Hats off to the Class of 2015! Seventy-two percent of graduates earned one of Canyons School District’s unique college-ready diplomas by challenging themselves with more rigorous coursework. The preliminary numbers represent and all-time high for Canyons District, and a continued upward trend in the number of CSD students earning Advanced and Honors Diplomas.
Canyons is Utah’s first school district to award students differentiated diplomas to indicate college- and career-readiness. The Board adopted the Advanced and Honors diplomas in 2010, and first awarded them to the Class of 2011. Since that time, the number of students earning diplomas has climbed from 60 percent of the Class of 2011 to 72 percent of the Class of 2015. Last year, 71 percent of the graduating class earned one of the college-ready diplomas.
In addition to current graduation standards, the Advanced Diploma requires students to complete two credits of world language; credits in more rigorous laboratory sciences and college-prep English in the 12th grade; and competency in Algebra 2.
The Honors Diploma requires students to complete Advanced Diploma requirements and earn College-Readiness Benchmark Scores on the ACT college-entrance exam. The Benchmark Scores are (on a scale of 1-36): 18 in English; 22 in Reading; 22 in Mathematics; and 23 in Science.
The Class of 2015 includes 2,293 graduates. Of them, 40 percent earned the Advanced Diploma, compared to 36 percent of the Class of 2014. Additionally, 32 percent of the Class of 2015 earned the Honors Diploma, compared to 35 percent of the Class of 2014. A slight decline in the number of Honors Diplomas recipients was expected this year. ACT revised College Readiness Benchmark scores in 2013. This is the first CSD graduating class required to meet the new benchmark scores to receive an Honors Diploma.
The data for the Class of 2015 are estimates, and will be solidified in the fall.