Virginia Department of Education
Encyclopedia
The Virginia Department of Education is the state education agency of The Commonwealth of Virginia. It is headquartered in the James Monroe Building
in Richmond
. The department is headed by the Virginia Secretary of Education, a position that is appointed by the Governor of Virginia
. The Secretary is responsible for heading the department and for overseeing Virginia's 16 public colleges and universities, the Virginia community college system, the commonwealth's five higher education centers, and Virginia's public museums.
and secondary school
grades by the Standards of Learning
(SOL) test.
James Monroe Building
The James Monroe Building is a skyscraper located in Richmond, Virginia. It is the tallest building in Richmond at 137 meters and 29 floors. Only 25 of the floors, however, are actually occupyable as the top and middle two are maintenance floors. The building has a parking garage at its base and...
in Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. The department is headed by the Virginia Secretary of Education, a position that is appointed by the Governor of Virginia
Governor of Virginia
The governor of Virginia serves as the chief executive of the Commonwealth of Virginia for a four-year term. The position is currently held by Republican Bob McDonnell, who was inaugurated on January 16, 2010, as the 71st governor of Virginia....
. The Secretary is responsible for heading the department and for overseeing Virginia's 16 public colleges and universities, the Virginia community college system, the commonwealth's five higher education centers, and Virginia's public museums.
Standardized tests
The state assesses student performance in the elementary schoolElementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
and secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
grades by the Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning
Standards of Learning ' is a public school standardized testing program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It sets forth learning and achievement expectations for core subjects for grades K-12 in Virginia's Public Schools...
(SOL) test.