HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS

Graduation

1. Early Graduation - Students with six completed semesters of attendance, may be graduated if the following criteria are met:
   • Parent’s written permission is obtained.
   • A letter of intention is submitted one semester prior to completion of requirements for graduation.
   • Administrative approval of the high school principal is obtained.
   • All graduation requirements for a high school diploma have been completed.
     
     
2. Career Technical Education Requirement - The CTE requirement may be met through the completion of a designated CTE course, or through the completion of a Work Study Course and the requisite number of hours of work or internship experience. 
   
   
3. Course Load Requirements - A full load of classes is defined as enrollment in 4 credit-bearing classes.
   
   
4. Correspondence Courses and/or University of Alaska Courses for credit which have prior approval of the high school principal may be taken for credit toward graduation.
   
   
5. Valedictorian, Salutatorian and Top 20  will be determined by Grade Point Average, Strength of Schedule, and other factors as identified in the Valedictorian/Salutatorian Selection Critia Rubric (Exhibit A).  
   
   
6. Work Experience/Community Service – One hundred hours of work experience, community service, or a combination of the two is needed for graduation. This 100 hour work experience requirement is separate from the work experience that may be utilized to meet CTE requirements. These hours can be obtained all at once in the same year or spread out over a four year period. Students who enter high school from outside of the district will need to perform twenty-five hours of Work Experience/Community Service for each year they attend secondary school in Ketchikan in order to receive a diploma (e.g. a student entering the District in their senior year would only have 25 hours, junior year 50 hours, etc.)
   
   
7. ACT, SAT or Work Keys – Beginning with the class of 2020, all Ketchikan Gateway Borough School District students must take the Work Keys or ACT or SAT assessment to be eligible for graduation.
   
   
8. PE Waiver - Students may earn up to 0.5 physical education credits for participation in an ASAA sanctioned sport any time in their high school career. 
   
   PE credits are earned at a rate of .5 credits for each season successfully completed, for a total of 0.5 credits. 
   
   Students may earn 0.5 credits for participation in 75 hours of physical activity through a recognized organization (such as Ketchikan Theatre Ballet, Ketchikan Youth Soccer League, etc.)

KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Revision Date:  10/22/03
Revision Date: 10/08/2014
Revision Date: 6/8/2016
Revision Date: 9/28/2016
Revision Date: 8/28/2019
Revision Date:  2/26/2020