VAAP Virginia Alternate Assessment: What Parents Need to Know

What VAAP Is and Who It's For

The Virginia Alternate Assessment Program (VAAP) is the state's assessment system for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Instead of taking the Standards of Learning (SOL) tests that general education students take, VAAP-eligible students take current multiple-choice VAAP tests in reading, mathematics, and science based on the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL), or complete collections of evidence in Virginia Studies, Civics & Economics, and Grade 8 Writing based on the Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL).

VAAP is not a blanket SOL exemption. It's a different assessment pathway for a specific population. The IEP team determines eligibility based on criteria that include:

• The student has a significant cognitive disability (intellectual disability, autism with significant cognitive impairment, or multiple disabilities)
• The student requires intensive, individualized instruction in all academic areas
• The student's curriculum is substantially modified from the general education standards

VAAP participation is typically aligned with the Applied Studies Diploma rather than a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma. That distinction matters enormously for transition planning, because VAAP does not itself generate the verified credits required for a Standard Diploma.

How VAAP Assessment Works

VAAP's current assessments use both formats. Reading, mathematics, and science use multiple-choice assessments based on the Virginia Essentialized Standards of Learning (VESOL), academic content standards derived from the SOL and reduced in depth, breadth, and complexity. Virginia Studies, Civics & Economics, and Grade 8 Writing continue to use collections of evidence (COE) based on the Aligned Standards of Learning (ASOL). The multiple-choice assessments are administered online or on paper.

What a current VAAP administration typically includes:

• Multiple-choice questions with three answer choices
• Online or paper delivery
• A collection of evidence for Virginia Studies, Civics & Economics, or Grade 8 Writing when applicable
• Assessment accommodations and supports specified by the student's IEP

For families, the practical takeaway is to confirm that instruction aligns with the VESOL being assessed and ask how the student's current VAAP score report will inform transition planning.

What VAAP Means for Transition

The connection between VAAP and transition planning is direct. Students assessed through VAAP are typically pursuing the Applied Studies Diploma, which has two significant implications:

The Applied Studies Diploma does not terminate FAPE eligibility. Unlike the Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma, earning an Applied Studies Diploma allows the student to continue attending school and receiving transition services until the age-22 cutoff (specifically, until the end of the school year in which the student's 22nd birthday falls after September 30).

The Applied Studies Diploma does not meet standard college admission requirements. Under Southwest Virginia Community College (SWCC) regulations, a student with this credential must meet the "Ability to Benefit" criteria by passing the Virginia Placement Test before enrolling. Passing scores allow enrollment in certificate programs that do not specify a high school diploma as a prerequisite, but do not establish eligibility for federal financial aid.

Neither of these is inherently bad — but both must be understood during transition planning, not discovered after the fact.

The SOL Exemption Question

Families sometimes ask about SOL exemptions as if they're a separate decision from VAAP. They're closely related but not identical.

Students with IEPs who are pursuing a Standard Diploma can receive SOL testing accommodations (extended time, separate setting, read-aloud) without being exempt from the SOL. They take the SOL with accommodations.

Students with IEPs who cannot meaningfully access the SOL — even with accommodations — are the ones the IEP team considers for VAAP participation. This is the alternate-assessment path, and it means the student takes VAAP instead of the SOL, not in addition to it.

The decision to move a student to VAAP should be made carefully, because it generally places the student on the Applied Studies pathway. If there's any chance the student can meet Standard Diploma requirements with credit accommodations (LAVC or SPLAVC), the IEP team should explore those options before defaulting to VAAP.

Questions to Ask at the IEP Meeting

If your student's IEP team is recommending VAAP participation or has already placed your student in the VAAP assessment:

• What specific criteria make my child eligible for VAAP rather than SOL with accommodations?
• Has the team considered credit accommodations (LAVC/SPLAVC) as an alternative to switching to the Applied Studies track?
• How are VAAP assessment results being used to inform transition goals?
• What does the Applied Studies Curriculum Map look like for my child's remaining years?
• How will the postsecondary employment and independent living goals in the IEP connect to what VAAP is measuring?

The Virginia IEP Transition to Adulthood Guide breaks down how VAAP participation fits into the broader diploma decision, the Applied Studies Curriculum Map domains, and what it means for postsecondary options — so you can make this choice with full information rather than defaulting to whatever the school recommends.

See more Virginia guides →