Photo by William Lange

By Shelby Hanks

Arizona’s graduation requirements have seen multiple changes in the past few years. With the class of 2013, the 22-credit total for the state was established. To graduate, seniors must have four English credits, four math credits, three science credits, three social studies credits, one CTE or fine arts credit, and seven elective credits.

Since February 2015, passing AIMS is no longer a graduation requirement, as the state transitioned to AZMerit.

Maricopa High School also requires a total of 22 credits to graduate. However, MHS has made a slight change to the requirements. Students are required to take a half credit of physical education – a credit not specified in the state’s graduation requirements – and only need six and a half elective credits as opposed to the state’s seven elective credits.

Graduation is quickly approaching for the class of 2016. Seniors are finally seeing payoff for their four years of hard work in math, English, science and history. This was the class that saw the transition from AIMS to AZMerit, only for neither to count toward their graduation.

Maricopa High School has built its curriculum and required courses around the state’s graduation standards. Every year when class registration comes around, students must sign up for an English class, a math class, a science class, and a history class, as well as choose electives.

Senior Ashley Lynn felt school counselors had been “helpful” in making sure she was on track, but “could have done more.” Counselors have to meet with a variety of students and, unfortunately, cannot make extra time for each individual student.

However, most students don’t meet with their counselors regarding credits unless there’s an issue with their credits that needs to be addressed.

One senior said she “made sure to take two Spanish classes to keep [her] college options open.” Foreign language credits are the one discrepancy between state graduation requirements and university entrance requirements. Arizona does not require students to take a foreign language class to graduate, but many universities require two years of a foreign language for admission.

Many graduating seniors are frustrated over the standardized testing. Seniors had to take AIMS their freshman and sophomore year, but when all that testing was done, the state had abolished AIMS as a graduation requirement. With the implementation of AZMerit, many seniors had to take the test in their English and math classes, despite the fact they already paid their testing dues. Even the seniors who don’t test find themselves suffering through block schedule while the rest of the school does AZMerit testing.

Maricopa High School graduates more than 300 students a year.

Shelby Hanks is a student at Maricopa High School. MHS graduation is May 19 at 7 p.m. This story appeared in the May issue of InMaricopa.

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