RICHMOND — Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that Virginia’s public schools earned the U.S. Department of Education’s highest overall rating and achieved the second-highest score for serving students with disabilities under the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

The federal education department scores and rates states annually on the participation and performance of students with disabilities in state and national assessment programs and on states’ progress in narrowing achievement gaps and improving graduation rates. Virginia earned the maximum number of possible points on 13 of the 14 indicators, achieving a total score of 95.83.

Virginia is one of 21 states and territories earning a “Meets Requirements” designation, the highest overall rating on the 2015 IDEA report card.

Virginia fell short on an indicator that rates states on the percentage of students with disabilities who graduate with what the federal education department considers a “regular” diploma, which, in Virginia, includes the Standard Diploma and the Advanced Studies Diploma.

The 2015 IDEA state report cards are based on data from the 2012-2013 school year.

source: https://governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=12033