Credit graduation requirements
| Class of 2010 - Requirements at a Glance |
| Subject |
Credits |
| Language Arts |
4.0 |
| Science |
2.0 |
| Mathematics |
2.0 |
| Math/Science |
1.0 |
| Social Studies |
3.0 |
| Fine Arts |
1.0 |
| P.E. |
1.5 |
| Health |
0.5 |
| Occupational |
1.0 |
| Electives |
6.0 |
| Total |
22.0 |
Note: The State Board of Education is expected to increase the number of math credits required for graduation from 2.0 to 3.0.
State Graduation Requirements
Students must complete one option in each of the following categories:
Completed High School and Beyond portfolio
Earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement including reading, writing and math requirements.
- Reading and writing requirement
- Pass reading, writing WASLs or
- Certificate of Academic Achievement Option* (state-approved alternative)
- Math requirement
- Pass math High School WASL or
- Certificate of Academic Achievement Option* (state-approved alternative) or
- Earn one math credit (or career and technical course equivalent) after 11th grade AND retake the WASL or an approved math assessment one more time. (Student is required to pass the math class but is only required to take the assessment to earn the diploma.) Students using this option won’t earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement but are still eligible to earn a diploma.
Culminating Project
For special education students, the following assessments are also available:
- WASL-Modified. Students take the WASL (with or without accommodations) but the IEP team uses Basic (Level 2) instead of Proficient (Level 3) as the passing grade.
- Developmentally Appropriate WASL (DAW) – Students in grades 11 and 12 take the WASL at a grade level that best matches their abilities, and earns Proficient (Level 3) on each test taken.
- Washington Alternate Assessment System Portfolio – Students unable to take paper and pencil tests show their knowledge through a collection of work.
District performance graduation requirements
Students must also complete the following District requirements in order to graduate.
Writing:
- A literary analysis essay
- A persuasive essay and
- A cause-effect or compare-contrast essay.
Quantitative and Scientific Reasoning:
- Formal lab report
- Read a periodical for quantitative and scientific information
*Certificate of Academic Achievement Options
Students may use one of these options after they have taken the WASL once.
- SAT or ACT
- Math: SAT – 470 or ACT – 19
- Reading and writing scores to be determined by Dec. 1, 2007
- PSAT
- Math score of 47 is now an approved alternative. Not available after 8/31/2008
- Advanced Placement (AP)
- Math: score of three or higher on calculus or statistics
- Writing: score of three or higher on English language and composition
- Reading: score of three or higher on English literature and composition, macroeconomics, microeconomics, psychology, U.S. history, world history, U.S. government and politics, or comparative government and politics.
- WASL/Grades comparison – A student’s grades in math and/or English courses are compared with the grades of students who took the same courses and passed the WASL. Available only to students in 12th grade who have an overall cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.2 on a scale of 4.0.