State School Board Adjusts Middle School Education Requirements
The middle school education requirements have recently been adjusted by the Utah State Board of Education, per state rule R277-700: The Elementary and Secondary School General Core.
No longer do students have to earn a minimum number of units of credit. Instead students in grades 7 and 8 are required to complete courses described below to be properly prepared for instruction in grades 9-12.
General Core Requirements:
Grade 7 Language Arts Grade 8 Language Arts
Grade 7 Mathematics Grade 8 Mathematics
Grade 7 Science Grade 8 Science
Utah History United States History
At least one course in each of the following:
The Arts
College and Career Awareness (Recommended in 6th grade)
Digital Literacy (Recommended in 8th grade)
Physical Education (Recommended in 7th grade)
Health Education (Recommended in 7th grade)
The State School Board has given the Principal, with parental consent, permission to substitute a course requirement with:
• A similar course (example: Digital Literacy can be substituted with any other CTE course such as Keyboarding, FACS A, FACS B, Creative Coding, or Manufacturing Technology)
• An extracurricular activity or experience (example: PE can be substituted with afterschool soccer by filling out the Parent Request to Substitute a Course Requirement Form.)
• Any course consistent with the student’s plan for college and career readiness (example: If a student is pursuing either DLI or music, they can substitute ANY of the required classes for DLI or music.)
To assist parents with similar courses, the registration cards for 2018-19 have been set up by categories:
Category 1: The Arts
Category 2: CTE
Category 3: PE and Healthy Lifestyles
Category 4: Extension Course
Category 5: DLI
For a balanced middle school experience, Canyons School District recommends that students take at least one class in categories 1-3 (The Arts, CTE, and PE/Healthy Lifestyles) each year.
If you have any questions, please contact your student's school counselor.