P6146

Instruction

Graduation Requirements

Definition and Broad Guidelines

Graduation from Griswold Public Schools implies (1) that students have satisfactorily completed the prescribed courses of study for the several grade levels in accordance with their respective abilities to achieve, (2) that they have satisfactorily passed any examinations and satisfactorily demonstrated the district's performance standards, assessed in part by the statewide mastery examinations, established by the faculty and approved by the Griswold Board of Education, and (3) that they have fulfilled the legally mandated number and distribution of credits.

The Principal shall submit to the Board of Education through the Superintendent his/her detailed requirements and standards to agree with the goals of our district as adopted by the Griswold Board of Education. It is expected that faculty will apply measures of achievement to provide evidence that each student has progressed far enough toward program goals and requirements to warrant graduation according to the terms of paragraph #1 above.

The Griswold Board of Education, in recognition of its responsibility for the education of all students in the district, including those who do not successfully complete the assessment criteria listed above, and those who drop out of school, shall make available to all the school district's students a course of study or alternative programming for meeting standards that will enable them to acquire a high school or vocational school diploma.

The Griswold Board of Education shall award a high school diploma to any World War II veteran or veteran of the Korean Hostilities or Vietnam Era veteran requesting such diploma who left high school for military service as defined in the statutes and did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such service.

The Griswold Board of Education may grant students high school credit for successful completion of coursework earned from an accredited institution of higher learning taken either during the school year or summer months.

Graduation Criteria

The Griswold Board of Education adheres to the State requirement permitting any high school student to be granted a diploma upon satisfactorily completing a minimum of twenty-five credits, including no fewer than:

A student shall be excused from the physical education requirement upon presentation of a certificate from a physician or advanced practice registered nurse indicating that participation in physical education is medically contraindicated because of the student's physical condition.  An elective may fulfill the credit for physical education.

All students must take a minimum of 7 credits per year with the exception of senior year whereby a student in good academic standing may opt to take 6 credits.

Grade Assignment and Promotion

Students are promoted to the next higher grade according to the following accumulation of credits:

Grade 9 to Grade 10 - 6 credits

Grade 10 to Grade 11 - 11 credits

Grade 11 to Grade 12 - 17 credits

A student's grade classification is determined by credits earned and years in high school.

Student Support and Remedial Services

Beginning with the graduating class of 2023, the Board of Education will provide adequate student support and remedial services for students beginning in grade seven.  Such student support and remedial services shall provide alternate means for a student to complete any of the high school graduation requirements previously listed if such student is unable to satisfactorily complete any of the required courses or exams.  Such student support and remedial services shall include, but not be limited to, (1) allowing students to retake courses in summer school or through an approved online credit recovery course; or (2) allowing students to enroll in a class offered at a constituent unit of the state system of higher education, and (3) allowing those students whose individualized education plans state that such students are eligible for an alternate assessment to demonstrate competency on any of the five core courses through success on such alternate assessment.

The Griswold Public School's graduation requirements apply to all students, including students requiring Special Education Services except when the Planning and Placement Team exercises the right to adjust the standards of performance on an individual basis.

The fulfillment of the mandated one-credit foreign language requirement can include the successful completion of a world language course in grades six, seven, or eight, an online course successfully completed, or the successful completion of a course offered privately through a nonprofit provider, provided such student achieves a passing grade on an examination prescribed by the Commissioner and such credits do not exceed four.

All credits earned toward meeting any of the graduation requirements through the successful completion of online courses must fulfill the requirements established in policy #6172.6, "Virtual/On-line Courses."

Student Success Plans

The Griswold Public Schools Administration shall create a student success plan for each enrolled student, beginning in grade six. Such plan shall include a student's career and academic choices in grades six through twelve. Beginning in grade six, such student success plan shall provide evidence of career exploration in each grade. The Griswold Board of Education shall utilize the Department of Education's issued and revised guidance regarding changes to such student success plans.

Student success plans shall be created, if possible, in collaboration with each student and the student's parent/guardian and shall, to the extent it does not conflict with the career choices of the student or his/her parent/guardian, include an academic plan that is in compliance with the Board's Challenging Curriculum Policy.

Eligible Credits

Per statute (C.G.S. 221a(f)) the determination of eligible credits is at the discretion of the Board of Education, provided the primary focus of the curriculum of eligible credits corresponds directly to the subject matter of the specified course requirements. The Board may permit a  student to graduate during a period of expulsion if the Board determines the student has satisfactorily completed the necessary credits. The graduation requirements shall apply to any student requiring special education except when the Planning and Placement Team (PPT) determines the requirement not to be appropriate.

At Griswold High School, a credit is defined as a class of block time, per year, equivalent to 200 minutes per week.  One-half credit is given for courses that complete work in one semester. In addition, credit toward high school graduation can be earned (1) at an institution accredited by the Board of Regents for Higher Education or State Board of Education or regionally accredited, (2) through on-line course work or (3) through a demonstration of mastery based on competency and performance standards, in accordance with guidelines adopted by the State Board of Education.

Only courses taken in grades nine through twelve, inclusive, and that are in accordance with the state-wide subject matter content standards, adopted by the State Board of Education shall satisfy this graduation requirement except that a student may be granted credit toward meeting the high school graduation requirements upon (1) the successful demonstration of mastery of the subject matter content described in this and the Mastery-Based Learning sections, achieved through education experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple pathways to learning, including cross-curricular graduation requirements, career and technical education, virtual learning, work-based learning, high school courses taken during middle school (taught at the high school campus only), service learning, dual enrollment and early college courses, internships and student designed independent studies or (2) for the successful completion of coursework at an institution accredited by the Department of Higher Education or regionally accredited.  One three-credit semester course, or its equivalent shall equal one-half high school credit.

Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy

Commencing with the graduating class of 2019, and for each graduating class thereafter, the Board of Education, utilizing criteria established by the State Board of Education, may affix the "Connecticut State Seal of Biliteracy" to a diploma awarded to a student who has achieved a high level of proficiency in English and one or more foreign languages.  "Foreign language" means a world language other than English and includes American Sign Language and any other language spoken by a federally recognized Native American tribe.  The Board of Education shall include on such student's transcript a designation that the student received the "Connecticut Seal of Biliteracy."

Awards of High School Diplomas

Students who complete all graduation requirements shall receive a diploma at the June commencement.  Individuals also may satisfy graduation requirements by the satisfactory completion of the following:

1.  Successful completion of a summer course or summer courses comparable (as determined by the Principal) to the subject(s) in which the student was deficient.

2.  Honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces after a minimum of ninety days of active service during World War II for individuals who withdrew from school to join the Armed Forces and for veterans of the Korean Hostilities and for veterans of the Vietnam Era.

3.  Honorable discharge from the United States Armed Forces for individuals who left high school prior to graduation and did not receive a diploma as a consequence of such service.

4.  Withdrawal from high school prior to graduation to work on a job that assisted the war effort during World War II, December 7, 1941 through December 31, 1946, not receiving a diploma as a consequence of such work and has been a resident of Connecticut for at least fifty (50) consecutive years.

Legal Reference:  Connecticut General Statutes

10-5c Board examination series pilot program. Issuance of certificate (as amended by P.A. 13-247)

10-14n State-wide mastery examination. Conditions for reexamination. Limitation on use of test results. (as amended by Section 115 of PA 14-217)

10-16(l) Graduation exercises. (as amended by P.A. 96-26 An Act Concerning Graduation Requirements and Readmission and Placement of Older Students)

10-221a High school graduation requirements. (as amended by P.A. 00-124, An Act Concerning High School Diplomas and Veterans of World War II, P.A. 00-156, An Act Requiring A Civics Course for High School Graduation and P.A. 08-138, An Act Concerning High School Credit for Private World Language Courses Other Subject Areas), P.A. 10-111, An Act Concerning Education Reform in Connecticut, P.A. 135, An Act Concerning Implementation Dates for Secondary School Reform, P.A.13-57, An Act Concerning Honorary Diplomas for Vietnam Veterans, P.A. 13-122, An Act Concerning Minor Revisions to the Education Statutes, P.A. 13-247, Budget Implementer Bill, P.A.

15-237 An Act Concerning High School Graduation.) and PA 17-42

10-233(a) Promotion and graduation policies.

P.A. 13-108 An Act Unleashing Innovation in Connecticut Schools

P.A. 13-247 An Act Implementing Provisions of the State Budget

P.A. 15-237 An Act Concerning High School Graduation.

P.A. 16-44(SS) (Section 310)

Policy Revised:  June 26, 2025

GRISWOLD PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Griswold, Connecticut