Graduation Requirements
November 3, 2022
Dear Paradise Honors Families,
The Paradise Honors High School leadership team is excited to share pathways for our students that reflect the 21st century. Collaboration and a hope for our graduate’s future is what makes this possible.
This letter contains critical information related to high school graduation requirements and graduation pathways. Our desired outcome is that students are prepared for life after Paradise. Each pathway is unique to the student’s needs and aspirations. Three components are vital to the success of our students: commitment from families, expertise from teachers, and guidance from counselors. Our bold goal is to tailor the high school experience in a way that is flexible, student-centered, and goal-oriented. In a post-pandemic world and with industries emerging faster than the workforce can be trained, we need to adapt to what we o er our community.
Below are key dates for our graduating classes of 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. Students and families will receive more information on each event as the date approaches.
- November 28 - Course catalog for school year 23-24 published on our website (view catalog here)
- December 5-9 - Returning 9-11th grade course selection for school year 23-24 (view course selection guides here)
- December 12 - PHMS 8th graders visit PHHS during the school day
- January 16-20 - Incoming 8 grader course selection for school year 23-24
- January 18 - Future Panther Preview for all future PHHS students & families
Diploma Pathways
Meeting the needs of every student, every day means acknowledging that students take many pathways after high school. Beginning in the school year 2023-2024, we are introducing three pathways towards graduation. Details of each pathway, including the sequence of coursework, will be provided in the Coursecatalog on November 28th.
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High School Diploma and Associate's Degree In this pathway, Paradise Honors High School is partnering with Rio Salado and the Maricopa County Community Colleges. Students may take dual enrollment courses taught on our campus by Paradise teachers and/or concurrent courses taught online or in person by a college professor. |
College-Bound High School Diploma This pathway meets the Arizona Board of Regents minimum course requirements to be admitted to Arizona State University, Northern Arizona University, and University ofArizona. Itincludesacombinationof honors, AP, or dual classes to prepare students for the rigor and structure of college classes. Students are also required to complete at least two years of a world language. |
Career Pathway High School Diploma This pathway allows flexibility for students who participate in onsite Career Technical Education and West-MEC. 21st century professional skills are highlighted in this pathway for students who hold a job and can earn credit for Work Study. |
Note: Students in the graduating class 2024 & 2025 will have the opportunity to work toward their Associate’s degree through dual enrollment and concurrent enrollment courses. Because of AA requirements, there is not a guarantee that a student can meet all of the requirements in the high school graduation timeline.
Graduation Requirements
On the precipice of this conversation, we examined our high school graduation requirements. We are excited to share that the Paradise Honors School Board approved changes to graduation requirements. The graduating class of 2023 is not impacted by the changes in these graduation requirements.
The implementation of the graduation requirements will take three years to accomplish. Beginning in the school year 2023-2024, we will move to a 6 period school day. Through this transition, we will increase the number of electives that are o ered as one semester in length. Students will still be able to explore many areas of study. The highlights in the image below show how credits change from year to year.
In an effort to provide students and families with more clarity, please submit questions here. On behalf of Paradise Schools, we thank you for the opportunity to grow as a learning organization and adapt to the needs of our students’ futures.
Together in Learning,
Dr. Gina Garcia
Principal
Paradise Honors High School
