Current through Register Vol. 30, No. 38, September 20, 2024
The Board prescribes the minimum course of study and
competency requirements as outlined in subsections (1) through (5) and, through
the graduating class of 2025, receipt of a passing score of 60 correct answers
out of one hundred questions on a civics test identical to the civics portion
of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship and
Immigration Services as prescribed in A.R.S. §
15-701.01. Beginning with the
graduating class of 2026, students shall obtain a passing score of at least 70
correct answers out of one hundred questions on a civics test identical to the
civics portion of the naturalization test used by the United States Citizenship
and Immigration Services prescribed in A.R.S. §
15-701.01.
1. Subject area course requirements. The
Board establishes 22 credits as the minimum number of credits necessary for
high school graduation. Students shall obtain credits for required subject
areas as specified in subsections (1)(a) through (e) based on completion of
subject area course requirements or competency requirements. At the discretion
of the local school district governing board or charter school, credits may be
awarded for completion of elective subjects specified in subsection (1)(f)
based on completion of subject area course requirements or competency
requirements. The awarding of a credit toward the completion of high school
graduation requirements shall be based on successful completion of the subject
area requirements prescribed by the State Board and local school district
governing board or charter school as follows:
a. Four credits of English or English as a
Second Language, which shall include but not be limited to the following:
reading American and other world literature, reading informational text,
writing, research methods, speaking and listening skills, grammar, and
vocabulary.
b. Three credits in
social studies to minimally include the following:
i. One credit of American history, including
Arizona history;
ii. One credit of
world history/geography, to include instruction on the Holocaust and other
genocides;
iii. One-half credit of
American government, including civics and Arizona government; and
iv. One-half credit in economics.
c. Four credits of mathematics to
minimally include:
i. Three credits containing
course content in preparation for proficiency at the high school level on the
statewide assessment and aligned to the Arizona Mathematics Standards for
Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. These three credits shall be taken
beginning with the ninth grade unless a student meets these requirements prior
to the ninth grade pursuant to subsection (1)(c)(iii). The requirement for the
third credit covering Algebra II, may be met by, but is not limited to the
following: a math course comparable to Algebra II course content; computer
science, career and technical education and vocational education, economics,
science and arts courses as determined by the local school district governing
board or charter school.
ii. A
fourth credit that includes significant mathematics content as determined by
the local school district governing board or charter school.
iii. Courses successfully completed prior to
the ninth grade that meet the high school mathematics credit requirements may
be applied toward satisfying those requirements.
iv. The mathematics requirements may be
modified for students using a Personal Curriculum pursuant to
R7-2-302.03.
d. Three credits of science in preparation
for proficiency at the high school level on the statewide assessment.
e. One credit of the Arts or career and
technical education and vocational education.
f. Seven credits of additional courses
prescribed by the local school district governing board or charter school.
i. Health instruction, regardless of the
course it is provided in, shall include instruction on mental health;
ii. Mental health instruction may be included
in other courses; and
iii. All
mental health instruction shall comply with A.R.S. §
15-701.03.
g. A credit or partial credit may apply
toward more than one subject area but shall count only as one credit or partial
credit toward satisfying the 22 required credits.
2. Credits earned through correspondence
courses to meet graduation requirements shall be taken from an accredited
institution as defined in
R7-2-601. Credits earned thereby
shall be limited to four, and only one credit may be earned in each of the
following subject areas:
a. English as
described in subsection (1)(a) of this Section,
b. Social Studies,
c. Mathematics, and
d. Science.
3. Online and distance education courses may
be offered by the local governing board or charter school if the course is
provided through an Arizona Online Instruction Program established pursuant to
A.R.S. §
15-808.
4. Local school district governing boards or
charter schools may grant to career and technical education and vocational
education program completers a maximum of 5 1/2 credits to be used toward the
Board English, mathematics, science, and economics credit requirements for
graduation, subject to the following restrictions:
a. The Board has approved the career and
technical education and vocational education program for equivalent credit to
be used toward the Board English, mathematics, science, and economics credit
requirements for graduation.
b. A
credit or partial credit may apply toward more than one subject area but shall
count only as one credit or partial credit toward satisfying the 22 required
credits.
c. A student who satisfies
any part of the Board English, mathematics, science, and economics requirements
through the completion of a career and technical education and vocational
education program shall still be required to earn 22 total credits to meet the
graduation requirements prescribed in this Section.
5. Competency requirements.
a. The awarding of a credit toward the
completion of high school graduation requirements shall be based on the
requirements outlined in A.R.S. §
15-701.01 and the successful
completion of State Board-adopted academic standards for subject areas listed
in subsections (1)(a) through (1)(e) and the successful completion of the
competency requirements for the elective subjects specified in subsection
(1)(f). Competency requirements for elective subjects as specified in
subsection (1)(f) shall be the academic standards adopted by the State Board.
If there are no adopted academic standards for an elective subject, the local
school district governing board or charter school shall be responsible for
developing and adopting competency requirements for the successful completion
of the elective subject. The school district governing board or charter school
shall be responsible for developing and adopting 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. School districts and charter schools shall document and report
student outcome data on the test pursuant to A.R.S. §
15-701.01 and based on procedures
adopted by the Arizona Department of Education. Schools may administer the test
to students beginning in the seventh grade and any pupil who does not obtain a
passing score on the test may retake the test until the pupil obtains a passing
score.
b. The determination and
verification of student accomplishment and performance shall be the
responsibility of the subject area teacher.
c. Upon request of the student, the local
school district governing board or charter school shall provide the opportunity
for the student to demonstrate competency in the subject areas listed in
subsections (1)(a) through (1)(f) in lieu of classroom time. In appropriate
courses, a school district governing board or charter school shall include as a
mechanism to demonstrate competency a score determined by the State Board as
college and career ready on the appropriate assessment adopted by the State
Board pursuant to A.R.S. §§
15-741 or
15-741.01.
6. The local school district governing board
or charter school shall be responsible for developing a course of study and
graduation requirements for all students placed in special education programs
in accordance with A.R.S. Title 15, Chapter 7, Article 4 and
R7-2-401 et seq. Students placed in
special education classes, through 12, are eligible to receive a high school
diploma upon completion of graduation requirements.
