Timeline

Within three years - when the class of 2021 starts ninth-grade in fall 2017 - Colorado school districts will begin implementing revised local high school graduation requirements that meet or exceed the Colorado Graduation Guidelines approved in May 2013 by the Colorado State Board of Education. This includes offering a list of options that students may use to demonstrate their readiness for college and careers in order to graduate from high school.

View the Graduation Guidelines Timeline fact sheet (PDF)

2015-16 and 2016-17

Review

Districts and school boards review local high school graduation requirements

Superintendents collaborate with district administrators to:

Review graduation guidelines and menu of options.
Compare local high school graduation requirements to state guidelines.
Identify areas of alignment for practices and policies.

Superintendents collaborate with their school boards to:

Compare local high school graduation requirements to state guidelines and discuss menu of options.
Consider areas of alignment for practices and policies.
Determine district action steps and timelines.
Engage employers, community members, students and families in conversations that identify values and priorities for district graduation.
Engage community and staff members in conversations about the skills that students will need to be successful after they graduate from high school.

Adopt

Local school boards adopt policies to meet or exceed state graduation guidelines and menu of options for students to demonstrate college and career readiness

Local leaders:

Decide on a list of options students may use to demonstrate college and career readiness in order to graduate from high school.
Adopt revisions to local high school graduation requirements to meet or exceed the Colorado graduation guidelines, including a local menu of options for students to demonstrate college and career readiness.
Communicate revisions and menu of college and career-ready demonstrations to community members, students (as early as sixth-grade) and families.
Prepare to implement revised local graduation requirements starting in 2017-18 with ninth graders.

2017-18

Implement

Implement starting with ninth-graders

District Administrators

Implement revised local high school graduation requirements starting with ninth-graders, including a local menu for students to demonstrate college and career readiness.
Continue to communicate revisions and menu of college and career-ready demonstrations to students (as early as sixth-grade) and parents.
Assess implementation and ADJUST if necessary.

2020-21

Graduate

Graduate first class under revised graduation guidelines

District Administrators

Implement revised local high school graduation requirements for all high school students, including menu for students to demonstrate college and career readiness.
Graduate first class to use revised local high school graduation requirements.

Ongoing

Implement Colorado Academic Standards, including embedded 21st Century Skills - for all students.
Empower incoming ninth-graders to develop a meaningful individual career and academic plan (ICAP).