Student Graduations

GRADUATION CEREMONIES



Graduation Dates/Information

All graduations will take place at UD Arena,1801 S Edwin C Moses Blvd, Dayton, OH 45417. No tickets required for entry.

Tuesday, May 21, 2024

  • 4 p.m. - Mound Street Academy
  • 6 p.m. - Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
  • 8 p.m. - Meadowdale CTC

Wednesday, May 22, 2024

  • 6 p.m. - Stivers School for the Arts
  • 8 p.m. - David H. Ponitz CTC

Friday, May 24, 2024

  • 6 p.m. - Thurgood Marshall STEM High School
  • 8 p.m. - Belmont High School

Ohio Department of Education GRADUATION INFORMATION
2023 & Beyond Graduation Requirements Flyer

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (CLASS OF 2023 AND BEYOND)

  • Earn 20.5 credits
    • 4 units Mathematics
    • 4 units English Language Arts
    • 3 units Social Studies
    • 3 units Science
    • 1 unit Health & Physical Education
    • 5 units Electives
    • .5 units Career Education
    • Students entering 9th grade after July 1, 2022 will require a .5 credit in financial literacy.
  • Demonstrate competency (one of the following)
    • Earn a "competency" score on the Algebra and English ll end-of-course test or college ready score on the ACT or SAT.
    • OR - Enrollment in CCP Math + CCP English
    • OR - Complete two career-focused activities
    • OR - Enlist in the military
  • Earn 2 seals
    • 1 state seal is required. State seals include: Technology Seal, Honors Diploma Seal, Ohio Means Jobs Readiness Seal, Citizenship Seal, Military Enlistment Seal, College-Ready Seal, Seal of Biliteracy, Science Seal, Industry-Recognized Credential
    • Other seals: Community Service Seal, Student Engagement Seal, Fine and Performing Arts Seal

HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS (CLASS OF 2022 AND PRIOR)

DPS BOARD OF EDUCATION

In order to earn the award of a high school diploma from the Dayton Public Schools’ Board of Education, a student must meet all of the requirements described below.

These requirements meet the minimum standard set by the Ohio Department of Education and by the Ohio Revised Code. These requirements also ensure that our graduates meet requirements that compare favorably with other Ohio high schools that have been recognized for excellence.

These requirements are effective as of Sept. 1, 2004 and apply to all students from that date forward, regardless of when or where they began high school.

A student may earn a high school diploma with honors by completing additional requirements. These requirements for the honors diploma are listed in Policy IKFA.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR AWARD OF A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FOR GRADUATING CLASSES OF 2014-2017:

1. Earn, at a minimum, 20 Carnegie Units for the indicated courses. A STUDENT MUST EARN A GRADE OF D OR BETTER IN A COURSE IN ORDER FOR THE CARNEGIE UNIT TO BE AWARDED.

Students who take coursework delivered through integrated academic and technical instruction will be awarded multiple Carnegie Units as appropriate for the subject areas addressed in the coursework. Distribution of the Carnegie Units will be determined by the Superintendent or his/her designee.

REQUIRED CARNEGIE UNITS OF CREDIT MUST INCLUDE:

  • 4 units of Integrated Language Arts (English) I, II, III, IV
  • 4 units of mathematics (mathematics units must include Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II or the equivalent)
  • 3 units of science (must include 1 unit of physical science, 1 unit of life science, and 1 unit advanced study in one or more of the following sciences: chemistry, physics, or other physical science; advanced biology or other life science; astronomy, physical geology, or other earth or space science)
  • 3 units of social studies (must include ½ unit of American history and ½ unit of American government)
  • ½ unit of physical education ½ unit of health
  • 5 Electives
    • Electives units must include one or any combination of foreign language, fine arts, business, career-technical education, family and consumer sciences, technology, agricultural education or English language arts, mathematics, science or social studies courses not otherwise required.
    • All students must receive instruction in economics and financial literacy during grades 9-12 and must complete at least two semesters of fine arts taken any time in grades 7-12. Students following a career- technical pathway are exempted from the fine arts requirement.

2. All required state examinations have been passed. Additional information on state examination requirements is included later in this policy.

3. The Board assumes that, at the time of graduation, each student has fulfilled all academic and financial obligations.

AWARD OF CARNEGIE UNITS:

A STUDENT MUST EARN A GRADE OF D OR BETTER IN A COURSE IN ORDER FOR THE CARNEGIE UNIT TO BE AWARDED.

A student may earn Carnegie Units through coursework completed in a regular high school setting or through any of the following alternative settings:

1. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK TAKEN PRIOR TO NINTH GRADE:
Carnegie units will be awarded if the following requirements are met:
The coursework covers the same curriculum and content as the equivalent high school course with the same level of rigor; and The course is taught by a highly qualified teacher with a high school teaching certificate or license.

2. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK COMPLETED THROUGH SUMMER SCHOOL:
Summer school coursework may be approved for Carnegie Unit credit at the discretion of the Superintendent or his/her designee. Students must receive administrative approval prior to registering for the summer school coursework.

Summer school courses could carry a fee as determined by the Board.

3. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK COMPLETED THROUGH CREDIT RECOVERY:
Credit recovery opportunities will be made available when a student has met seat time (registered for the course, attended and failed) for a core curriculum subject (English, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies). Credit recovery coursework will provide an opportunity for students to earn the Carnegie Units needed to graduate.

Credit recovery coursework will be offered and will be directed by highly qualified teachers. Some components of credit recovery coursework may be held on a district school campus; other components may utilize computer technology and distance learning.

Credit recovery coursework will be graded on a pass/fail basis. An 80% mastery of the core curriculum objectives must be completed in order to earn a pass and a Carnegie Unit with the exception of Social Studies coursework which requires a 100% mastery of the curriculum objectives.

Credit recovery courses taken during the summer months could carry a fee as determined by the Board.

4. EQUIVALENT OR MORE ADVANCED COURSEWORK COMPLETED AT AN ACCREDITED POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTION:

  • Equivalent Coursework: One Carnegie Unit will be awarded for coursework equivalent to a comparable course offered by the District.
  • Advanced Coursework: One or more Carnegie Units for advanced coursework will be awarded in a similar subject area at the discretion of the Superintendent or his/her designee.

5. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK OFFERED THROUGH CORRESPONDENCE COURSES:
Carnegie Units for correspondence coursework offered by accredited state universities may be awarded (but are not guaranteed to be awarded) in a similar subject area at the discretion of the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Carnegie Units will not be awarded for coursework offered by institutions established primarily for correspondence study.

The student must arrange for the school offering the correspondence course(s) to provide the District with an official transcript and official information describing the contents of the correspondence course(s) for which credit is being requested. A review of the requested information will be reviewed and a determination will be made on whether credit will be awarded.

It is recommended that the student seek approval prior to taking the course to ensure that credit will be awarded.

6. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK OFFERED THROUGH TUTORING:

  • Carnegie Units for core coursework taught by a Dayton Public Schools approved tutor is available.
  • Cost of the tutoring services is the responsibility of the parent.
  • All tutoring requests must be approved by the Office of Secondary Education prior to obtaining the approved list of tutors.

7. HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK OFFERED THROUGH CREDIT FLEXIBILITY:
Credit flexibility shifts the focus from ‘seat time’ to performance. Students can earn units of high school credit based on an individually approved credit flexibility plan approved by the high school guidance counselor and the Executive Director of Secondary Education.

Students earn high school credit by:

  • Completing coursework
  • Testing out or showing mastery of course content
  • Pursuing an educational option and/or an individually approved option, and/or,
  • Any combination of the above.

OHIO STATE TESTING REQUIREMENTS

For students graduating after September 1, 2006:

Students graduating after September 1, 2006 must pass all five Ohio Graduation Tests OR meet all of the following alternatives:

  • Pass four of the five tests and has missed passing the 5th test by no more than 10 points;
  • Have a 97% attendance rate, excluding any excused absences, through all four years of high school and must not have had an expulsion in high school;
  • Have at least a grade point average of 2.5 out of 4.0 in the courses of the subject area not yet passed;
  • Have completed the high school curriculum requirement;
  • Have participated in any intervention programs offered by the school and must have had a 97% attendance rate in any programs offered outside the normal school day; and
  • Have letters recommending graduation from the high school principal and from each high school teacher in the subject area not yet passed.