RICHMOND — The Virginia Board of Education approved revisions to the standards schools must meet for state accreditation and the requirements students must meet to earn a high school diploma.

“For schools, the revisions to the board’s Standards of Accreditation are designed to encourage continuous improvement for all schools while placing increased emphasis on closing achievement gaps between student groups and providing a more comprehensive view of school quality,” officials said in the release. “For students, the revised regulations reduce the number of Standards of Learning tests they need to pass to earn a diploma.”

The new standards also implement the “Profile of a Virginia Graduate,” a set of expectations that includes increased emphasis on developing critical thinking, creative thinking, communication, collaboration and citizenship skills, in addition to academic achievement in English, mathematics, science and history.