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Virginia's nationally acclaimed education system serves as a workforce pipeline, supplying businesses with a steady stream of skilled new entrants. Our attention to education is reflected in Virginia's superior, well-prepared labor force. Ranked among the best in the nation, Virginia's elementary and secondary schools offer a wealth of opportunity and diverse learning experiences for students.
Currently over 1.2 million students are enrolled in over 2,200 elementary and secondary schools throughout the state and Virginia's high schools graduate nearly 87,000 students annually. Over 80% of these graduates continue to a two or four-year degree program or other continuing education plan.
- U.S. News & World Report's 2012 "America's Best High Schools" names 18 Virginia high schools as gold medal schools, 19 silver medal schools and 59 bronze medal schools. In addition, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology is ranked as the second "Best High School" in the nation.
- Education Week's "Quality Counts" 2013 report ranks Virginia fourth best in its overall education system.
- Virginia's students rank third nationally for achievement in Advanced Placement (AP) tests according the College Board's "2012 AP Report to the Nation." Over 40% of Virginia's graduating class of 2011 took at least one AP exam during high school.
- Virginia has the fifth-most schools offering the International Baccalaureate Program in the U.S.
- The Commonwealth offers a wide variety of private schooling options at over 320 accredited institutions.
- With six military schools in the Commonwealth, Virginia has the largest concentration of military schools in the nation.
- Career and Technical Education (CTE) annually serves more than 584,000 secondary students in courses offered in high schools, middle schools or at one of the 55 local and regional technical centers. More than 41,000 secondary students completed the CTE program in Virginia in 2011.
- Results of national science tests from the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress show that Virginia public school students are among the highest achieving students in science in the nation.
For additional information on Virginia’s Elementary
and Secondary Education, please visit the Virginia
Department of Education.
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