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Graduation Requirements

Graduation Requirement Changes
Posted on 12/14/2022

Yesterday evening our Board of Education approved revisions to Policy 5301 - Graduation Requirements. The changes come as a result of our equity review of select policies and after nearly a year of work by various stakeholders. This policy work is aimed at ensuring that our District has a graduation policy that is equitable for all students, that increases the academic opportunities for students, and also assists us with closing the academic social/emotional and behavioral gaps.

The review of our Graduation Policy is one of the most comprehensive policy reviews we have conducted. A dedicated committee of parents, teachers, counselors, administrators, and a board member, spent several months examining the current policy to determine how we can best support ALL of our students, while offering courses and opportunities to best prepare them for life after Waukegan High School. The proposed changes were also discussed at length by our Board of Education at multiple public meetings. 

The most obvious change adjusts the requirements for graduation to a total of 17 credits. Students must continue to meet all State-required graduation standards, and there are requirements in place on how students can earn those 17 credits.

These changes will take effect next school year (2023-2024), and impact the Class of 2024, and future classes. This fall our high school principals created a video that explains the changes and how we believe they will benefit Waukegan's students. The video is available in English and Spanish. 

Below you will find a summary of the main changes that will impact students. 

CHANGES OF NOTE

PREVIOUSLY

NEW

Freshman Seminar

ALL students need to pass the Freshman Seminar course to graduate.  Meaning: 

- All 9th graders must take and pass this course

- If students did not pass, they would need to retake the course to earn a passing grade

- If students transferred in post freshman year, they would need to take the course and pass the course

ALL Freshman students need to participate in Freshman Seminar. Meaning:

- All 9th graders must take this course.

- If students do not pass the course, then they will not need to retake the course

- If students transfer in post freshman year, they will not need to take the course

WellnessCourses (PE/Health)

All students need to pass PE/Health courses to graduate (Students need 4 years of Wellness Courses). Meaning:

- If students did not pass, they would need to retake the course to earn a passing grade

 

All students need to participate in PE/Health courses. Meaning:

- If students do not pass the course, then they will not need to retake the course

Note: PE/Health grades will continue to impact GPA, as they previously did

Social Science Graduation Credits

All Students need to take 3 Social Science courses and pass 3 Social Science courses. Meaning: 

- If students did not pass 3 Social Science courses, they would need to retake the said course, or an equivalent course, to earn a passing grade

All students need to take 2 Social Science courses and pass 2 Social Science courses. Meaning: 

- Students need to take and pass a minimum of 2 Social Science Courses 


All other current graduation requirements will remain the same, including requirements related to core subjects such as English language arts, math, and lab sciences, as well as elective requirements in the categories of fine arts, foreign language, business, Career and Technical Education, speech, and general electives.

It is important to stress that any student who wishes to earn more credits than is required, will be encouraged to do so, and will have opportunities to do so. The policy change will allow time during the school day for students to have more choice in their schedule including more opportunities for electives, enrichments, interventions and SEL supports. Some of the enrichment and intervention opportunities we hope students take advantage of are below. 

Enrichment Opportunities: 
- Student will still have the opportunity to take dual credit and AP courses

- Students will have the opportunity to take a structured study (formerly known as study hall)

- Students will have the opportunity in their schedules to meet social emotional/mental health needs (such as BAM/WOW and other partner groups, SAG groups outside of core courses, etc)


Intervention Opportunities:
- Students will have the opportunity during the school day to take intervention courses to support skill gaps 

- Students will have the opportunity during the school day to take a structured study (formerly known as study hall)

- Students will have the opportunity in their schedules to meet social emotional/mental health needs (such as BAM/WOW and other partner groups, SAG groups outside of core courses, etc)

If you have any questions about the Policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to any of our high school administrators. 

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