment. The latter must be signed by a physician and include a physical exam, vision screening, and hearing screening.
North Carolina law also requires immunizations in the proper doses and intervals for DTP, polio, measles, mumps, Rubella, Hepatitis B, and Hib for children born after October 1, 1988. The certification of immunization must include the name, birthdate, and sex of the child as well as name and contact information for the parent or guardian. Children are not permitted to attend classes without complete immunization records. For more information about public education in North Carolina or answers to specific questions, contact:
North Carolina Public Schools
Department of Public Instruction
919-807-3300
www.ncpublicschools.org
North Carolina State Board of Education
919-807-3401
http://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov
Frequently Requested Numbers
Superintendent of Public Instruction
804-225-2057
Educational Accountability
804-225-2052
School Nutrition
804-786-6354
Instruction
804-225-2057
Adult Education
804-225-2051
Career & Technical Education
804-225-2051
Special Education
804-786-8079
Student Services
804-225-4024
Technology
804-786-9281
State and National Testing
The Virginia Standards of Learning or SOL describes the Commonwealth's expectations for student learning and achievement in grades K-12. Subjects included are English, mathematics, science, history/social science, technology, the fine arts, foreign language, health and physical education, and driver education. The Virginia Substitute Evaluation Program is available for students with disabilities that do not translate well into the SOL testing environment.
The National Assessment of Educational Progress or NAEP testing offers a comparison of the achievement level of Virginia students to that of other students across the nation. Frequently referred to as the “nation’s report card,” NAEP has been an operational assessment since 1969. Historically, Virginia’s NAEP average scale scores in reading and mathematics tend to be higher than or equal to national public school average scores. For more information on assessment and testing in Virginia schools, contact:
Assessment & Reporting
Virginia Department of Education
804-225-2102
www.doe.virginia.gov
Internet Resources
VIRGINIA
Student and School Support
www.doe.virginia.gov/support/index.shtml
Educational Accountability
www.doe.virginia.gov/statistics_reports/index.shtml
Special Education & Student Services
www.doe.virginia.gov/special_ed/index.shtml
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina State Board of Education
919-807-3401
http://stateboard.ncpublicschools.gov
Curriculum
www.ncpublicschools.org/curriculum
Educational Initiatives
www.ncpublicschools.org/edinit.html
School/District Directory
www.ncpublicschools.org/nceddirectory
Reports and Statistics
www.ncpublicschools.org/data/reports
