
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, May 8, 1993                   TAG: 9305080126
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURA WILLIAMSON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

WHAT STUDENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO GET BY

Virginia law requires the state and localities to share the cost of a basic, minimum education for every student. The Standards of Quality - revised every two years - define what that basic education must include. The state enforces these standards through an accreditation process, including visits from the Department of Education, every two years.

Here's a sample of what the state guarantees each student:

Instruction in art, health, language arts, math, science, music, physical education, history (Virginia, United States and world) and social sciences, career and vocational exploration, foreign languages, English, family life and four electives.

Student-teacher ratios no larger than 25-to-1 in kindergarten, 24-to-1 in first grade, 25-to-1 in grades four through six, 24-to-1 in English classes for grades six through 12 and 25-to-1 in all other high school classes.

Special programs for the disabled, gifted and talented and those with limited English proficiency.

Preparation for college-level studies.

Preparation for the Scholastic Assessment Test.

A summer school program equal in quality to programs offered during the academic year.

A minimum of 990 hours of annual instructional time in grades one through 12 and 540 annual hours for kindergarten. That translates into a standard school year of 180 days, with 5 1/2 hours of class per day.

Instruction in computer literacy.

Instruction in how to write research papers and make oral presentations.

Remedial instruction in basic skills for students who don't learn in standard classroom settings.

Dropout prevention counseling.

Preparation for the General Educational Development Certificate or entry into the work force for students who fail to pass an eighth-grade literacy test, or, tutoring to help them pass the test.

Guidance counselors at each level of school.

by CNB