1. Workshop C Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements
#GradPathways

2. Workshop Objectives
Review the charge and scope of the High School Graduation Requirements Task Force
Understand national research and student insights that have informed this debate
Offer critical insights to help the Task Force better understand how current graduation requirements impact students’ paths to graduation
Define/fine-tune solutions to address potential challenges

3. Presenters: Markus Batchelor, Task Force co-chair Laura Wilson Phelan, Task Force co-chair Cara Fuller, Ballou STAY and Task Force member
#GradPathways

4. Reimagining High School Graduation Requirements
Raise DC Graduation Pathways Summit
Monday, November 6, 2017
#DCGradReqs
DC State Board of Education Representatives
Laura Wilson Phelan (Ward 1)
Markus Batchelor (Ward 8)

5. High School Grad Requirements Task Force
This June, the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) launched a task force to answer the following questions: 1
What do we, as a city, want our high school diploma to mean? 2
How should we measure whether a student has achieved the standards of a diploma? 3
What changes to DC’s graduation requirements, if any, should be made to ensure our diploma reflects achievement of these standards?

6. Building the Task Force
Full Transparency
All 100+ applications from District residents posted online
Each meeting open to public & broadcast online
Equitable Representation
Half of the members live/work in wards 7/8, where half of DC’s students live
Students, teachers, parents, principals, & advocates serve, representing both DCPS & public charters

7. Beginning the work Reviewed the Problem Student Focus Groups
Heard from School Counselors
Examined District-level Data

8. Student Feedback Graduation requirements are too specific
7 Focus Groups of 65 High School Students & Graduates at 14 Different DCPS & Public Charter High Schools
Graduation requirements are too specific
Earning a diploma an accomplishment, not enough for a job
Change art, language, & music requirements
Increased interest in “life skills”
Community service is important, but want fewer than 100 hours

9. School-level input from counselors#1
4 Years of math, science, English, & social studies valued in college #2
Students who enter high school below grade level struggle to meet requirements #3
Updating requirements may increase student preparedness, not a comprehensive solution

10. Defining the problem
The DC high school graduation requirements lack a framework that provides stakeholders with clarity around what we value as a city so that education leaders can make choices that consistently honor those values. Specifically, this means:
We don’t know whether the 24 currently required credits are the right ones, because the purpose of the diploma is unclear
Students inconsistently receive credit for high school-level course work across schools

11. Working to Solve the Problem
The task force has two focus areas moving forward: 1
What is the purpose of the diploma, and what requirements will best suit that purpose? 2
How can we ensure that credit is awarded consistently across schools and LEAs (charter networks and DC Public Schools)?

12. Your input is crucial
Take a look at the suggested purpose of the diploma. Does it resonate with you? What’s missing?
Do the proposed changes to the diploma help achieve that purpose? If not, what changes would achieve the intended purpose?
What are possible solutions for enabling students to transfer attained requirements (e.g. credits, service hours, etc.) across schools, including middle school?
Pass out strawman grad reqs at this point
Does the draft purpose of the high school diploma resonate with you?  Why? Why not (and if not, what should be revised and how)?
What are key challenges students face in accumulating the current standard requirements for a high school diploma?  Does the strawman language address these concerns? Why/why not?
As students enroll across schools/LEA or re-engage after previously dropping out, what are possible solutions for enabling students to transfer attained requirements (e.g. credits, service hours, etc)?  What are possible solutions for enabling credits or service hours to be awarded for comparable experiences in middle school or in the workplace (outside of conventional high school “seat hours”)?

13. next steps 1
Propose updated requirements – or opt against changing them – this winter; SBOE will then vote on whether to adopt these recommendations 2
Adopted recommendations go to OSSE for review and public comment 3
Upon successful completion of these steps, the graduation requirements will be updated for the school year

14. Ways to stay involved
Visit our website and attend an upcoming meeting:
Join our Facebook discussion group:
Send your thoughts on DC’s high school graduation requirements to

15. Thank you!

16. Q & A
#GradPathways

17. Table Discussions
Take a look at the suggested purpose of the diploma. Does it resonate with you? What’s missing?
Do the proposed changes to the diploma help achieve that purpose? If not, what changes would achieve the intended purpose?
What are possible solutions for enabling students to transfer attained requirements (e.g. credits, service hours, etc.) across schools, including middle school or award for work experience?

18. Report Outs What are three common themes?
What are three concrete opportunities/
next steps?

19. Stay Connected! Interested in getting involved?
Fill out an interest form
Contact Celine Fejeran, Raise DC Deputy Director, at
Got questions?
Markus Batchelor -
Laura Wilson Phelan -
Cara Fuller -
#GradPathways