Canyons District OKs 3 diplomas

SANDY — Canyons District school board members on Tuesday unanimously approved a tiered high school diploma system that officials believe will provide more rigor in high school and better prepare students for college.

The board also approved a grade reconfiguration that would push sixth-graders to middle school and ninth-graders to high school, sending the message that "that year indeed counts," said district spokesman Jeff Haney. That change, however, wouldn't be implemented for several years.

Three new options for students include the standard diploma, advanced diploma and the honors diploma, which was recently added to the proposal based on feedback from the general public and board members.

The standard version mimics graduation requirements of 18 core credits dictated by the Utah State Office of Education, while the advanced diploma includes an additional two credits of a foreign language, as well as a research-based college- and career-readiness course including math and laboratory science.

Canyons officials added the honors diploma, which Haney said would be "more proficiency based," including the extra credits and language courses as well as requiring students tot meet college-readiness benchmark scores in all four subjects on the ACT college enterance test.

"The ACT is nationally aligned with what colleges want from their students," Haney said. "It's a test that everybody takes, and it is really a preparation gauge for colleges and students."

The benchmarks are 18 for English, 21 in reading, 22 in math and 24 in science.

In order to help students meet their personal goals, the district would like to make ACT preparation courses available to all students in the ninth grade, but such a move would require an extra appropriation in the budget, something that has yet to be considered.

"We want to be sure that they're applying themselves throughout the four years that count on a transcript," Haney said, adding that the advanced and honors diplomas are completely optional.

— Wendy Leonard