Graduation Requirements

Stephanie Perez, 9, right, and Jaylin Garcia Mejia, 9, center, watch an introductory lesson on A.I. during Funda Perez’ 4th grade computer applications class at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., School No. 6 in Passaic, N.J., on Oct. 14, 2025.
Fourth graders participate in an introductory lesson on artificial intelligence during a computer applications class at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., School No. 6 in Passaic, N.J., on Oct. 14, 2025. Some experts suggest schools should use computer science classes to teach AI skills.
Erica S. Lee for Education Week
Science Q&A How to Get More Students Into Computer Science Classes in the Age of AI
The percentage of schools offering computer science classes has plateaued, a Code.org report found.
Lauraine Langreo, December 16, 2025
5 min read
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Curriculum Teaching Personal Finance to Teens in the Age of Online Gambling
Teenagers have more spending power than ever before. States are pushing schools to teach them how to be responsible with their spending.
Elizabeth Heubeck, April 11, 2025
5 min read
Close up of student holding a pencil and filling in answer sheet on a bubble test.
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Assessment Why the Pioneers of High School Exit Exams Are Rolling Them Back
Massachusetts is doing away with a decades-old graduation requirement. What will take its place?
Sarah Schwartz, November 11, 2024
7 min read
Tight cropped photograph of a bubble sheet test with  a pencil.
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Assessment Massachusetts Voters Poised to Ditch High School Exit Exam
The support for nixing the testing requirement could foreshadow public opinion on state standardized testing in general.
Alyson Klein, November 6, 2024
3 min read
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States 5 Ways You Didn't Know the Election Will Affect K-12 Schools
Voters will weigh ballot items that affect funding for electric school buses, tax revenue for state education budgets, and more.
Mark Lieberman, October 31, 2024
8 min read
Reaching hands from The Creation of Adam of Michelangelo illustration representing the creation or origins of of high stakes testing.
Frances Coch/iStock + Education Week
Assessment Opinion Students Shouldn't Have to Pass a State Test to Graduate High School
There are better ways than high-stakes tests to think about whether students are prepared for their next step, writes a former high school teacher.
Alex Green, October 30, 2024
4 min read
Two teen girls, one is a person of color and the other is white, building something in a science robotics class.
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Science One Change That Can Get More Girls, Students of Color Taking Computer Science
Making computer science classes a graduation requirement can be a powerful strategy.
Alyson Klein, October 22, 2024
5 min read
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Aligning Graduation Tracking with an MTSS Framework
Graduation tracking isn't just about credits. Learn how to use data-driven practices to support every student's path to success.
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<b>Katie Thomas for Education Week</b>
College & Workforce Readiness How Should High School Change? These Districts May Have the Answer
By supporting learning that takes place outside the classroom, districts—and states—are starting to rethink an age-old institution.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 30, 2024
12 min read
Image of books, money, calculator, and graduation cap.
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States Why This State Will Take a Class Requirement Off the Ballot—And Why It Matters
Asking voters to decide on a curriculum issue could set a tricky precedent, experts say.
Evie Blad, July 1, 2024
2 min read
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Portrait of a Graduate: A Decade of Transforming Education
Explore the findings and insights in the exclusive Battelle for Kids Future of Portrait of a Graduate report and see how you can leverage them.
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Roundtable Webinar: Why We Created a Portrait of a Graduate
Hear from three K-12 leaders for insights into their school’s Portrait of a Graduate and learn how to create your own.
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Social Studies What the Research Says Civics Is About Skills, Not Just Facts. How Do Schools Measure Students' Readiness?
Most state assessments aren't testing how students civically engage in their communities, a new report finds.
Sarah D. Sparks, December 19, 2023
4 min read
Image of attributes of a graduate.
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States More States Are Creating a 'Portrait of a Graduate.' Here's Why
A portrait of a graduate is a guiding document outlining a vision of what it means to be a successful student.
Libby Stanford, December 11, 2023
8 min read