Policy 6146.12 - High School Graduation Requirements/Exemptions from District-Adopted Graduation Requirements

District students are required to complete graduation course requirements specified in Board Policy 6146.1, including the requirements imposed by Education Code 51225.3 and those adopted by the Board. However, a foster youth, homeless student, former juvenile court school student, child of a military family, migrant student who transfers into the district or between district schools any time after completing the second year of high school, or a newly arrived immigrant student who is in the third or fourth year of high school and is participating in a newcomer program, shall be exempted from any graduation requirements adopted by the Board that are in addition to statewide course requirements. This exemption shall not apply if the Superintendent or designee makes a finding that the student is reasonably able to complete the requirements in time to graduate by the end of the fourth year of high school.

 

Within 30 days of the transfer into a school or of the commencement of participation in a newcomer program, as applicable, the Superintendent or designee shall notify any eligible student of the availability of the exemption and whether the student qualifies for it.

 

If during the 2020-21 school year a student was in the third or fourth year of high school and was not on track to graduate in four years, the district shall exempt the student from any local graduation requirements adopted by the Board that are in addition to statewide course requirements specified in Education Code 51225.3.

 

The Superintendent or designee shall provide a student who was enrolled in the third or fourth year of high school during the 2020-21 school year and was not on track to graduate in the 2020-21 or 2021-22 school years the opportunity to complete the statewide coursework required for graduation, which may include, but is not limited to, completion of the coursework through a fifth year of instruction, credit recovery, or other opportunity to complete the required coursework.

 

Any student who completed grade 12 between the 2003-04 through 2014-15 school years and met all applicable graduation requirements other than the passage of the high school exit examination shall be granted a high school diploma.

 

In addition, the district may retroactively grant high school diplomas to former students who:

 

1. Departed California against their will while in grade 12 and did not receive a diploma because the departure interrupted their education, provided that they were in good academic standing at the time of the departure.

 

Persons may be considered to have departed California against their will if they were in custody of a government agency and were transferred to another state, were subject to a lawful order from a court or government agency that authorized their removal from California, were subject to a lawful order and were permitted to depart California before being removed from California pursuant to the lawful order, were removed or were permitted to depart voluntarily pursuant to the federal Immigration and Nationality Act, or departed due to other circumstances determined by the district that are consistent with the purposes of Education Code 48204.4.

 

In determining whether to award a diploma under these circumstances, the Superintendent or designee shall consider any coursework that may have been completed outside of the United States or through online or virtual courses.

 

2. Were interned by order of the federal government during World War II or are honorably discharged veterans of World War II, the Korean War, or the Vietnam War, provided that they were enrolled in a district school immediately preceding the internment or military service and did not receive a diploma because their education was interrupted due to the internment or military service in those wars.

 

Deceased former students who satisfy these conditions may be granted a retroactive diploma to be received by their next of kin.

 

3. Are veterans who entered the military service of the United States while in grade 12 and who had satisfactorily completed the first half of the work required for grade 12 in a district school.

 

4. Were in their senior year of high school during the 2019-20 school year, were in good academic standing and on track to graduate at the end of the 2019-20 school year as of March 1, 2020 and were unable to complete the statewide graduation requirements as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.