NEW! Board of Education Approval of Graduation Guidelines 1/10/2017
On January 10, 2017, the BVSD Board of Education approved the new graduation guidelines, which will begin with the Class of 2021. You can find the specific information on Policy IKF and IKF E-1 Performance Standards on the Board of Education’s meeting agenda: Click Here to go to BoardDocs to see the new policy.
Graduation Guidelines
Beginning with the Class of 2021, new graduation requirements occur with the goal to ensure all students succeed after high school no matter which path they choose—jobs, military, or higher education. The change in graduation requirements means students must demonstrate their knowledge in subjects that reflect Colorado standards and 21st century skills in order to graduate from high school. Students must choose from a Menu of Options to show their competencies in English and Math. The Menu of Options is anticipated to include both Capstone and Testing choices.
Members of the Graduation Requirements Committee held community feedback sessions at each high school to share information about the new graduation requirements and seek input from the community to guide the Graduation Requirements Committee. They held sessions at the middle schools in the fall of 2016 using this presentation.
The following presentation was shared at each of the Graduation 2021 Feedback Sessions. Information includes the Colorado Department of Education’s (CDE) rationale for the new state graduation requirements, their alignment to the BVSD Vision and Mission, and the Menu of Options for consideration.
Presentation: Graduation 2021 Graduation Requirements Committee Meeting PowerPoint
Menu of Options
Beginning with the Class of 2021, students must meet both the English and Mathematical competencies through either a test or capstone. CDE has shared that districts may consider any of the linked testing and capstone options, and the BVSD Board will decide by December 2016, which of the menu options to approve.
BVSD Success Skills
BVSD believes that in addition to mastering content knowledge, students must master 21st Century and Social Emotional Skills, also know as student Success Skills. As part of the ongoing implementation of The Success Effect, Boulder Valley School District is in the initial phases of defining our district’s Success Skills.
Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP)
Per state law, all students in grades 6-12 are to have an Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP) that supports their post secondary plans.
Credits for Graduation
Current graduation requirements for Boulder Valley students are based on successful completion of academic study based on credits. A one semester course equals 5 credits, and 10 credits are earned in a year long course. A total of 220 credits are required for graduation. The specific breakdown of the requirements by subject area can be accessed via this link: Required credits for graduation