Starting with our Class of 2027, and every graduating class thereafter, we have updated graduation requirements that reflect recent changes by the Colorado State Legislature and the Denver Public Schools Board of Education. These requirements focus on specialized coursework that highlight critical social and global issues while helping students be better prepared for the world that awaits them post graduation.

In addition to these updated graduation requirements we still require the ICAP and competency measures from previous years:

DPS is one of many Colorado school districts implementing new graduation requirements to align with the statewide graduation guidelines approved by the Colorado Board of Education.

While most students will continue to successfully complete their graduation requirements within four years, there may be some students who will need more time to complete the required graduation requirements. Students needing extra time to graduate can extend their path to graduation by two years, or up to the age of 21. By instilling high standards districtwide, our students will be challenged and inspired to forge their own educational path towards a meaningful career.

For more information or questions, talk to your counselor or school leader.

The Colorado State Legislature has passed recent legislation in the past session which has changed graduation requirements across the state. These new requirements include new cultural competency and financial literacy courses designed to improve civic engagement in students.

Recent bills emphasize the DPS mission of teaching history, culture and civil government in K-12 education, including the expressed requirement of teaching the history of the Holocaust and other historical events.

The state legislature also passed House Bill 21-1200 bill supporting the DPS Board of Education course in Personal Finance Literacy standards, as proposed by Ednium, a DPS alumni collective. The group of DPS students helped add financial literacy to the graduation requirements for upcoming high school students. This course specifically teaches students awareness, knowledge and skills to promote healthy financial relationships and encourage sound fiscal decisions.

In addition to the history requirement, the DPS Board of Directors has also changed graduation requirements to include comprehensive health education. The Board of Directors’ new course builds a foundation for personal decision-making around emotional and social well-being, positive communication, healthy eating, sexual health, physical activity, tobacco, drug, and alcohol abuse prevention and violence prevention.