What to teach in Virginia
Which courses here cover the required subjects, which subjects they do not, and roughly how many hours they account for.
What Virginia specifies
- Subjects
- No subject list in statute.
- Hours or days
- Not specified.
- Assessment
- Required — see below
Courses that cover the core subjects
Virginia names no subjects, so nothing here is required of you. This is the sequence this site teaches, offered as a default rather than an obligation.
Mathematics
| Grade | Course |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | Grade 6 Math |
| Grade 7 | Grade 7 Math |
| Grade 8 | Grade 8 Math |
| Grade 9 | Algebra I |
| Grade 10 | Geometry |
| Grade 11 | Algebra II |
| Grade 12 | Precalculus |
English
Science
| Grade | Course |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | Science 6: Matter, Energy & Earth Systems |
| Grade 7 | Life Science & Scientific Inquiry |
| Grade 8 | Physical Science: Matter, Forces & Energy |
| Grade 9 | Earth & Space Science |
| Grade 10 | Life Science: Biology |
| Grade 11 | Physical Science: Chemistry |
| Grade 12 | Physics & Environmental Science |
Social studies
Each is planned as a 36-week year of about 180 sessions, five a week — the year 20 of the 21 course guides set out explicitly. How long a session runs is yours to set.
The four high school years
Virginia reviews the work each year, so the high school record matters twice: once for the annual assessment and again for whoever reads the transcript afterwards. A full sequence of these courses looks like this.
| Grade | Mathematics | English | Science | Social studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | Algebra I | English 9 | Earth & Space Science | Global History & Geography I |
| Grade 10 | Geometry | English 10 | Life Science | Global History & Geography II |
| Grade 11 | Algebra II | English 11 | Physical Science | United States History & Government |
| Grade 12 | Precalculus | English 12 | Physics & Environmental Science | Government, Civic Participation & Economics |
Four subjects across four years is 16 full-year courses. Credits, grades and the diploma itself are Virginia's business, not this site's — what Virginia says about diplomas and transcripts.
Evidence for the annual review
Virginia asks for testing or evaluation, so the year has to leave a paper trail. These courses produce four things that serve as evidence, without any extra work:
- Printable lessons. Every lesson has a print view holding the full teaching text, worked examples and practice — dated pages for a portfolio.
- Exams with answer keys and marking criteria. Each course has a midterm, a final and a sample exam, each question carrying response criteria an evaluator can read.
- A 36-week pacing table. The parent guide for each course lists the week-by-week assignments, which is the planning document most evaluators ask to see.
- Exit tickets and checkpoints. Short written responses through each lesson, showing work over time rather than one test score.
Home instruction only: each year submit either (i) a composite score at or above the 4th stanine (about the 23rd percentile) on a nationally normed standardized test, or an equivalent ACT, SAT or PSAT score; or (ii) an evaluation the superintendent accepts as showing adequate progress, such as a letter from a licensed teacher or someone with a master's degree or higher, or a report card/transcript from a college, distance learning program or home-education correspondence school. Not required for children under 6 on Sept 30. If not met, one-year probation with a remediation plan; continued failure ends home instruction. Decisions can be appealed within 30 days. Not required under the religious exemption.
Deadline: August 1 following the school year