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GRADUATION  REQUIREMENTS

Regular  Education

A minimum number of units of credit are required for graduation by the Arizona State Board of Education.  Listed below are the units that must be completed before a student may receive a high school diploma.

Graduation requirements may be met as follows:

A.  By successful completion of subject area course requirements.

B.  By mastery of the standards adopted by the State Board of Education and other competency requirements for the subject as determined by the Governing Board in accord with A.A.C. R7-2-302 and rules established by the Superintendent.

C.  By earning credits through correspondence courses (limited to one [1] in each of the four [4] major subject areas) and/or by passing appropriate courses at the college or university level if the courses are determined to meet standards and criteria established by the Board and in accord with A.R.S. 15-701.01.

D.  By the transfer of credits as described in Policy JFABC.

E.  An out-of-state transfer student is not required to pass the competency test to graduate if the student has successfully passed a statewide assessment test on state adopted standards that are substantially equivalent to the State Board Adopted Academic Standards.

Graduation requirements as determined by the Arizona State Board of Education (R7-2-302) and the District Governing Board are as follows:

          English                                                                                       4.0 units
          Math                                                                                           4.0 units*
          Science                                                                                      3.0 units**
          Social Studies                                                                            3.0 units***
               American Government and Arizona Government  0.5 unit
               American History - including Arizona History         1.0 unit
               World History and Geography – including             1.0 unit
                  instruction on the Holocaust and other
                  genocides for at least three (3) class periods,
                  or the equivalent, on at least two (2) separate
                  occasions during any of grades seven through
                  twelve (7-12).   
               Economics                                                             0.5 unit****
          Fine Arts or Career, Technical and
               Vocational Education                                                            1.0 unit
          Electives                                                                                    7.0 units
          Total                                                                                         22.0 units

*  In lieu of one (1) credit of Algebra II or its equivalent course content a student may request a personal curriculum in mathematics following R7-2-302.03.

*  Math courses shall consist of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, (or its equivalent) and an additional course with significant math content as determined by the Governing Board (Governing Body).

Pursuant to A.R.S. § 15-710, a total of one (1) year instruction in state and federal constitutions, American institutions and ideals and in the history of Arizona, including the history of Native Americans in Arizona is required during grades nine (9) through twelve (12).

Pursuant to the prescribed graduation requirements adopted by the State Board of Education, the Governing Board may approve a rigorous computer science course that would fulfill a mathematics course required for graduation from high school.  The Governing Board may only approve a rigorous computer science course if the rigorous computer science course includes significant mathematics content and the Governing Board determines the high school where the rigorous computer science course is offered has sufficient capacity, infrastructure and qualified staff, including competent teachers of computer science.

**  Three (3) credits of science in preparation for proficiency at the high school level on a state required test.

***  Through the graduating class of 2025, the competency requirements for social studies shall include a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least sixty (60) of the one hundred (100) questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship And Immigration Services.

Beginning with the graduating class of 2026, the competency requirements for social studies shall include a requirement that, in order to graduate from high school or obtain a high school equivalency diploma, a pupil must correctly answer at least seventy (70) of the one hundred (100) questions listed on a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  The District school shall document on the pupil's transcript only a pass or fail designation that the pupil has passed or failed the test.

A pupil in grade seven (7) or eight (8) may take the test described in this paragraph, and if the pupil correctly answers at least seventy (70) of the one hundred (100) questions on the test:

a) The district school or charter school shall document on the pupil's transcript only a pass or fail designation that the pupil has passed or failed the test required by this paragraph.

b) The pupil is not required to take the test required by this paragraph again in high school.

****  The State Board requirement for economics is at least one-half (.5) of a course credit, which shall include financial literacy and personal financial management.

The Governing Board may determine the method and manner in which to administer a test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.  A pupil who does not obtain a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test may retake the test until the pupil obtains a passing score.

Each school district and charter school shall report to the department of education all of the following aggregate data, organized by grade level, relating to the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services required by subsection A, paragraph 3 of §15-701.01:

1.  The median score.

2.  The percentage of pupils who passed by correctly answering the minimum number of questions required to pass the test pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of §15-701.01.

3.  The percentage of pupils who failed by correctly answering fewer than the minimum number of questions required to pass the test pursuant to subsection A, paragraph 3 of §15-701.01.

4.  Any other data required by the department relating to the test.

A school district or charter school may not include the personally identifiable information of any pupil in the data reported to the department of education under subsection L of §15-701.01.

Special  Education

Listed above, under "Regular Education," are the requirements that must be completed before a student may receive a high school diploma.  Completion of graduation requirements for special education students who do not meet the required units of credit shall be determined on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the special education course of study and the individualized education program of the student.  Graduation requirements established by the Governing Board may be met by a student as defined in A.R.S. 15-701.01 and A.A.C. R7-2-302.

Pupils who receive special education shall not be required to achieve passing scores on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test under section 15-701.01 in order to graduate from high school unless the pupil is learning at a level appropriate for the pupil's grade level in a specific academic area and unless a passing score on the test that is identical to the civics portion of the naturalization test under section 15-701.01 is specifically required in a specific academic area by the pupil's individualized education program as mutually agreed on by the pupil's parents and the pupil's individualized education program team or the pupil, if the pupil is at least eighteen (18) years of age. 

Competency requirements.  Any student who is placed in special education classes, grades nine (9) through twelve (12), is eligible to receive a high school diploma without meeting state competency requirements.

State Seal of Biliteracy.  The School District may voluntarily participate in the state seal of biliteracy program by notifying the Superintendent of Public Instruction of such intention.  Schools will then identify the students who have met the requirements to be awarded the state seal of biliteracy, which shall be affixed to the diploma and noted on the transcript of each student who has met the requirements.

CPR Instruction and Training.  School districts and charter schools shall provide public school pupils with one (1) or more training sessions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, through the use of psychomotor skills in an age-appropriate manner, during high school.

Adopted:  November 20, 2005

LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-203
15-341
15-701.01
15-710
15-763
A.A.C.
R7-2-302
R7-2-302.03

CROSS REF.:
IGD - Curriculum Adoption
IGE - Curriculum Guides and Course Outlines
IHAMC - Instruction and Training in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
IHAMD - Instruction and Training in Suicide Prevention
IIE - Student Schedules and Course Loads
IKA - Grading/Assessment Systems
JFABC - Admission of Transfer Students