What is the oldest age you can attend high school in virginia

Age requirements for free and compulsory education help policymakers ensure that students receive the benefits of early education and support a reduction in dropout rates. Depending on the state, students are required to attend school for as few as nine years and up to 13 years. However, exemptions exist on both sides of the K-12 spectrum to support students with circumstances outside of compulsory attendance requirements. Some common exemptions include home instruction, mental or physical conditions that make attendance infeasible, or completion of equivalent high school requirements.

Índice Show

Transfer of Rights
Changes That Occur When a Student Reaches the Age of Majority
The Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Age of Majority
The Student's Role During the IEP Team Meeting
Are You Ready?

This resource provides a national comparison of school age requirements for both free and compulsory education across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Unless otherwise noted, all information in this resource was gathered from state statutes and constitutions only.

Definitions

Age Requirement for a Free Education refers to the years in which a student must be admitted into a public school free of charge.
Age Requirement for Compulsory Education refers to the years in which a student is required to attend school or an equivalent program defined by law.
- Unique exemptions impacting the compulsory school age will be included in the notes section.
Lower and Upper Age Limits
- The lower age used is the minimum age a student must have turned to be provided with free education or to be required to attend school.
- The upper age used is the maximum age a student is eligible for free education or is required to attend school.
- An age range of 5-21 refers to a student who has turned five years of age but has not yet turned 21 years of age.
“None identified in statute”: When used in place of an upper age limit, this means that no cutoff age or upper age limit was explicitly listed in state policy regarding the general student population. In some states, an upper age limit is provided for specific student populations, such as special education students.

50-State Comparison

What are the state’s free and compulsory school age requirements?

Key Takeaways

EDUCATION LEVEL: K-12

STATE(S): Nationwide

In the Commonwealth of Virginia, a student reaches the age of majority on his or her eighteenth (18) birthday and is

considered to be an adult in the eyes of the law
legally able to vote
able to enter into binding contracts

Under most circumstances, when a person reaches the age of majority, the rights related to special education provided by the school system transfer from the parents or guardians to the student.

Transfer of Rights

At least one year prior to a student's 18th birthday, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) is required by law to notify the student and the student's parents or guardians that this transfer of rights will take place. On a student's 18th birthday, the student is legally considered an adult and is then responsible for making decisions concerning his or her educational program. A student may continue to rely on parents or guardians for guidance. Teachers and school administrators are also available to provide advice and support.

Changes That Occur When a Student Reaches the Age of Majority

All required notices must be provided to both the student and the student's parent or guardian
All rights afforded to the parents or guardians transfer to the student and FCPS must notify both parties of the transfer of rights
The student has the right to participate in making decisions about his or her individualized education program (IEP)
The student has the right to sign his or her IEP
The student has the primary role of self-advocacy and responsibility for making good educational choices

The Individualized Education Program (IEP) and the Age of Majority

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that students who receive special education services in the public school setting have an IEP. This document is written specifically to address a student's educational needs.

The IEP is a legal document which outlines the services a student is entitled to as a student with a disability. The IEP describes the student's present level of educational performance, includes individualized goals and objectives, provides information about a student's participation in state and FCPS assessments and describes other information about a student's educational program. The IEP is the document designed to ensure communication among parents, teachers, other school professionals, and the student.

The Student's Role During the IEP Team Meeting

During the IEP team meeting, the student and the members of the IEP team should consider the following:

the student's strengths and interests
areas needing improvement and ways to address them
learning styles and preferences (how does the student learn best?)
participation in general education and extra-curricular activities
accommodations required for assignments and tests
academic goals, career goals, and post-graduation plans

It is important that the student serves as an active participant in the IEP team meeting. The student plays an important role in making well-informed decisions concerning his or her educational program. This can be achieved if the student does the following:

makes sure that the team members understand the student's personal goals
takes into account the student's strengths and weaknesses
discusses plans for future learning experiences
identifies specific strategies that are helpful as the student attempts to achieve the identified goals
expresses the student's career interests openly and discusses how to achieve them
keeps in mind that teachers and administrators will continue to assist the student

Are You Ready?

If additional information concerning age of majority is required, please contact Due Process and Eligibility by telephone at 571-423-4470 or by fax at 571-423-4037.

If parents or guardians are concerned about the need to continue to make educational decisions for their child, refer to the Educational Representation for Adult Students webpage.

For questions or additional resources, contact:

Your school’s Employment & Transition Representative (ETR)
Your school’s special education department chair
Career and Transition Services, 571-423-4150
Due Process and Eligibility, 571-423-4470
Correspondence may be addressed to the above offices at: 8270 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive
Fairfax, Virginia 22031