Graduation Requirements Parent Fact Sheet

                Questions and Answers about the

             Graduation Assessment Requirements


What are graduation assessment requirements?

In order to be eligible for a diploma from a Minnesota public high school, students must fulfill graduation assessment requirements. Based on the revisions to Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30, the graduation assessment requirements have changed and depend on what year students were first enrolled in grade 8. Parents/guardians should contact their student’s school for further information on requirements for graduation as the school district awards the diploma.

In school year 2015–2016, how do grade 11 students and younger meet graduation assessment requirements?

These students (first enrolled in grade 8 in 2012–2013 and later) are not required to achieve a specified score on an assessment in order to graduate or meet graduation assessment requirements, but districts have a number of requirements to fulfill for students’ career and college planning, including:

       Offering students in grades 11 and 12 an opportunity to participate in a nationally recognized college entrance exam on a school day. The state will pay for one college entrance exam for a student.

       Monitoring students’ development of and growth in career and college readiness.

       Assisting students no later than grade 9 in exploration and planning activities for career interests or postsecondary education.

Contact your student’s school for additional information about career and college planning.

                                 

For more information, contact:

Statewide Testing [email protected]

 

Minnesota Department of Education

1500 Highway 36 West

Roseville, MN 55113-4266

http://education.state.mn.us



[1] Note that these same three options are also the routes to meeting graduation assessment requirements for students first enrolled in grade 8 in 2010–2011 or earlier (students likely older than grade 12). These students did not participate in a statewide administration of the ACT in spring 2015.