Minnesota students are required to complete three kinds of requirements by the time they graduate. Students must:

• Satisfactorily complete the state course credit requirements under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.024.
• Satisfactorily complete all state academic standards or local academic standards where state standards do not apply.
• Successfully pass statewide graduation assessments as required under Minnesota Statutes, section 120B.30.

 
Course Credits
Students complete the academic standards by taking a core course of study that equips them with the knowledge and skills they need for success in postsecondary education, highly skilled work, and civic life. In order to graduate, your child’s high school coursework must include at least the minimum state course credit requirements. A course credit is equivalent to a student successfully completing an academic year of study or mastering the subject matter, as determined by the local school district. Students must complete a minimum of 21.5 course credits as follows:

• 4 credits of language arts 
  
• 3 credits of mathematics, including algebra, geometry, statistics and probability sufficient to satisfy the standards. Students in the graduating class of 2015 and beyond must complete an algebra II credit or its equivalent as part of the 3-credit requirement. In addition to the high school credits, students in the graduating class of 2015 and beyond must also complete an algebra I credit by the end of eighth grade.
• 3 credits of science, including a biology credit. In addition, students in the graduating class of 2015 and beyond must complete a chemistry, physics, or Career and Technical Education (CTE) credit as part of the 3-credit requirement. (The CTE credit must meet the standards underlying the chemistry or physics credit.)
• 3½ credits of social studies, including U.S. history, geography, government and citizenship, world history and economics.
• 1 credit in the arts 
  
• 7 elective credits

An agriculture course may fulfill a general science credit requirement. A CTE course may fulfill a general science, mathematics, or arts credit requirement. School districts may require additional course credits or other requirements for graduation beyond the minimum required by the state.

Assessments
The Graduation-Required Assessments for Diploma (GRAD) are the state tests that fulfill Minnesota’s high school graduation requirement for students who entered eighth grade in 2005-06 or later. These tests measure essential skills in Writing, Reading and Mathematics for success in the 21st Century. If a student does not pass the first time, retests are available.

Students who do not pass the Mathematics GRAD are eligible to receive a high school diploma if they:

1. Pass/complete all state and local coursework and credits required for graduation by their school board. 
2. Retest until they pass the mathematics GRAD or take at least two retests, whichever comes first. 
3. Participate in math remediation (tutoring) offered by the district.