Graduation Requirements

Students who meet graduation requirements at the end of the sixth or seventh semester are eligible to graduate and will receive their diploma at the end of the school year. These students may participate in graduation activities and ceremonies at that time. Early graduates will not be eligible for the valedictorian or salutatorian selection.

Credit-deficient students will be considered for transfer to an alternative program at Canyon Valley School for credit recovery.

Students with deficiencies at the end of their 8th semester will not be eligible for graduation and will not be permitted to participate in the graduation ceremony at that time. Students completing all coursework requirements prior to September 1st of that year will receive a diploma from their original cohort. Any student who fails to meet graduation requirements after September 1st of that year will be subject to any new requirements that may have been adopted. 

Students will be given an opportunity up to the age of 22 to fulfill graduation requirements and receive a Gilbert Public Schools diploma. Upon completion of all graduation requirements, students may participate in a graduation ceremony.

In alignment with the state of Arizona, Gilbert Public Schools will use the following minimum number of credits for students to receive a high school diploma. These credits, however, may not be sufficient for enrollment into a state of Arizona university. Students are required to earn no less than 22 credits in the following subject areas:

English (4 credits) – This requirement will be met by completing one credit each of English I, English II, English III, and English IV. AP Seminar, AP English Language Composition, AP English Literature Composition, English 101/102, may also be used to satisfy the requirement for English II, III and/ or IV. 

History and Social Sciences (3 credits) – This requirement will be met by completing one credit of World History and Geography, one credit of American/Arizona History, one-half credit of Economics, and one-half credit of American/Arizona Government. District Economics requirements may be met from other content area courses.

Math (4 credits) – This requirement will be met by earning four credits of math which shall consist of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II (or its equivalent), and an additional math course.

Science (3 credits) – This requirement will be met by completing at least three laboratory sciences selected from the following: biology, chemistry, physics, or a higher level.

Physical Education (1 credit) – This requirement will be met by successfully completing one credit of Physical Education. Courses offered through the PE department that DO NOT meet this requirement are PE500 Sports Medicine I, PE501 Sports Medicine II, PE502 Sports Medicine III, and PE505 Driver’s Education.

Career and Technical Education (CTE) or Fine Arts (2 credits) – This requirement will be met by completing two credits in either CTE or Fine Arts. Courses that meet CTE/Fine Arts credit will be denoted in the course description. Courses taken at East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) will also meet this requirement. The fourth year of coursework earned in the following four-year programs of study may be used to waive one of the CTE or Fine Arts requirements. Enrollment in first-year CTE and Fine Arts courses should occur prior to a student's senior year to allow for successful program completion. These courses will be designated as CTE/FA4 credit within the course description: Advanced Sports Training, Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), Forensics: Speech and Debate, World Languages, and Student Council. CTE/FA4 credits will not meet the CTE/Fine Arts credit needed for Arizona university entrance.

Electives (5 credits) – This requirement will be met by successfully completing any five credits of elective course offerings. Any content area course offerings above and beyond the graduation requirement will be applied as elective credit.

Transfer students who plan to graduate from a District high school will be held responsible for District graduation requirements. Coursework completed outside the District will be evaluated to determine whether or not credit will be awarded. To receive a Gilbert Public Schools diploma, a transfer student must meet graduation requirements and have earned five credits in a District high school. Students who transfer in the final semester of their senior year must earn a minimum of three credits. The transfer student must also be enrolled in the school granting the diploma in the semester of graduation. Honors courses taken in another district must correlate with Gilbert Public Schools honors courses in order for weighted credit to be awarded.

Transfer students may be required to take district final exams to receive core credit in Gilbert Public schools if the original credit was earned in a non-accredited school or an online school where final exams were not proctored in person.

To give all students an equal opportunity to become their school’s Valedictorian or Salutatorian, Gilbert Public Schools will use the following guidelines:

• Class rank will be used to determine the Valedictorian/Salutatorian distinction. In addition, recognition will be made for students who are in the top 1% of their class. Weighted classes will be included when determining class rank and will be identified on a student's transcript.
• Unweighted grades will be utilized when determining selection at Gilbert Classical Academy.
• Foreign exchange students will not be eligible for the Valedictorian or Salutatorian position.
• Early graduates will not be eligible for the Valedictorian or Salutatorian selection.
• The Valedictorian and Salutatorian must have taken a minimum of twelve and one-half (12.5) credits (25 semester courses) at the high school from which they are graduating and must be enrolled in a minimum of five (5) class periods (full-time status) per semester.
• The top 1% of students will be notified at the end of the 7th semester. Final Valedictorian and Salutatorian will be selected based on 8th-semester final grades.
• Valedictorian and Salutatorian selection does not guarantee a speaker role at graduation ceremonies.

Students who are interested in competing for the Valedictorian or Salutatorian position are encouraged to discuss this process with their school counselor.