Graduation Requirements

The Carlsbad Unified School District Board of Trustees authorizes the granting of a high school diploma to any pupil who has completed all graduation requirements before the date of graduation. A student must earn 230 credits in order to graduate from Sage Creek High School. Each course is worth five credits per trimester. The graduation requirements include:

• Achieving a total grade point average of 1.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale 

• Completing 20 hours of community service

• Completing the Courses Required for Graduation during grades 9 through 12.

 A transcript is a student’s official high school academic record containing courses taken, trimester grades, credits earned, grade point averages and other relevant information. Students can learn how to access and read their high school transcript through features on the Sage Creek Counseling web page.

Fulfilling the Graduation Requirements Early (Early Graduation) 

Sage Creek students who complete all following Carlsbad Unified graduation requirements by the end of their junior year (June), the first trimester of senior year (November), or the second trimester of senior year (March) may be eligible to finish their attendance at Sage Creek early to pursue full-time work experience or community college enrollment. *Students planning to fulfill the graduation requirements early must meet with their assigned counselor at least 2 academic terms before the planned “graduation” timeline to confirm their plan. 

Carlsbad Unified Graduation Requirements 

1. Minimum of 230 credits in required courses; refer to course-specific requirements on this site or on the Course Catalog 

2. Maintain a GPA of at least 1.50

3. Complete 20 hours of community service 

In addition to fulfilling the graduation requirements, students must also complete the following steps by the end of the term in which they are graduating early and to be eligible to participate in the commencement ceremony hosted in June:

1. Senior Checkout process with the Sage Creek Registrar 

2. Counseling Alumni Survey (on Naviance) 

Upon completing the required processes above, the Sage Creek Counselor will prepare a formal early graduation confirmation letter that will act as an official authorization of graduation (requirements) completion status to fulfill California high school compulsory attendance requirements. 

Early graduates are entitled to participate in the graduation ceremony and associated senior class activities (e.g., Prom, Grad Night); however, they are responsible for following up with the Senior Class Advisor (webpage) to review event information and participation requirements. Moreover, early graduates are encouraged to continue to connect periodically with their assigned high school counselor as a means to support their post-secondary education (college) planning and application needs.