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What should it actually mean to graduate from high school in 2026?
In Arizona, our nation’s 48th state, that question is no longer rhetorical.
Last year, the state took a bold and uncommon step: Leaders across early childhood, K-12, and higher education, workforce and economic development, business and industry, nonprofit, philanthropy and government came together to create a vision for what every Arizona graduate should know and be able to do by the time they earn a diploma.
After 15 months and thousands of surveys and conversations, the result is the State 48 Graduate Profile, a shared, statewide profile of success that reframes high school graduation as both a milestone and a launchpad — not the finish line.
At its core, the profile makes two declarations: First, Arizona must redefine what students should achieve by the end of 12th grade to remain competitive; and second, educating our children is a shared responsibility –- beginning on day one.
The State 48 Graduate Profile defines readiness across four futures and eight essentials. It first calls out four equally viable and rigorous future outcomes that every Arizona graduate should be prepared to pursue: enrollment in college or postsecondary education, enlistment and service, employment and entrepreneurship. It then outlines eight essentials which acknowledge the enduring importance of academic knowledge and literacy while elevating the digital fluency, human skills and real-world competencies required in a rapidly changing, AI-accelerated economy.
With its statewide release, Arizona has set a new north star, from day one to diploma, for students, families, educators, employers and policymakers alike.
Technology and work here are advancing at gigabit speed. The state’s economy is thriving, and nearly every sector is evolving. But education seems to be stuck on dial-up. We are not making the progress we need: Graduation and post-secondary attainment rates fall well short of our stated goals.
The challenge is not a lack of effort, innovation or even school choice — Arizona boasts some of the top performing K-12 and higher education institutions in the U.S. and is home to some of our nation’s most talented educators. At the core, Arizona’s challenge is a lack of a shared vision and direction. Without agreement on what success looks like, it is all but impossible to make progress here.
The State 48 Graduate Profile is Arizona’s response to that challenge. It is a common definition of success around which an entire state can align and, ultimately, begin to modernize our education system to meet the needs of our students, families and economy.
Getting there required a fundamental shift in how the problem was framed.
From the outset, leaders involved in the effort made a deliberate decision to set aside the debates that so often derail progress in Arizona: funding, school choice, accountability, and governance models. Those conversations matter, but they are nearly impossible to resolve without first answering a more foundational question: What do we want for our children?
The conclusion was clear: The traditional version of school most of our children now attend and we once experienced — what we call School 1.0 — was built for a different era. That world no longer exists. Neither should that version of school. Arizona needs to start with School 2.0 today and pursue even more boldly School 3.0 tomorrow. Modernizing and even futurizing our education system requires a new vision, not only for learning but also for how we organize ourselves to get there.
That reframing catalyzed a movement.
In late 2023, a small group of school superintendents, college presidents, CEOs and nonprofit and philanthropic leaders convened as H5: a coalition focused on the intersection of high school, higher education and the high-skill, high-demand, high-wage workforce of the future.
Two years later, the coalition has grown to include more than 200 organizations representing every county in Arizona. Its scope now spans early childhood, PK–12, community colleges, universities, business and industry, workforce and economic development, faith-based and nonprofit organizations, military, government, and philanthropy.
Just as important as its size is its diversity: Indigenous, rural, urban, and suburban communities are represented. Leaders from the wealthiest ZIP codes work with those from the most under-resourced. Republicans, Democrats, and Independents share tables at coalition convenings. Competing institutions temporarily suspend individual agendas to focus on a shared future for Arizona’s children.
Perhaps most notably, leaders from traditional school districts charters, private schools, career and technical schools, and micro schools — often divided in public discourse — come together to solve Arizona’s biggest challenge.
While convening senior leaders from across sectors, the effort also centered the voices and lived experiences of students, parents, educators, employers and community members. Over 15 months, thousands of Arizonans were surveyed, and hundreds of focus groups, summits and listening sessions were held. Workforce trends, industry needs, and emerging technologies — including artificial intelligence — were studied alongside community aspirations.
The State 48 Graduate Profile is the synthesis of that work.
Publishing a statewide graduate profile is a significant milestone, but it is not the destination. The real work now shifts from design to adoption: building awareness, galvanizing support and driving alignment across every corner of Arizona.
In practice, what will that look like?
Childcare providers weaving the profile into kindergarten readiness. PK-12 systems embedding it into curriculum, instruction, advising and accountability. Out-of-school programs reinforcing mindsets, habits and skills beyond the classroom. Higher education and industry evolving credentials, internships and work-based learning around the same vision. Government agencies and philanthropy aligning policies and investments to this shared north star.
Additional tools are on the horizon: a statewide playbook called Permission Granted, a push for a regulatory sandbox to support innovation, evolving AI guidance, and other efforts to help Arizona move from ideas to impact. Students, parents, educators and employers will be involved every step of the way.
This work won’t be quick, and it won’t be owned by any single entity or sector. As educators, employers, communities and institutions align around the profile, it will become part of our state’s DNA, shaping the learning experiences of Arizona’s youth from day one to diploma and strengthening the state’s economy and competitive advantage.
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