Starting next fall, Kentucky students will have to complete new requirements in order to graduate high school. There are five main requirements that students have to complete: the phased-in requirements, exit exams, transition ready, Algebra II, and other requirements.

The phased in requirements will begin for students entering the 2020 school year. These students will have to prove that they are transition ready by not being required to take Algebra II or a math class for all four years of high school.

Although, they will no longer be required to take Algebra II they will still be required to take Algebra I and Geometry. However,  they will be required to take two new high-stakes exit exams for math and reading. The exit exam is a test created to measure the basic ability of a student in the math and reading areas.

Students in 10th grade will take this exam and must pass it to graduate. Nevertheless, students that fail the exam in 10th grade are able to retake it in their junior and senior years of high school. If students are still unable to pass, they can appeal to their local superintendent. To do this, students can submit a portfolio of work or can submit their scores from their 8th grade K-PREP test, if they passed it.

Being transition ready means that students will not be able to graduate if they can not prove that they are ready for college or a job. Students can show their readiness for college by getting high enough scores on the ACT, Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate, or Cambridge International exams. Or, they can prove they’re prepared by using dual credit courses. By proving their readiness for a job, students can earn a state approved industry certificate, pass a career and technical education assessment, complete a state approved apprenticeship, complete a state approved alternative, or complete a state approved exceptional work experience.

Finally, in order to earn a diploma to graduate, students will have to complete state science and social studies tests, pass a civics test, take a class in financial literacy, and show that they have the ability to use technology.