4079 - Graduation Requirements

GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS 4079

The State Office of Education has established standards for elementary and secondary education, which include the identification and mastery of core curriculum. Summative assessment shall occur in accordance with R277-700 rule in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Writing. Informal assessment should occur on a frequent ongoing basis to insure continual student progress. Provision for Intervention is required for all students who fall short of mastery. The District’s curriculum shall at least meet the minimum requirements of state law and State Board rules. Those minimum requirements are to contain the essential elements of each subject at appropriate grade levels. The essential elements represent the core knowledge, skills, and competencies all students should learn to be effective and productive members of society. The District may add elements at its discretion, but shall not delete or omit instruction in the essential elements.

ELEMENTARY

English Language Arts
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Arts
Visual Arts
Music, Dance, or Theatre
Health Education
Physical Education
Educational Technology, including Keyboarding
Library Media Skills
Civics and character education, integrated into core subjects

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students in 7th and 8th grades must earn a minimum of 16 units of credit at the completion of 8th grade in order to qualify for advancement to 9th grade. An intervention program will be provided to students who are falling deficient in specified credits. Students must meet all requirements in all academic areas as specified.

Grades 7 – 8 General Core Requirements

Grade 7
Language Arts
Mathematics
Integrated Science
Utah History

Grade 8
Language Arts
Mathematics
Integrated Science
United States History

At least one course in each of the following grades 7 or 8:
Health Education
College and Career Awareness
Digital Literacy
The Arts and
Physical Education

High School Credit Requirements
Core Credits 18.5 needed and 19 Beginning with incoming 9th graders in the 2026-2027 school year

English/Language Arts (4 Credits)
1. Grade 9 level (1.0 unit of credit)
2. Grade 10 level (1.0 unit of credit)
3. Grade 11 level (1.0 unit of credit)
4. Grade 12 level (1.0 Unit of credit) consisting of applied or advanced language arts credit from the list of Board-approved courses using the following criteria and consistent with the student's Plan for College and Career Readiness:
  1. courses are within the field or discipline of language arts with a significant portion of instruction aligned to language arts content, principles, knowledge, and skills;
  2. courses provide instruction that leads to student understanding of the nature and disposition of language arts;
  3. courses apply the fundamental concepts and skills of language arts;
  4. courses provide developmentally appropriate content; and
  5. courses develop skills in reading, writing, listening, speaking, and presentation.
5. A student may receive up to a half credit of the student's four required Language Arts credits for a course or school sponsored activity emphasizing verbal communication during any year between grades 9 and 12.
Mathematics (3 Credits) Shall be met minimally through successful completion of a combination of the foundation or foundation extended courses, Secondary Mathematics I, Secondary Mathematics II, and Secondary Mathematics III.
1. A student may opt out of Secondary Mathematics III if the student's parent submits a written request to the school.
2. If a student's parent requests an opt out, the student shall complete a third math credit from the Board-approved mathematics list.
3. A 7th or 8th grade student may earn credit for a mathematics foundation course before 9th grade, consistent with the student's Plan for College and Career Readiness if:
  1. the student is identified as gifted in mathematics in accordance with the procedures outlined in Rule R277-707;
  2. the student is enrolled at a middle school or junior high school and a high school;
  3. the student qualifies for promotion one or two grade levels above the student's age group and is placed in 9th grade; or
  4. the student takes the Board competency test in the summer before 9th grade and earns high school graduation credit for the course.
4. A student who successfully completes a mathematics foundation course before 9th grade shall earn 3.0 units of additional mathematics credit by:
  1. taking the other mathematics foundation courses described in Subsection (5); and
  2. an additional course from the Board-approved mathematics list consistent with:
  3. the student's Plan for College and Career Readiness; and the following criteria:
  4. courses are within the field or discipline of mathematics with a significant portion of instruction aligned to mathematics content, principles, knowledge, and skills;
  5. courses provide instruction that lead to student understanding of the nature and disposition of mathematics;
  6. courses apply the fundamental concepts and skills of mathematics;
  7. courses provide developmentally appropriate content; and
  8. courses include the Standards for Mathematical Practice as listed in the Utah secondary mathematics core.
5. A student who successfully completes a Calculus course with a "C" grade or higher has completed mathematics graduation requirements, regardless of the number of mathematics credits earned.
Science (3 Credits)
1. 2 Credits from the five science foundation areas; Earth Science, Biological Science, Chemistry, Computer Science, or Physics.
2. 1 Credit (from the foundation courses or the applied or advanced science)
Social Studies (3 Credits) and Beginning with incoming 9th graders in the 2026-2027 school year, 3.5 units of credit shall be met minimally through successful completion of:
1. 0.5 Credit (World Geography)
2. 0.5 Credit (World History)
3. 1.0 Credit (United States History)
4. 0.5 Credit (United States Government and Citizenship)
5. 0.5 Credit (Beginning with incoming 9th graders in the 2026-2027 school year, American Constitutional Government and Citizenship); and
6. 0.5 Credit (Local Education Agency (LEA) Discretion)
Physical Education (1.5 Credits)
1. 0.5 Credit (Participation Skills)
2. 0.5 Credit (Fitness for Life)
3. 0.5 Credit (Individualized Lifetime Activities)
4. Optional: 0.5 Credit Maximum (Team Sport/Athletic Participation) Can be used in place of Participation Skills or Individualized Lifetime Activities only.
0.5 Credit (Health)
1.5 Credit (Fine Arts) Visual Arts, Music, Dance, Theatre or Media Arts
1 Credit Vocational (Career and Technical Education (CTE)
0.5 Credit (Digital Studies)
0.5 General Financial Literacy
Electives: Any courses taken outside of the core credits will be considered electives. Students are required to take elective credits in addition to the core to meet total credit requirements.

Transition to A/B block scheduled total credit requirements:
Total credits required:
Class of 2019 - 26 credits
Class of 2020 - 28 credits
Class of 2021 - 30 credits
Class of 2022 - 32 credits

CONCURRENT ENROLLMENT

Concurrent enrollment credits can count for high school graduation requirements. The School counselor and high school principal will have final decisions on the alignment of these credits based on concurrent enrollment classes aligning with high school core credit requirements.

STUDENT EDUCATION PLAN

A College Career Ready Plan (CCR) will be developed cooperatively by the student, designated school counselor and parents. This plan will be guided by the general requirements; individual student interests and goals; and be formally reviewed in at least the beginning of grade 1 and at the end of grades 3 and 6 and annually thereafter. Each student's high school plan will identify an area of concentration (perhaps as much as four to five units) in a cluster related to his/her post-secondary goal.

ATTENDANCE

A student must be registered for nine (9) units each quarter until all required courses are completed. Any secondary school student who has completed all required courses may, with the approval of the student, the student's parent or guardian, and local school official, graduate at any time following the conclusion of the eleventh grade as provided in Section 53A-15-101 of the Utah Code Annotated 1953.

WORK-BASED LEARNING

Senior students, who are on track for graduation, and in good academic standing, may enroll for up to two hours of work-based learning with elective credit. Verification of employment and satisfactory job performance are required for continued enrollment.

DIPLOMA

A high school diploma shall be granted to a student who has met the State Board of Education requirements and any additional requirements of the Piute County School District. Definition of unit of credit, State Core

UNIT OF CREDIT

A unit of credit or fraction thereof shall be given upon satisfactory completion of a course or learning experience in compliance with state course standards. Transfer of credit and grades will be accepted from any school accredited or approved by the Utah State Board of Education or accredited by the Northwest Association of Accredited Schools without alteration. Students also may complete a course on a performance basis in which case assessment of mastery will be the responsibility of the local board of education. Credit can be awarded only once for a specific required course with the same content during the secondary school experience.

Ways of earning credit:
*** Successful completion of course, or
*** Demonstrated proficiency, via pre-assessment, or
*** Demonstrated mastery of approved courses outside of school day or year, or
*** Concurrent enrollment in approved post-secondary training institutions.
*** Demonstrated mastery of approved correspondence or extension courses, or
*** Upon application, demonstrated mastery in special experimental programs,
*** Completion of National Guard active duty may earn up to 3.0 units of elective credit.

Amended September 12, 2006
Amended November 14, 2006
Amended October 9, 2013
Amended January 9, 2018
Amended February 10, 2026