Graduation Guidelines FAQs

Colorado Graduation Guidelines provide a road map to help students and their families plan for success after high school. The graduation guidelines took effect with ninth-graders in fall 2017. Please see the Graduation Guidelines section of the CDE website.

As required by state statute (in section 22-2-106, C.R.S.), in September 2015, the Colorado State Board of Education adopted a comprehensive set of guidelines to be used by each school district’s board of education in establishing requirements for students to receive a high school diploma. The guidelines have two purposes. The first is to articulate Colorado’s shared beliefs about the value and meaning of a high school diploma. The second is to outline the minimum components, expectations, and responsibilities of local districts and the state to support students in attaining their high school diploma and in providing evidence to employers, military recruiters, training program and college admission teams that students are ready for the next step after high school.

In September 2015, the State Board of Education stated that the graduation guidelines set a minimum bar for student demonstrations. School districts may raise a cut score on an included assessment and may add graduation requirements in other content areas. Districts may offer some or all of the state menu options.

The Graduation Guidelines Menu of Options was updated to include SAT test scores (starting in March 2016, and again in 2024), Next Generation ACCUPLACER Scores (January 2019), New names for the ACT WorkKeys Assessments, a definition of Collaboratively-developed, standards-based performance assessments (July 2019) and with Flexibility for students graduating in the 20-21 school year (July 2020).  In October 2021, “English” and “Math” were more clearly defined as “Reading, Writing, and Communicating” and “Mathematics" in order to match the language in statute for Colorado Academic Standards, and to better reflect the skills necessary for success in life after high school.

The Graduation Guidelines Council, a representative group of educators and community members established in statute, convened in 2007 and again in June of 2012 to draft and refine requirements for high school graduation. The Colorado State Board of Education adopted a draft menu of college and career ready demonstrations in May 2013.

Then, in fall 2013, CDE convened seven work groups to inform the implementation of graduation guidelines. More than 330 educators, business and industry leaders, parents and students from across the state joined these work groups to identify implementation recommendations, best practices, tools and resources. The Colorado State Board of Education adopted the updated Menu of College and Career Demonstrations in September 2015.

The state’s guidelines include minimum career and college-ready determinations in English and math. Scores were benchmarked on the minimum scores accepted by 1) Colorado institutions of higher education for entry into college courses (no-need for remediation and recognition of college credit) and 2) for consideration of careers in the workforce and in the military.

Each local school district’s board of education has the authority to establish its own high school graduation requirements that meet or exceed the minimum expectations outlined in the state Graduation Guidelines. Find sample board policies on the CDE Website, and by the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB).

Individual school districts may request waivers from all or a portion of the Colorado Graduation Requirements adopted by the state board, in accordance with C.R.S. § 22-2-117, as long as the replacement plan meets or exceeds “any minimum standards or basic core competencies of skills identified in the comprehensive set of guidelines for this school graduation developed by the state board,” inclusive of the Colorado Graduation Guidelines. Please contact Arlisha Lawson-Watford for more information.

Yes. Charter schools must meet the local graduation requirements of their authorizers unless they seek waivers of those requirements by their authorizers. Online schools are also held to the same Guidelines as spelled out in the legislation from 2008. If they seek a waiver of the local requirements, charter or online schools would still need to adopt graduation requirements that meet or exceed the state’s guidelines.

All students in facility schools must meet the requirements and graduate through the Facilities School program at CDE. These Facility Schools Graduation Requirements  are aligned with the state’s graduation guidelines.

Research about other state high school graduation policies, discussions with state agencies, and competency-based approaches informed the observations and recommendations of seven workgroups and multiple stakeholder meetings.

Additionally, with the help of research associates from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, the Department of Defense, and with emerging wage data from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, the requirements for minimum college, military and career completion are now almost indistinguishable among sectors, which require math, literacy and critical thinking expertise and other Essential Skills.

Current admissions requirements for students to enter a Colorado public college or university can be found on the website for each college or university.

During the academic years 2015-2021, local boards of education adopted local graduation requirements that met or exceed the state board approved graduation guidelines. The state’s guidelines include minimum Colorado career and college ready determinations that districts use as guideposts that students must meet or exceed by the time they graduate. Adoption of graduation requirements by each school district’s board of education must indicate the minimum academic competencies needed for students to demonstrate Postsecondary Workforce Readiness (PWR) and the types of measures the district uses to determine attainment.  Find sample board policies on the CDE Website, and by the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB).

Districts are already complying through assurances. They signed an accreditation contract September 2010 and it includes this statement: “The District will substantially comply with all statutory and regulatory requirements applicable to the District…” The signed contract is on file at CDE. If districts are on Improvement or below, they must sign annually; districts that are Performance or above have just sign once.

And, beginning in the 2020-2021 school year, districts were required to complete the Graduation Guidelines student interchange file. Districts are encouraged to collect and report Graduation Guidelines data as soon as possible in preparation for the required collection. 

No, CDE is not formally collecting board policies. However, districts do provide - in the CDE Directory - the name and email information for the graduation guidelines contact at the district level. Districts are encouraged to voluntarily send their policies and implementation plans to Arlisha Lawson-Watford.

If the district agrees to share these documents or links, CDE will post them on the promising practices section of the graduation guidelines website. District administrators and graduation guidelines committees - who are in the process of developing or updating their policies and plans - will be able to access valuable information and learn from their peers.

Districts must provide information to students and their families in the ninth grade about the requirements for high school graduation and successful entry into college and careers. Some districts also share with students their academic readiness for graduation beginning in elementary school. The Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP process) is a foundational tool that helps students – together with their families – forge strong pathways to success after high school.

Districts are exploring ways to keep track of individual student competencies. Some examples include adding tracking capabilities to:

1. to the student’s transcript, along with the completion of ICAP
2. in revised student data systems
3. in the curriculum for advisement courses

Districts have the flexibility to provide students with a longer or shorter time period in which a student meets or exceeds district graduation requirements.

Districts have developed policies to determine procedures for early graduation (May or December) and/or later (5th, 6th, or 7th year) graduation dates. The general consensus is that regardless of a student’s AYG/cohort they will meet the requirements for whatever school year they are graduating.

The Menu of Options provides multiple pathways for students to demonstrate learning. Beginning in ninth grade (and earlier if possible) students and their families leverage ICAP as the foundational tool to explore, experience, engage in, and excel in a pathways to success after high school. Therefore, all students should be able to demonstrate readiness in at least one measure in Reading, Writing and Communicating, and one measure in mathematics. In addition to traditional measures, there are myriad performance-based assessments that students can use to demonstrate readiness. Local school districts also have the authority to adapt demonstrations of competency to accommodate for the unique needs of students with disabilities and English learners.

Colorado has been resolute in keeping students in high school who fall short of graduation requirements or who are participating in their high school’s post-secondary program to earn college credit. Students can remain enrolled beyond their fourth year of high school to graduate in five, six or seven years after entering high school.  Please see Graduation Statistics.

In 2015, more than 100 business leaders came together and created a list of core skills - Essential Skills - needed for the workforce or education opportunities beyond high school. Those skills are outlined and reiterated each year in the Colorado Talent Pipeline Report.

These Essential Skills  (also called twenty-first century skills, professional skills, or competencies) are embedded in the Colorado Academic Standards. Many districts have also developed curricula and assessments specific to these skills. (See promising practices.)

According to the state constitution, districts are authorized to grant one diploma. Some districts have added one or more endorsements (honors, for example), but each is considered an endorsement to the single diploma, not a different diploma.

The guidelines adopted by the state board of education in September 2015 (and updated in October 2021) include a menu of college and career-ready demonstrations, called the Menu of Options.

High school graduation requirements are set by local school boards. They must align with the Colorado Graduation Guidelines, which are designed to help all students and families in Colorado plan for success after high school.

Local school boards and districts select from this menu to create a list of options that their students must use to show what they know or can do in order to graduate from high school. School districts may offer some or all of the state menu options, may raise a cut score on an included assessment, and may add graduation requirements in other content areas.

Graduation guidelines begin with the implementation of: Individual Career and Academic Plans (ICAP), 21st Century Essential Skills; and Colorado Academic Standards for all content areas, including: one course in Civics, and by July 2023, one course that incorporates Genocide and Holocaust studies.

Students must demonstrate readiness for college and career based on at least one measure in Reading, Writing and Communicating, and one measure in Mathematics.

View expanded descriptions and implementation strategies on the graduation guidelines.

Menu of Options:

This menu lists the minimum scores required. (Last updated December 2025)

There are no specific courses, or numbers of courses, required by the state’s graduation guidelines, and there are no legislated course requirements other than:

• one course in Civics: “History and civil government of the United States and of the state of Colorado,” pursuant section 22-1-104 (3)(a) C.R.S. Please see an excerpt from the legislation in the “Civics” answer below
• and, by July 2023, one course that incorporates Genocide and Holocaust Studies. Here is a link to the elements and process from the Genocide and Holocaust Studies legislation, HB20-1336, 

Each district sets its graduation requirements based on many factors, including Graduation Guidelines, Colorado Academic Standards in 10 content areas, 21st century skills, and ICAP. Districts have also built their graduation requirements based on higher education standards, competency-based programs, and the skills that are defined by employers and industries.

Civics is the only course that is legislated for schools in Colorado, pursuant to Colorado statute 22-1-104. Teaching of history, culture, and civil government:

1. The history and civil government of the state of Colorado shall be taught in all the public schools of this state.

2. In addition, the history and civil government of the United States, which includes the history, culture, and contributions of minorities, including, but not limited to, the American Indians, the Hispanic Americans, and the African Americans, shall be taught in all the public schools of the state.

3. (a) Satisfactory completion of a course on the civil government of the United States and the state of Colorado, which includes the subjects described in subsection 92) of this section, shall be a condition of high school graduation in the public schools of the state.

Local school boards determine how the requirements are met under statute. The statute focuses on content instead of a course name. Local Boards determine which course covers that content as long as the local board agrees that the course covers what is required under statute. 

“Flexible time and place” has a few meanings. “Flexible time” refers to students in Competency-Based Education who learn and advance at their own pace. It also includes students who need more or less than four years to meet district graduation requirements. If students are not ready to graduate in four years, the state continues to fund them until they have met all of the district’s graduation requirements, or until they turn 21. “Flexible place” refers to work-based learning (internships, apprenticeships, community service…) and learning that takes place outside of the high school campus. Please review the October Count Guide, 2020-2021 (PDF) on the Pupil Count website (CDE).

CDE reports the federally mandated four-year graduation rate as well as extended graduation rates that include five, six, and seven year graduation rates. Though most districts – and school communities – focus on the four-year rate, they can report graduation rates all the way out to year seven. Accordingly, each district can discuss what graduating “ready” means to the community. And CDE will count the best of the seven year rate in the district’s overall graduation rate. 

Yes, students can “mix and match” from the menu. For example, students can demonstrate readiness: with an 18 on ACT in English and a math ACCUPLACER score of 23- on Quantitative Reasoning, Algebra, and Statistics; with a 2 in AP English and a math score at the bronze level for ACT WorkKeys; with a capstone project in one or both content areas; or with any other combination, as long as they can demonstrate readiness based on at least one measure in both Reading, Writing, Communicating, and math.

View recommendations and resources on the Colorado Graduation Guidelines website.

To learn from districts that have been implementing Capstone projects, awarding industry certifications, and/or developing work-based learning projects for many years see the promising practices.

• for Capstone and Industry Certificates
• Career Readiness and Work-Based Learning

If your district or BOCES is interested in hosting a regional conversation about Graduation Guidelines and other PWR initiatives, contact Michelle Romero.

Each district has the authority to create the process and criteria for approving industry certifications. The Industry Certifications Work Group (2014) did not create a list because it could potentially restrict the options that individual districts would be able to offer.

Through HB16-1289 and HB18-1266, the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Colorado Department of Labor have published an approved list of certifications that include locally and nationally recognized credentials and are also eligible for district reimbursement once a student has successfully completed certain career-based learning experiences, including industry certifications.  Learn more about the Career Development Incentive Program, where you can also access a current list of qualified credentials.

ACCUPLACER

ACCUPLACER is a computerized test that assesses reading, writing, math and computer skills. The results of the assessment, in conjunction with a student’s academic background, goals and interests, are used by academic advisors and counselors to place students in college courses that match their skill levels.

ACT

ACT is a national college admissions exam. It measures four subjects: English, reading, math and science. The highest possible score for each subject is 36.

ACT WorkKeys

ACT WorkKeys is an assessment that tests students’ job skills in applied reading, writing, mathematics and 21st century skills. Scores are based on job profiles that help employers select, hire, train, develop and retain a high-performance workforce. Students must score at the bronze level (a score of at least 3) in all three assessments--Applied Mathematics, Graphic Literacy and Workplace Documents--and they will earn the ACT’s National Career Readiness Certificate.

Advanced Placement

AP exams test students’ ability to perform at a college level. Districts choose which AP exams will fulfill this menu option. Scores range from 1 to 5 (highest).

ASVAB

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) is a comprehensive test that helps determine students’ eligibility and suitability for careers in the military. Students who score at least 31 on the AFQT are eligible for service (along with other standards that include physical condition and personal conduct). Students who take the ASVAB are not required to enlist in the military.

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment provides students the opportunity to enroll in postsecondary courses, simultaneously earning high school and college credit. School districts and institutions of higher education each determine passing grades for credit and concurrent enrollment. An eligible concurrent enrollment course is 1) the prerequisite directly prior to a credit-bearing course or 2) a credit-bearing course, and 3) governed by a district-level cooperative agreement or MOU. Districts choose which courses will fulfill the option.

District Capstone

A capstone is the culminating exhibition of a student’s project or experience that demonstrates academic and intellectual learning. Capstone projects are district determined and often include a portfolio of a student’s best work.

Industry Certificates

Industry certificates are credentials recognized by business and industry. They are district determined, measure a student’s competency in an occupation, and they validate a knowledge base and skills that show mastery in a particular industry.

And they can also earn credit towards an industry certificate through:

• Work-based experiences (Internships, job shadows, apprenticeships, or paying jobs) that count for credit in CTE programs
• Concurrent Enrollment courses taught in partnership with postsecondary institutions

International Baccalaureate

IB exams assess students enrolled in the official IB Diploma Programme. Districts choose which IB exams will fulfill this option. Scores range from 1 to 7 (highest).

SAT

The SAT is a college entrance exam. The SAT includes sections on reading, writing and math. The highest possible score for each section is 800.

Collaboratively-developed, standards-based performance assessment

For this option, students use an authentic demonstration of academic knowledge and Essential Skills through the creation of a complex product or presentation.

Districts have the authority to grant credit for community service, internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning experiences. See more information about the Career Development Incentive Program.

Beginning in 2018, the CDE offices of Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness and Assessment engaged practitioners and leaders - from education, industry, and higher education – in the creation of a set of tools designed to support teachers, schools, and districts as they implement these performance based assessments.

Refer to the guidance on the CDE Website.  And please contact Angela Landrum, Principal Consultant of Assessment Systems in the Assessment unit at CDE, for more information about the process and the pilots.

Over time, Colorado’s Graduation Guidelines will continue to evolve as new assessments and mastery criteria are identified.  

The State Board of Education voted to approve the Menu of Options on September 2015. It was updated - with technical changes only - in January 2018 and 2019, and with flexibility for the Class of 2021, due to the pandemic, in July 2020.

Districts have the authority to add courses, assessments, or other measures of college and career readiness to their local graduation requirements, and they can increase cut scores or add content areas to the official Colorado Graduation Guidelines menu.

However, districts cannot add new measures to the official menu for Colorado Graduation Guidelines that was approved by the Colorado State Board of Education in September 2015, unless they go through the formal waiver process, Waiver Guidance Fact Sheet.  Submit questions and/or suggestions for menu additions to Michelle Romero, Director.

Districts are not be required (by legislation) to offer the Menu of Options at no charge. Each assessment or competency measure has a no-cost feature.

ACCUPLACER: Districts have made/can make arrangements with colleges for free assessments

ACT: Students who are eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch can request a fee waiver one time

ACT Work Keys: free at workforce centers

ASVAB is free

Concurrent Enrollment: tuition is free to students if they pass the class. In some cases students must pay for books and fees. Districts can negotiate with postsecondary institutions about these extra costs.

District Capstone: should not include a cost to students; however, districts are considering adding expense items in their budgets to build the program (professional development for staff, for example)

Industry certificates: Many national certifications (like CNA, ASC automotive, welding, computer programming, etc.) do have a cost; the amount depends on the certification. Districts are in discussion with businesses and CTE program directors about picking up or sharing the cost. Also the state has initiated a program to reimburse/award the district up to $1000 for every high school graduate who receives a qualified certification. That list is available on the CDE website: Career Development Incentive Program, or in the Talent Pipeline Report (Appendix G). Please read more about the program:

International Baccalaureate: assessments cost money. Many IB schools provide funding to students who are eligible for Free/Reduced Price Lunch.

SAT: the state pays for the SAT test for all 11th graders, and the PSAT test for all 10th graders

Performance assessments:  As with Capstone, this measure should not include a cost to students.