State Diploma Seals

The Governor’s Seal will be 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), International Baccalaureate (IB), Cambridge, or dual enrollment courses.

Virginia Board of Education (VBOE) Seal is for students who complete the requirements for a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma with an average grade of A.

The Board of Education’s Career and Technical Education Seal will be awarded to students who earn a Standard 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. The Board shall approve all professional licenses and examinations used to satisfy these requirements.

The Board of Education’s Seal of Advanced Mathematics and Technology will be awarded to students who earn a Standard 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 (a) pass an examination in a career and technical education field that confers certification from a recognized industry, or trade or professional association; (b) acquire a professional license in a career and technical education field from the Commonwealth of Virginia; or (c) pass an examination approved by VBOE that confers college-level credit in a technology or computer science area. VBOE shall approve all professional licenses and examinations used to satisfy these requirements.

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

The Board of Education’s Seal for Excellence in Civics Education will be awarded to students who earn a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma and:

• Completes Virginia and United States History and Virginia and United States Government courses with a grade of B or higher
• Have good attendance and no disciplinary infractions as determined by local school board policies
• Complete 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities. Activities that would satisfy the requirements of clause (iii) of this subdivision include:
  • 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 JROTC
  • Participating in political campaigns or government internships, or Boys State, Girls State, or Model General Assembly
  • 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.

The Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to students who complete the requirements for a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma and pass all required end-of-course assessments in English reading and writing at the proficient or higher level and demonstrate proficiency at the intermediate-mid level or higher in one or more languages other than English, as demonstrated through an assessment from a list to be approved by the VDOE Superintendent of Public Instruction.

This list of options for demonstrating proficiency at the intermediate-mid level or higher may be found at the Virginia Department of Education, Seal of Biliteracy. This list includes the FCPS World Language Credit Exams and FCPS Level 4 PALS exams.

For more information, please go to the Virginia Seal of Biliteracy.

The Seal for Excellence in Science and the Environment will be awarded to students who complete the requirements for a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma, complete at least three different first-level board-approved laboratory science courses, and at least one rigorous advanced-level or postsecondary laboratory science course (each with a grade of “B” or higher). Additionally, students must complete laboratory or field-science research and present that research in a formal, juried setting, and complete at least 50 hours of voluntary participation in community service or extracurricular activities that involve the application of science such as environmental monitoring, protection, management, or restoration.

This seal is available to students who entered 9th grade in 2018-19 and beyond.

The Board of Education’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Seal will be awarded to students who earn either 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. Additionally, students must successfully complete a 50 hour or more work-based learning opportunity in a STEM area, satisfy all requirements for a Career and Technical Education concentration, and pass either 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.