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Virginia Department of Education outlines '3E readiness' index for enrollment, employment and enlistment
Summary
State education staff described a new index—3E readiness—that combines enrollment (postsecondary enrollment), employment (high-demand credentials, work-based learning) and enlistment (ASVAB/AFQT measures) to measure high-school readiness and inform supports and accountability.
Department of Education staff presented an overview of “3E readiness,” a new school performance and support indicator that the agency says will measure students’ readiness for enrollment, employment and enlistment.
A department presenter told the board the framework “puts 3E readiness, and the E stand for enrollment, employment, and enlistment. We put these front and center starting as early as middle school.” The presenter said the index is weighted like the existing mastery index and is designed “to ensure students follow clear, market-driven pathways towards college, careers, or military service.”
The department described the three components as follows: enrollment measures access to and attainment of postsecondary credit and programs such as dual enrollment, AP, Cambridge, IB and the College and Career Ready Virginia (CCRV) initiative; employment measures high‑quality work‑based learning and high‑demand credentials tied to data from the Virginia Office of Education Economics; and enlistment uses the ASVAB/AFQT as a metric to capture military‑readiness pathways.
The presentation cited several data points for the graduating class of 2025: roughly 41,000 Virginia students had earned at least one college credit before graduating; about 112,139 students accessed college‑level courses in 2024–25; the department reported a 58% increase in high‑demand credentials earned since 2022, with 14,264 students in the class of 2025 earning at least one high‑demand credential; and 23% of graduates reportedly completed a high‑quality work‑based learning experience under the department’s new criteria.
On enlistment the department reported that 87% of school divisions administered the ASVAB last year (114 divisions) and that 8,473 students statewide took the ASVAB. The department said 38% of the class of 2025 scored at or above the category linked to enlistment incentives and that 64% of test‑takers met a minimum threshold commonly used by several service branches.
The presenters said the department will return to the board later with more data and potential adjustments. The department also announced the creation of a new Division of Innovation, Student Pathways and Opportunities to centralize 3E supports and the posting of new staff positions, including a director of mathematics and regional coordinators to support math and instruction across the state.
Board members and the superintendent praised the initiative during the discussion. Doctor Ackerman told staff she applauded “the whole” effort and praised the department’s transparency in presenting the data. Superintendent Gullickson said the Youngkin administration’s priorities dovetailed with the board’s and credited the department with pushing for measurable credential attainment and early postsecondary credit.
The presentation referenced legislation and programs by name, including “HB 1299” (as shown on the slide deck) and the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), and cited the Virginia Office of Education Economics as a data partner.
Department staff said the division will support school divisions with webinars, regional professional development and centralized technical assistance, and they signaled follow‑up reporting to the board later this year.
