IKFGRADUATION REQUIREMENTS
IKFIn order to graduate from a Gilbert Public Schools' (GPS) high school, students must earn the high school course credits outlined below and be enrolled in the school granting the diploma during the semester of graduation.
Students graduating are required to earn a minimum of twenty-two (22) credits as listed below:
A. English - 4.0 credits
B. Math - 4.0 credits*
C. Science - 3.0 credits**
D. Social Studies - 3.0 credits***
1. American Government and Arizona Government 0.5 unit
2. American History - including Arizona History 1.0 unit
3. World History and Geography 1.0 unit
4. Economics 0.5 unit****
E. Physical Education - 1.0 credit
F. Vocational Education or Fine Arts - 2.0 credits
G. Electives - 5.0 credits
* 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). Credit requirements may be reduced through a Personal Cirriculum as defined in A.A.C. R7-2-302.03.
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 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 District 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 A.R.S. 15-701.01:
A. The median score.
B. 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 A.R.S. 15-701.01.
C. 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 A.R.S. 15-701.01.
D. Any other data required by the department related to the test.
The District may not include the personally identifiable information of any pupil in the data reported to the Department of Education under subsection L of A.R.S. 15-701.01.
**** 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.
Courses successfully completed prior to the ninth (9th) grade that meet high school credit requirements may be applied toward satisfying those requirements.
Class rank impact is governed by Policy IKC.
Gilbert Classical Academy Distinction
Students graduating from the Gilbert Classical Academy are required to earn a minimum of twenty-eight (28) credits as listed below:
A. English - 5.5 credits
B. Math - 4 credits
C. Science - 4 credits
D. Social Studies - 3.5 credits
E. World Language - 2 credits
F. Fine Arts - 2 credits
G. Physical Education - 1 credit
H. Service Learning - 2 credits
I. Electives - 4 credits
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.
Additional Requirements
CPR Instruction and Training
Gilbert Public Schools (GPS) shall provide students with one (1) or more training sessions in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) through the use of psychomotor skills during high school.
Course Description Book
The Superintendent shall develop and present a course description book to the Governing Board for approval on an annual basis. This book will align course offerings to the graduation requirements, identify fees and provide additional information to assist students in planning their education. To earn credit, the student must successfully complete the subject-area course requirements as outlined in the High School Course Description Book.
Transfer Students
Students transferring from another school must meet the graduation requirements outlined above and earn a minimum of five (5) credits from a District high school. Students who transfer during the final semester of their senior year must earn a minimum of three (3) credits to receive a Gilbert Public Schools diploma. The Superintendent may grant a waiver in extraordinary situations. Transfer credits are governed by Policy JFABC.
Collaborative Credit
High school credit may be granted to students who satisfactorily complete college courses that are equal to or higher than a high school course. Classes earning between three (3) and five (5) credit hours will receive one half credit (.5) to be awarded toward graduation requirements. GPS will not accept classes that are taken at the Community College or University as weighted grades.
Early Graduation
Students who complete their work at the end of the seventh (7th) semester or earlier and are eligible to graduate shall receive their diplomas in the graduation exercise at the end of that school year.
Graduation Deficiencies
Students who fail to meet graduation requirements at the end of eight (8) semesters of attendance will be permitted to continue in school and carry course loads as mandated by the State and Gilbert Public Schools sufficient to permit them to meet graduation requirements. Graduation and/or assessment requirements may vary depending on the year of the completion of all requirements.
Students with deficiencies will not be allowed to participate in graduation ceremonies.
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.
Special Education
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.
Adopted: November 29, 2022
LEGAL REF.:
A.R.S.
15-203
15-341
15-701.01
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