APACHE JUNCTION, AZ – Apache Junction Unified School District is moving to align its educational goals with the State 48 Graduate Profile, a statewide framework aimed at preparing students for life after high school. Superintendent Dr. Robert Pappalardo presented the plan to the AJUSD Governing Board on January 27, 2026. The district also presented guidelines governing how students and teachers can use artificial intelligence in classrooms.
The State 48 Graduate Profile outlines skills its developers say will help Arizona’s 1.5 million students succeed after graduation. The framework is more workforce-focused than traditional academic standards, asking what students should be able to do on day one after leaving high school. Dr. Pappalardo has worked on the initiative for about 15 months. The framework was developed by educators, business and industry leaders, nonprofit organizations, families, and students across all 15 Arizona counties, according to the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy.
“What we tried to define is, what are those core skills that they would need to be successful once you’re out of high school?” Dr. Pappalardo said.
The Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy announced the State 48 Graduate Profile in partnership with the SciTech Institute and Arizona Educational Foundation. Over 200 Arizona organizations endorsed the final version after a year-long development process that gathered input from all 15 counties.
Four Pathways Define Student Futures
The State 48 framework centers on four post-graduation pathways.
Enrollment covers students who pursue further education. This includes trade schools, universities, and community colleges.
Employment applies to students entering the workforce immediately after graduation. Dr. Pappalardo asked what qualifies a graduate “to be able to do that job on day one out of high school.”
Enlistment & Service includes military service, the Peace Corps, and similar service organizations.
Entrepreneurship targets students who want to start their own businesses.
The district is also pursuing related workforce development programs. Its upcoming drone pilot training initiative and a new training opportunity with semiconductor manufacturer TSMC emphasize similar career-readiness goals.
Eight Essentials in the State 48 Framework
The State 48 Graduate Profile identifies eight essentials it says every graduate should demonstrate. Dr. Pappalardo walked the board through each area.
The framework lists: knowledge and literacy, digital fluency, critical thinking and problem-solving, creative and innovative thinking, self-awareness and self-management, adaptability and lifelong learning, collaboration and communication, and ethics and impact.
AI Integration Becomes Central to Student Preparation
Dr. Pappalardo said artificial intelligence is inseparable from the State 48 framework.
“You can’t do State 48 without doing AI,” he told the board. “That’s their future. There’s a wave there, and that wave has come very fast in five years.”
As an example of how fast technology is moving, he said consumers can now buy robots that put away dishes and vacuum homes. The district’s guidelines prioritize human thinking over AI-generated content.
“To support student thinking, not replace it,” Dr. Pappalardo said. “We’re not looking for a replacement here. We want the students’ thoughts. The teacher is the expert in the classroom.”
The AI Sidekick Framework Guides Classroom Use
AJUSD’s AI guidelines frame generative AI as a “super-smart digital sidekick” rather than a replacement for student effort.
“Working with Generative AI (like ChatGPT or Gemini) is a lot like collaborating with a classmate on a group project,” the guidelines state. “Sometimes, working with a partner is awesome and encouraged. Other times, your teacher needs to see your independent thinking.”
Teachers will use a three-tier system to communicate expectations for each assignment.
Red Light means no AI allowed. Teachers use this setting when they need to assess a student’s independent knowledge.
Yellow Light permits AI as a coach. Students can use AI to refine their original ideas. However, the core thinking must remain their own work.
Green Light allows AI as a full collaborator. Students can brainstorm, generate ideas, refine drafts, or produce elements of the final product using AI tools.
Dr. Pappalardo compared the adjustment to when calculators were first introduced in classrooms, noting that early resistance eventually gave way to acceptance.
Students Use AI but Lack Guardrails
Board member Judy Williamson asked how the district would control AI use when students carry smartphones with ChatGPT readily available.
Dr. Pappalardo acknowledged that enforcement has limits outside school walls.
“We know outside of school they are 100% using it 24/7,” he said. “However, when you talk to students, they don’t know how to appropriately use it. Our job is to build in that ethics and what are those guardrails of when you use that for your learning.”
He compared it to how adults already use technology. “I don’t call the handyman anymore,” he said. “I look it up.” Students are doing the same with AI, he noted, so schools must teach them to use it appropriately.
AJUSD Moves Toward State 48
AJUSD has not previously had a portrait of a graduate — a district framework defining the kind of graduate schools aim to produce. “State 48, I believe, fills that bill for us,” Dr. Pappalardo said.
The State 48 Graduate Profile is voluntary for Arizona schools. However, the framework’s developers encourage districts to consider adding at least the Four Futures even if they maintain existing graduate profiles.
