What does it mean for a Summit School District student to be truly ready for life after graduation?
 

At Summit High School, it means graduating with more than a diploma. We want every student to leave with the knowledge, skills, experiences, and opportunities to take their next step—whether college, career, technical training, military service, or another pathway.
 

Our recent ENDS-3: Economic Success policy monitoring report establishes a clear expectation: Every student will demonstrate achievement predictive of postsecondary readiness and socioeconomic agility.
 

Put simply: a Summit diploma should open doors.

One of the clearest examples is Colorado’s Postsecondary and Workforce Readiness “Big 3”: College Credit, Industry Credentials, and Work-Based Learning.
 

1. College Credit: 5,028 Credits and $538,276 Saved
 

This year, 479 SHS students enrolled in concurrent college courses, earning 5,028 Colorado Mountain College credits and an estimated $538,276 in tuition savings for local families.
 

Among the Class of 2026, 76.8% earned at least 12 college credits, averaging 19 credits per participating student, and 36 seniors earned 30 or more credits before graduation.
 

We are also expanding opportunity: CMC credits earned by Hispanic students increased 25% year-over-year.
 

Students are building college transcripts, reducing future costs, and demonstrating success in postsecondary-level work.

2. Industry Credentials: 142 Doors to Careers
 

There is no single pathway to a successful future.
 

SHS students earned 142 industry-recognized credentials, more than twice our target of 70. That included 65 CMC certificates in areas such as welding, nurse aide, early childhood, and essential skills.
 

Students also earned 56 Seals of Biliteracy, up from 44 last year, and five students earned Summit’s first Seals of Climate Literacy.
 

Each credential provides students with evidence of what they know and can do—and another way to open doors after graduation.
 

3. Work-Based Learning: 19,310 Hours in Our Community
 

Perhaps nothing makes “Future Ready” more tangible than putting learning to work.
 

SHS students completed 141 work-based learning placements totaling 19,310 hours with 94 employer partners.
 

That means thousands of hours learning alongside professionals, developing workplace skills, exploring careers, and building relationships. It also represents an extraordinary investment by Summit County employers in our students and their futures.
 

The Big 3 and a Bigger Picture
 

The Big 3 reflect something we have long believed in Summit: there is no single definition of success after high school.
 

Our broader results reinforce that progress. SHS achieved a 91.6% four-year graduation rate, while FAFSA completion increased from 48.7% to 64%. Students filled 1,638 seats in International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme courses, more than twice our target of 700.
 

Most importantly, all 241 graduating seniors completed a Senior Spotlight documenting their individual Future Ready Pathway, the credits, credentials, experiences, and next steps that make their journey uniquely theirs.
 

Behind these accomplishments are our students, dedicated educators and staff, Colorado Mountain College, 94 employer partners, families, and a community investing in its young people.
 

We continue working to ensure equitable access to rigorous coursework and Future Ready opportunities for every student. ENDS-3 gives us a destination and a way to measure our progress.
 

At Summit High School, that progress looks like:
 

5,028 college credits
142 industry credentials
19,310 hours of work-based learning
 

Behind every number is a student preparing for what comes next.
 

And that is what being Future Ready is all about.

Dr. Tony Byrd
Superintendent, Summit School District