High School Graduation Amendments

18
53E-3-501
53E-4-204
53G-4-416
1
High School Graduation Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Jen Plumb
House Sponsor:
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill ensures students meeting graduation requirements can participate in graduation
ceremonies.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
requires an LEA to allow any student receiving a diploma to participate in graduation
ceremonies, including students in online programs, except when significant safety
concerns exist;
requires
State Bo
ard of Education oversight of local graduation policies; and
makes conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
This bill provides a special effective date.
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
53E-3-501
Effective
07/01/26
Partially Repealed
07/01/28
, as last amended by Laws
of Utah 2025, First Special Session, Chapter 9
53E-4-204
Effective
07/01/26
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 142
ENACTS:
53G-4-416
Effective
07/01/26
, Utah Code Annotated 1953
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
53E-3-501
is amended to read:
53E-3-501
Effective
07/01/26
Partially Repealed
07/01/28
. State board to
establish miscellaneous minimum standards for public schools.
(1)
The state board shall establish rules and minimum standards for the public schools that
are consistent with this public education code, including rules and minimum standards
governing the following:
(a)
(i)
the qualification and certification of educators and ancillary personnel who
provide direct student services;
(ii)
required school administrative and supervisory services; and
(iii)
the evaluation of instructional personnel;
(b)
(i)
access to programs;
(ii)
attendance;
(iii)
competency levels;
(iv)
in accordance with Subsection
(8)
,
graduation requirements; and
(v)
discipline and control;
(c)
(i)
school accreditation;
(ii)
the academic year;
(iii)
alternative and pilot programs;
(iv)
curriculum and instruction requirements; and
(v)
school libraries;
(d)
services to:
(i)
persons with a disability as defined by and covered under:
(A)
the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12102;
(B)
the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, 29 U.S.C. Sec. 705(20)(A); and
(C)
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1401(3); and
(ii)
other special groups;
(e)
(i)
state reimbursed bus routes;
(ii)
bus safety and operational requirements; and
(iii)
other transportation needs;
(f)
(i)
school productivity and cost effectiveness measures;
(ii)
federal programs;
(iii)
school budget formats; and
(iv)
financial, statistical, and student accounting requirements; and
(g)
data collection and reporting by LEAs.
(2)
Except as provided in Subsection
(3)
, the state board shall determine if:
(a)
the minimum standards have been met; and
(b)
required reports are properly submitted.
(3)
When the state board makes a request of an LEA under Subsection
(1)(f)
or
(g)
, the
state board shall include:
(a)
the justification for the requested information;
(b)
a statement confirming that the information is not available elsewhere;
(c)
a deadline by which the LEA must provide the information in accordance with state
board rule; and
(d)
penalties, including withholding of funds, for non-compliance in accordance with
state and federal law.
(4)
The state board may apply for, receive, administer, and distribute to eligible applicants
funds made available through programs of the federal government.
(5)
(a)
A technical college listed in Section
53H-3-1202
shall provide competency-based
career and technical education courses that fulfill high school graduation
requirements, as requested and authorized by the state board.
(b)
A school district may grant a high school diploma to a student participating in a
course described in Subsection
(5)(a)
that is provided by a technical college listed in
Section
53H-3-1202
.
(6)
(a)
As used in this Subsection
(6)
, "generally accepted accounting principles" means a
common framework of accounting rules and standards for financial reporting
promulgated by the Governmental Accounting Standards Board.
(b)
Subject to Subsections
(6)(c)
and
(d)
, the state board shall ensure the rules and
standards described in Subsections
(1)(f)
and
(g)
allow for an LEA to make
adjustments to the LEA's general entry ledger, in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles, to accurately reflect the LEA's use of funds for allowable costs
and activities:
(i)
during a fiscal year; and
(ii)
at the close of a fiscal year.
(c)
If the state board determines under Subsection
(2)
that an LEA has not met the
minimum standards described in Subsection
(1)(f)
or
(g)
or has not properly
submitted a required report, the state board shall allow the LEA an opportunity to
cure the relevant defect through an adjustment described in Subsection
(6)(b)
.
(d)
An LEA may not, in an adjustment described in Subsection
(6)(b)
, reflect the use of
restricted federal or state funds for a cost or activity that is not an allowable cost or
activity for the restricted funds.
(7)
(a)
As used in this Subsection
(7)
:
(i)
(A)
"Comparable course" means a course that fulfills the same graduation credit
requirements as a course for which a student seeks to improve a grade.
(B)
"Comparable course" does not include a course a student completes through
the packet method.
(ii)
"Grade replacement" means credit a student earns by retaking a teacher-led
course for a letter grade to improve a previous grade, which:
(A)
may raise the student's grade point average if the new grade is higher; and
(B)
replaces the lower grade on the student's transcript.
(iii)
"Original credit" means credit a student earns through the successful completion
of a course for the first time.
(iv)
"Packet" means a collection of instructional materials and assessments used to
receive credit through the packet method.
(v)
"Packet method" means an educational approach where:
(A)
a high school student receives a collection of instructional materials from an
institution, organization, or LEA;
(B)
the high school student works through the materials independently with
minimal or no direct instruction from a teacher; and
(C)
assessment is primarily based on completion of assignments within the
instructional materials.
(vi)
"Replacement credit" means a pass-fail credit a student earns for a course the
student did not pass or complete, which:
(A)
does not affect the student's grade point average; and
(B)
allows the student to fulfill high school graduation requirements.
(b)
An LEA may award a grade for original credit or replacement credit through the
packet method if the packet adheres to the standards prescribed in state board rule
and:
(i)
the LEA approves the packet for use as an instructional material in accordance
with:
(A)
Subsection
53G-4-402(27)
for a district school; or
(B)
Section
53G-5-404
for a charter school; or
(ii)
the state board recommends the packet after going through the state instructional
materials process described in Title
53E, Chapter 4, Part 4
, State Instructional
Materials.
(c)
An LEA may not use the packet method, or classify a packet as original credit, to
improve a previous course grade of a high school student as described in Subsection
(7)(d)
.
(d)
A high school student may improve a grade through grade replacement by:
(i)
repeating a course one or more times; or
(ii)
enrolling in and completing a comparable course that is teacher-led.
(e)
The state board shall:
(i)
in accordance with Title
63G, Chapter 3
, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act,
make rules or policies that:
(A)
establish standards for the use of the packet method to award original credit
and replacement credit;
(B)
include alignment with core standards the state board establishes under
Sections
53E-3-501
and
53E-4-202
; and
(C)
maintain a comprehensive list of state board approved packets in the state
board's Recommended Instructional Materials System on the state board's
website; and
(ii)
report annually to the Education Interim Committee the number of students in
each LEA who receive academic credit through the packet method.
(f)
An LEA shall:
(i)
assign a distinct course name and number for credit earned through the packet
method to easily identify the use of the packet method on a student transcript; and
(ii)
track and record the number of packets an LEA uses to award original credit or
replacement credit each school year.
(8)
In establishing rules and minimum standards under Subsection
(1)(b)(iv)
regarding
graduation requirements, the state board shall ensure that the rules and standards require
an LEA to comply with Section
53G-4-416
regarding student participation in graduation
activities.
Section 2. Section
53E-4-204
is amended to read:
53E-4-204
Effective
07/01/26
. Standards and graduation requirements.
(1)
The state board shall establish rigorous core standards for Utah public schools and
graduation requirements under Section
53E-3-501
for grades 9 through 12 that:
(a)
are consistent with state law and federal regulations;
(b)
use competency-based standards and assessments;
(c)
include instruction that stresses general financial literacy from basic budgeting to
financial investments, including bankruptcy education and a general financial literacy
test-out option;
(d)
include graduation requirements in language arts, mathematics, and science that
exceed:
(i)
3.0 units in language arts including up to 0.5 units emphasizing verbal
communication completed in a course or a school sponsored activity;
(ii)
2.0 units in mathematics; and
(iii)
and
2.0 units in science;
and
(e)
include a graduation requirement in social studies that is equal to or exceeds 3.5
units, including at least 1.0 unit in American constitutional government and
citizenship as described in Section
53E-4-205.2
;
and
(f)
ensure up to 0.5 units described in Subsection
(1)(e)
may be earned by:
(i)
completing a course or a school sponsored activity emphasizing verbal
communication provided that a significant portion of the course or activity is
dedicated to civic education, including:
(A)
policy analysis;
(B)
governmental systems; and
(C)
civic engagement; or
(ii)
participation in the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps described in 10 U.S.C
Sec. 2031.
(2)
The state board shall establish competency-based standards and assessments for elective
courses.
(3)
The state board shall study requiring all LEAs to issue a high school diploma to students
who receive:
(a)
an associate's degree with at least 60 credit hours from an accredited post-secondary
institution; or
(b)
an industry certification with at least 500 hours of instruction from a business, trade
association, or other industry group in accordance with Section
53E-3-501
.
(4)
The state board shall ensure that an LEA complies with the requirements of Section
53G-4-416
regarding student graduation participation requirements.
Section 3. Section
53G-4-416
is enacted to read:
53G-4-416
Effective
07/01/26
. Student graduation participation and diploma
requirements.
(1)
As used in this section, "graduation activities" means graduation ceremonies,
commencement exercises, graduation celebrations, honors ceremonies, or other
activities associated with graduation recognition.
(2)
(a)
An LEA shall allow a student to participate in graduation activities if the LEA
awards or will award a diploma to the student, including a student participating in an
online program.
(b)
Notwithstanding Subsection
(2)(a)
, an LEA may prohibit a student from participating
in graduation activities if the LEA determines the student's participation presents
significant safety concerns.
Section 4.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
July 1, 2026
.
1-20-26 3:20 PM