Graduation Requirements
Ponderosa graduates have some of the lowest college remediation rates in the state, and our graduation rate has remained above 95% for more than a decade. Over Ponderosa’s 40-year history, this tradition of excellence has continued, with students earning an average of $3.5 million in scholarships each year.
To maintain these high standards and support future scholarship opportunities, we encourage all students and families to be familiar with the expectations and requirements for graduation. Our counseling office and administration are available to answer any questions about graduation requirements or competencies.
Meeting Graduation Requirements
- Create an Academic Plan
- Earn 24 Credits
- Perform Community Service
- Demonstrate Competence in Reading, Writing and Communication, and Math
Graduation Competencies
- Beginning with the Class of 2022, students are required to demonstrate college and career readiness to receive a diploma from a district school.
- Many students will meet the competency requirements through their SAT scores, but there are a number of other opportunities for students to demonstrate college and career readiness. For more detailed information, please see the Graduation Competency Chart.
New SAT Math Score 2024 to 2026
At their September 2024 meeting, the Colorado State Board of Education voted to temporarily adjust the math cut scores on the Menu of Options for students graduating in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
In the spring of 2024, College Board, the company that administers the SAT, introduced a new format for the test, which impacted performance for juniors who took the test in April. In the summer of 2024, the assessment and pathways teams at CDE communicated with the State Board about the impact of this new SAT format for students in Colorado and around the nation.
The Board's adjustment means that students who graduate in the 2024-25 or 2025-26 school years and take the new digital SAT will meet graduation competencies by meeting these Graduation Guidelines cut scores for SAT:
SAT | Scores updated 2024-2026
| Reading, Writing and Communicating | Mathematics | |
|---|---|---|
| 470 | 480 | The SAT is a college entrance exam. The SAT includes sections on reading, writing and math. The highest possible score for each section is 800. |
During the next two years, CDE staff will work with the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Commission for Higher Education to make sure that SAT scores for the new, digital SAT test are aligned with placement levels and developmental policies at four-year colleges. The temporary score of 480 in Math will be reevaluated by the Board for 2025-26 graduates and beyond.
The SAT is not the only option available to students to demonstrate postsecondary and workforce readiness. Local school boards can select from the 11 measures on the Graduation Guidelines Menu of Options to incorporate into their local graduation requirements for students to choose from. Technical information regarding Graduation Guidelines data reporting is posted on the Student End of Year and Student Interchange websites.