| The Commonwealth of Virginia and Governor Timothy | | | | - Nottoway County |
| M. Kaine have for some time been encouraging | | | | - Richmond |
| Virginia Schools high school students to take more | | | | - Roanoke County |
| rigorous coursework. The Governor recently | | | | - Scott County |
| announced the pilot Commonwealth Scholars Program | | | | The Virginia Career Education Foundation, a statewide |
| and promotional campaign to underscore this | | | | business and education partnership, will lead the Virginia |
| commitment to excellence in Virginia's youth. | | | | schools initiative. They will work with participating |
| Eleven divisions within the Virginia schools initially will | | | | school divisions to develop partnerships with local |
| participate in the new program. The required rigorous | | | | businesses and to promote the program. Private |
| coursework goes beyond the minimum graduation | | | | sector volunteers will be trained to make presentations |
| requirements for a Standard Diploma, but falls below | | | | to the students, focusing on how the rigorous high |
| the college preparation coursework requirements for | | | | school courses will improve their post-high school |
| an Advanced Studies Diploma. Students who | | | | career opportunities. |
| complete the core coursework under the Virginia | | | | The Commonwealth Scholars Program is based on a |
| schools program will be recognized as Commonwealth | | | | core course of study that includes: |
| Scholars at graduation and eligible to receive a special | | | | - Four years of English; |
| diploma seal that recognizes their achievement. | | | | - Three years of mathematics - Algebra I and II, and |
| Instructional support will be provided to all students who | | | | geometry; |
| participate. | | | | - Three years of science - biology, chemistry and |
| A two-year, $300,000 State Scholars Initiative grant | | | | physics; |
| from the U.S. Department of Education funds the | | | | - Three and half years of social studies - selected |
| Commonwealth Scholars Program. Virginia schools | | | | from United States and Virginia history, world history, |
| were one of eight states selected in a national | | | | geography, economics and financial literacy, United |
| competition to participate in the federal grant program. | | | | States and Virginia government; |
| The Virginia schools divisions were chosen based on | | | | - Two years of health and physical education; and |
| their interest in the program and their ability to meet the | | | | - Two years of language other than English. |
| requirements of the grant. The eleven Virginia schools' | | | | Research has shown that there is a strong correlation |
| divisions are: | | | | between the academic rigor of high school |
| - Albemarle County | | | | coursework taken and postsecondary degree |
| - Alexandria | | | | completion. One example is mathematics - 40 percent |
| - Bristol | | | | of students who took Algebra II in high school earned a |
| - Carroll County | | | | bachelor's degree, as compared to only 23 percent of |
| - Chesterfield County | | | | graduates who stopped taking high school |
| - Henry County | | | | mathematics at geometry. |
| - Lancaster County | | | | |