3460 Graduation Requirements

The Wilkes County Board of Education recognizes the importance of setting rigorous graduation requirements to help ensure that students are receiving an education that will prepare them to be career and college ready and productive members of society.

In order to graduate from high school, students must meet the following requirements:

Successful completion of all State Board of Education course unit requirements as described in Section A; and
Successful completion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation instruction.
For students who enter Grade 9 for the first time in 2024-2025, a passing grade in a computer science course as provided in G.S. 115C-81.90(c). The computer science course shall fulfill one credit that is not an English, mathematics, science, or social studies credit. Students enrolling in a public high school in this State after completion of the eleventh grade shall be exempt from this requirement.
Effective Fall 2022, students entering Grade 6 and subsequently entering Grade 9 for the first time in 2025-2026 shall have at least one arts education course in grades 6-12 as required by SL2020-78-Section 2.5(a).
Students must complete the standard course of study (no local electives) for a given arts education course in its entirety to satisfy this requirement. After-school activities or partial courses do not fulfill this requirement.

Students who transfer into a public-school unit beginning in the ninth grade or later may be exempt, if such a requirement would prevent a student from graduating with the graduation cohort to which the student was assigned when transferring.
Successful completion of 28 course credits and all other requirements mandated by the board.

Principals and school counseling staff shall ensure that students and parents are aware of the number and nature of credits required for high school graduation, the potential to complete high school graduation requirements in three years, and the availability of early graduate college scholarships.

Course Units

As described in State Board of Education Policy GRAD-004, all students must fulfill the course unit requirements of the Future-Ready Core Course of Study, unless they are approved for the Future-Ready Occupational Course of Study. The tables below list the course unit requirements for the Future-Ready Core Course of Study and the Future-Ready Occupational Course of Study, as well as additional course units recommended by the board, based on the student’s year of entry into ninth grade for the first time. School counseling program staff shall assist students in selecting high school courses to ensure that students are taking all required units and selecting electives consistent with their post-graduation plans.

In accordance with policy 3101, Dual Enrollment, and State Board of Education requirements, students may earn high school credit for college courses completed. In addition, students may earn credit for certain high school courses in the Future-Ready Core Course of Study completed prior to grade nine, as authorized by the State Board of Education. Students also have the opportunity to meet course unit requirements without completing the regular period of classroom instruction by demonstrating mastery of the course material in accordance with policy 3420, Student Promotion and Accountability, and State Board of Education requirements. For students who have transferred to the school system during high school or who, for other reasons, have completed course work outside of the school system, the principal shall determine what course work will be applied as credit toward graduation. See policy 3420 for information regarding receiving credit toward graduation for courses taken abroad.

All awards of high school course credit must be consistent with State Board of Education requirements. Any inconsistency between board policy and State Board graduation requirements will be resolved by following the State Board requirements. While the board endeavors to keep its policy up to date with current State Board of Education graduation requirements, students should verify current requirements with their school counselors when planning course schedules or making other decisions based on graduation requirements.

Future-Ready Core Course of Study Credits Required for Students Entering Ninth Grade for the First Time in 2021-2022 and Thereafter

Types of Courses	State Requirements*	Local Recommendations
English	4 sequential (English I, II, III, and IV)
Mathematics	4 (NC Math 1, 2, and 3, and a fourth math course aligned with the student's post-high school plans.) (A principal may exempt a student from this math sequence. Exempt students will be required to pass NC Math 1 and 2 and two other application-based math courses or selected CTE courses, as identified on the NC DPI math options chart.)*
Science	3 (a physical science course, Biology, and earth/environmental Science)
Social Studies	4 (including: Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy;^† Economics and Personal Finance;^± American History; and World History)
Health/P.E.	1
Computer Science	1**** Effective 9th graders entering 24-25
Electives	5 (2 electives must be any combination of Career and Technical Education, Arts Education, or World Language; 4 must be from one of the following: Career and Technical Education, J.R.O.T.C., Arts Education, or any other subject area or cross-disciplinary course. A four-course concentration is recommended.)‡
Total Credits	22

*Certain International Baccalaureate (IB), Advanced Placement (AP), and Cambridge International Examination (CIE) courses will satisfy specific graduation requirements. See SBE policy GRAD-008.

**Students who are learning disabled in math may have other options for meeting the four mathematics credits requirement. See DPI memo of August 24, 2016 available at http://bit.ly/DPIMemo, and the math options chart linked below.

***Students seeking to complete minimum course requirements for UNC universities must complete four mathematics courses, including a fourth math course with Math 3 as a prerequisite. The math options chart is available at https://www.dpi.nc.gov/districts-schools/classroom-resources/academic-standards/standard-course-study/mathematics/standard-course-study-supporting-resources.

^†This course must follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study (NCSCOS) in its entirety and may not be satisfied by any other courses, except as provided in SBE Policy GRAD-008. See also SBE Policies CCRE-001 and GRAD-004.

^±This course must, at a minimum, include the standards established by the second edition of the Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics and the 2013 National Standards for Financial Literacy, as developed by the Council for Economic Education.

‡Students seeking to complete minimum course requirements for UNC universities are strongly recommended to complete two credits of a single world language.

****Computer Science Graduation Requirement. - Each public-school unit shall offer high school students a computer science course which includes instruction in using existing technologies and creating new technologies. The public-school unit may offer such a course to middle school students. The State Board of Education, in consultation with the Department of Public Instruction, shall adopt a list of approved courses that fulfill this requirement and make it publicly available on the Department's website. A passing grade in this course, whether taken in middle school or high school, satisfies the graduation requirement established in G.S. 115C-12(9d) a.3.0

Future-Ready Occupational Course of Study Credits Required for Students Entering Ninth Grade for the First Time in 2021-2022 and Thereafter (only available to certain students with disabilities who have an IEP)

Types of Courses	State Requirements	Local Recommendations
English	4 (including English I, II, III, and IV)
Mathematics	4 (including Introduction to Math, NC Math I, Financial Management, and Employment Preparation IV: Math (to include 150 work hours))
Science	3 (including Applied Science, Biology, and Employment Preparation I: Science (to include 150 work hours))
Social Studies	4 (including Founding Principles of the United States of America and North Carolina: Civic Literacy, Economics and Personal Finance, Employment Preparation II: Citizenship IA (to include 75 work hours), and Employment Preparation II: Citizenship IB (to include 75 work hours))
Health/P.E.	1
Career/Technical	4 (Career/Technical Education electives)
Additional Employment Preparation*	2 (including Employment Preparation III: Citizenship IIA (to include 75 work hours) and Employment Preparation III: Citizenship IIB (to include 75 work hours))
Electives	0
Other Requirements	Completion of IEP objectives Career Portfolio
Total Credits	22

*The work hours included in Employment Preparation I, II, III, and IV are as follows: (1) 150 hours of school-based training with work activities and experiences that align with the student's post-school goals; (2) 225 hours of community-based training; and (3) 225 hours of paid employment or 225 hours of unpaid vocational training, unpaid internship, paid employment at community rehabilitation facilities, and volunteer and/or community services hours, for a total of 600 required work hours.

**"The Board shall not enforce a computer science graduation requirement for any student whose individualized education program states that the student's disability would prevent the student from completing that graduation requirement" - NC GS 115C-83.31.

High School End-of-Course and Other Testing

High school students must take all end-of-course (EOC) tests and Career and Technical Education (CTE) State Assessments required by the State Board of Education and pursuant to policy 3410, Testing and Assessment Program.

Special Circumstances

Honor Graduates

Honor graduates may be designated by principals on the basis of criteria established by the superintendent. Recognition of honor graduates may be included in graduation programs.

Students with Disabilities

Graduation requirements must be applied to students with disabilities to the extent required by state and federal law and State Board policy.

Children of Military Families

In order to facilitate the on-time graduation of children of military families, as defined in policy 4050, Children of Military Families, school officials shall comply with the requirements of the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children (G.S. 115C-407.5), G.S. 115C-407.12, and the following requirements.

Waiver Requirements

Specific course work required for graduation will be waived for children of military families if similar course work has been satisfactorily completed in another school system. If a waiver is not granted, school administrators shall provide the student with reasonable justification for the denial. If a waiver is not granted to a student who would qualify to graduate from the sending school, the superintendent or designee shall provide the student with an alternative means of acquiring the required course work so that the student may graduate on time.

Testing Requirements for Graduation

The superintendent shall accept from children of military families the following in lieu of any local testing requirements for graduation: (1) the end-of-course exams required for graduation from the sending state; (2) national norm-referenced achievement tests; or (3) alternative testing. If these alternatives are not feasible for a student who has transferred in his or her senior year, subsection c below will apply.

Transfers During Senior Year

If a child of a military family who has transferred at the beginning of or during his or her senior year is ineligible to graduate from the school system after all of the alternatives listed above have been considered and the student meets the graduation requirements at his or her sending school, then school officials from the school system shall collaborate with the sending school system to ensure that the student will receive a diploma from the sending board of education.

Early Graduation

Students have the option of graduating early by completing the State Board of Education minimum graduation requirements on an accelerated three-year pathway. Students choosing to use an accelerated pathway must follow the process required for early graduation as described in State Board Policies GRAD-001 and GRAD-006.

Graduation Certificates

Graduation certificates will be awarded to eligible students in accordance with the standards set forth in State Board Policy GRAD-010.

Diploma Endorsements

Students have the opportunity to earn diploma endorsements as described in State Board Policy GRAD-007. No endorsement is required to receive a diploma.

Legal References: G.S. 115C-47, -81.25(c)(10)(c), -81.45(d), -81.65, -81.90(c), -83.31, -83.32, -174.11, -276, -288, -407.5, -407.12; 16 N.C.A.C. 6D .0309, .0510, G.S. 155C-12 (9d); SL2020-78-Section 2.5(a); State Board of Education Policies CCRE-001, GRAD-001, GRAD-004, GRAD-006, GRAD-007, GRAD-008, GRAD-010, TEST-003

Cross References: Goals and Objectives of the Educational Program (policy 3000), Dual Enrollment (policy 3101), Testing and Assessment Program (policy 3410), Student Promotion and Accountability (policy 3420), Citizenship and Character Education (policy 3530), Children of Military Families (policy 4050)

Adopted: August 5, 2024