OAR 581-022-2000: Diploma Requirements

(1) Each district school board and public charter school with jurisdiction over high school programs shall award diplomas to all students who fulfill all state requirements as described in sections (2) to (12) of this rule and all local school district requirements as described in district school board policies or all public charter school requirements as described in the policies or charter of the public charter school. (2) Unit of Credit Requirements for students who were first enrolled in grade 9 during the 2022–2023 school year or first enrolled in grade 9 in any previous school year: (a) Each student shall earn a minimum of 24 units of credit aligned to the Oregon State Board adopted standards to include: (A) Language Arts — 4 (shall include the equivalent of one unit in Written Composition); (B) Mathematics —3 (shall include one unit at the Algebra I level and two units that are at a level higher than Algebra I); (C) Science — 3; (D) Social Sciences — 3 (shall include 0.5 unit of US civics credit in addition to at least 2.5 units of credit aligned to the Oregon State Board adopted standards for U.S. history, world history, geography, economics, and financial literacy); (E) Health Education — 1; (F) Physical Education — 1; (G) Career and Technical Education, The Arts or World Languages — 3 (units shall be earned in any one or a combination).(b) A district school board or public charter school with a three-year high school may submit through the waiver process alternative plans to meet unit requirements; (b) A district school board or public charter school may increase the number of units required in specific areas, and may increase or decrease the number of elective units; however, the total units of credit required for graduation shall not be less than 24; (3) Unit of Credit Requirements for students who were first enrolled in grade 9 during the 2023-24 school year or first enrolled in grade 9 in any subsequent school year: (a) Each student shall earn a minimum of 24 units of credit aligned to the Oregon State Board adopted standards to include: (A) Language Arts — 4 (shall include the equivalent of one unit in Written Composition); (B) Mathematics —3 (shall include one unit at the Algebra I level and two units that are at a level higher than Algebra I); (C) Science — 3; (D) Social Sciences — 3 (shall include 0.5 unit of US civics credit in addition to at least 2.5 units of credit aligned to the Oregon State Board adopted standards for U.S. history, world history, geography, and economics); (E) Health Education — 1; (F) Physical Education — 1; (G) Career and Technical Education, The Arts or World Languages — 3 (units shall be earned in any one or a combination). (H) Personal Financial Education — 0.5; (I) Higher Education & Career Path Skills — 0.5. (b) A district school board or public charter school with a three-year high school may submit through the waiver process alternative plans to meet unit requirements; (c) A district school board or public charter school may increase the number of units required in specific areas, and may increase or decrease the number of elective units; however, the total units of credit required for graduation shall not be less than 24; (4) A district school board or public charter school must waive any additional district requirements if students are or, were at any time from grade 9-12: (a) A foster child, a child receiving 24-hour substitute care for children placed away from their parents or guardians and for whom the child welfare agency has placement and care responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, placements in foster family homes, foster homes of relatives, group homes, emergency shelters, residential facilities, child care institutions, and pre-adoptive homes. A child is in foster care in accordance with this definition if the foster care facility is licensed and payments are made by the State, Tribal or local agency for the care of the child, whether adoption subsidy payments are being made prior to the finalization of an adoption, or whether there is Federal matching of any payments that are made; (b) Homeless, a child who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence; a child who is sharing the housing of other persons due to loss of housing, economic hardship, or a similar reason; is living in motels, hotels, trailer parks, or camping grounds due to the lack of alternative adequate accommodations; is living in emergency or transitional shelters; or is abandoned in hospitals; a child whose primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings; a child who is living in cars, parks, public spaces, abandoned buildings, substandard housing, bus or train stations, or similar settings; an unaccompanied youth not in physical custody of a parent or guardian; (c) A runaway, an unmarried child under 18 years of age who, without consent of the parent or other person having legal custody of that child, leaves and stays away from the home or other dwelling place provided for the child by that person; (d) A child in a military family covered by the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children; (e) A child of a migrant worker, a worker that moved as an migratory agricultural worker or migratory fisher due to economic necessity from one residence to another residence, and from one school district to another; or (f) Enrolled in the Youth Corrections Education Program or the Juvenile Detention Education Program. (5) A school district or public charter school must accept any credits earned by students qualified for the additional district credit requirements waiver in another school district or public charter school and must apply them toward the 24 Units of Credit Requirements for the diploma. (6) A school district or public charter school may grant high school credit for courses taken prior to grade 9 if students taking pre-grade 9 courses are required to meet performance criteria that are equivalent to the performance criteria for students taking the same high school courses. (7) Course syllabi shall be written for courses in grades 9 through 12 and shall be available to students, staff, parents, the district school board and other interested individuals. (8) Each student shall demonstrate proficiency in essential skills adopted by the State Board of Education as provided in OAR 581-022-2115. (9) School districts shall develop a process that provides each student the opportunity to develop an education plan and build an education profile in grades 7 through 12 with adult guidance. The plan and profile shall be reviewed and updated periodically (at least annually) and be supported by a Comprehensive School Counseling Program as defined in OAR 581-022-2060. (10) Each student shall develop an education plan and build an education profile. (a) Each student shall develop an education plan that: (A) Identifies personal and career interests; (B) Identifies tentative educational and career goals and post high school next steps (i.e. college, workforce, military, apprenticeship, other); (C) Sets goals to prepare for transitions to next steps identified in section (10)(b); (D) Designs, monitors and adjusts a course of study that meets the interest and goals of the student as described in subsection (a) (A), (B) and (C) of this section that includes but is not limited to: (i) Appropriate coursework and learning experiences; (ii) Identified career-related learning experiences; and (iii) Identified extended application opportunities. (b) Through the education profile each student shall: (A) Monitor progress and achievement toward standards including: (i) Content standards; (ii) Essential skills; (iii) Extended application standard; and (iv) Other standards where appropriate (e.g. industry standards). (B) Document other personal accomplishments determined by the student or school district. (C) Review progress and achievement in subsection (b)(A) and (B) of this subsection at least annually. (11) Each student shall build a collection of evidence, or include evidence in existing collections(s), to demonstrate extended application (as defined in OAR 581-022-0102). (12) Each student shall participate in career-related learning experiences outlined in the education plan (as defined in OAR 581-022-0102). (13) The following course requirements apply to the International Baccalaureate program: (a) A student who has completed an International Baccalaureate program shall be considered to have satisfied the requirements of sections (2) and (3) of this rule if the student: (A) satisfies all the requirements as described in the International Baccalaureate Organization’s International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme curriculum; or (B) satisfies all the requirements as described in the International Baccalaureate Organization’s International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme curriculum. (b) Unless waived in accordance with OAR 581-022-2000(14), a school district or public charter school offering an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or an International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme shall ensure students in an International Baccalaureate program complete .5 credit of Personal Finance Education and .5 credit of Higher Education and Career-path Skills as stand-alone courses. (c) A school district or public charter school offering an International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or an International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme shall develop a curriculum plan that ensures students in an International Baccalaureate Program receive inclusive instruction aligned to the adopted standards in Civics and Health. This plan shall be kept on file at the district and be available to ODE upon request. (d) Only for the purpose of satisfying requirements in Section 13 paragraph (a) of this rule, a person who is not an external International Baccalaureate examiner may grade assessments or examinations for either program. (e) A school district or public charter school may establish requirements that are in addition to the requirements prescribed by Section 13 paragraph (a) of this rule. When establishing requirements, a school district or public charter school shall attempt not to establish requirements that may discourage student access to or participation in the International Baccalaureate program. (14) A district or public charter school may request a waiver of the credit requirements described in sections (3)(a)(H) and (3)(a)(I) of this rule on behalf of a student participating in an International Baccalaureate Program who entered high school between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2027, in accordance with the following requirements: (a) To receive a waiver under this section, the district or public charter school must demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Oregon Department of Education that the student was unable to access courses necessary for the student to satisfy the credit requirements due to a lack of reasonable opportunities to take the course. (b) For a waiver to be considered by the Oregon Department of Education, it must include: (A) An explanation of why the student did not have a reasonable opportunity to access the required courses; (B) An explanation of how the district or public charter school ensured the student received access to personal finance, higher education, and career path content through means other than the required courses; (C) The district or public charter school’s corrective action plan to make the required courses more accessible for students participating in an International Baccalaureate Program; and (D) Local school board approval of the application and the date of such approval. (i) Waivers may be approved at the Oregon Department of Education's discretion. Denied waivers may be appealed to the State Board of Education. (ii) Section (14) of this rule shall sunset effective July 1, 2030. (15) Notwithstanding sections (1) to (12) of this rule, each district school board or public charter school governing board with jurisdiction over high school programs shall award a modified diploma to those students who have demonstrated the inability to meet the full set of academic content standards even with reasonable modifications and accommodations and who fulfill all requirements as described in OAR 581-022-2010. (16) Notwithstanding sections (1) to (12) of this rule, each district school board or public charter school governing board with jurisdiction over high school programs shall award an extended diploma to those students who have demonstrated the inability to meet the full set of academic content standards even with reasonable modifications and accommodations and who fulfill all requirements as described in OAR 581-022-2015. (17) Notwithstanding sections (1) to (12) of this rule and as provided in OAR 581-022-2020, schools districts and public charter schools shall make a certificate of attendance available to students as an alternative for students who do not obtain the regular diploma, modified diploma or extended diploma. (18) Attendance Requirements: (a) Twelve school years shall be required beginning with grade 1, except when the school district adopts policies providing for early or delayed completion of all state and school district credit and performance requirements; (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section, a student may satisfy the requirements of sections (2)(6) of this rule in less than four years. If the school district or public charter school has the consent of the student’s parent or guardian, a school district or public charter school shall award a diploma to a student upon request from the student, if the student satisfies the requirements for the diploma that apply to the student based on the date of graduation of the student or the school year when the student first enrolled in grade 9, as applicable. (c) If a school district or public charter school has the consent of a student’s parent or guardian, the school district or public charter school may advance the student to the next grade level if the student has satisfied the requirements for the student’s current grade level. (d) The requirement for obtaining the consent of a student’s parent or guardian under subsections (b) and (c) of this section does not apply to a student who is: (A) Emancipated pursuant to ORS 419B.550 to 419B.558; or (B) 18 years of age or older. (e) The district school board may adopt policies for alternative learning experiences, such as credit by examination and credit for off-campus experiences; (f) With any modification of the attendance requirements for graduation, school district and public charter school staff shall consider age and maturity of students, access to alternative learning experiences, performance levels, school district or public charter school guidelines and the wishes of parents and guardians. (19) A school district or public charter school shall ensure that students have access to the appropriate resources to achieve a diploma at each high school in the school district or at the public charter school.