The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, identify student learning which should occur by the end of the 6-8 grade levels.  

These standards emphasize that students will: 

• Access a range of diverse and culturally responsive texts

• Have consistent exposure to complex texts  

• Practice and apply academic vocabulary 

• Engage in reading, writing, and listening 

• Build knowledge through content-rich nonfiction.  

Students will take an English Language Arts course each year of their 6-8 middle school experience.  

Middle school math courses are based on the Common Core content and practice standards.  All students will have the opportunity to develop conceptual understanding and procedural fluency in each middle school math course.   

Students will take a math course each year of their middle school experience.   

Students completing high school courses in middle school, including Algebra 1 and Geometry, will automatically have the credit and grade on their high school transcript. The grade factors into the high school GPA.  

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) adopted by Washington State in 2013 identify student learning in science that should occur by the end of the 6th - 8th grades. These standards will be assessed in the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) in spring of the 8th grade year. Scientific thinking, skills of scientists and engineers, as well as life, physical, and Earth and space science content is integrated together in each science course for a 3-dimensional, real-world approach to science learning.  

Students will take a science course each year of their middle school experience. 

The OSPI Washington State Social Studies Standards, which are based on the National C3 Standards, identify student learning which should happen by the end of the 6-8 grade levels. These standards are assessed by OSPI assessments, which are given to students in their social studies courses. 

Students will take a social studies course each year of their middle school experience.  

*Passing at least one semester of 8th grade social studies, Indigenous Peoples and Washington State in the 19th & 20th Century, fulfills the Washington State History requirement that is needed for graduation. 

Health and Physical Education classes provide standards-aligned learning experiences for students to become health and physically literate.  

• In Health Education, students will develop into health literate individuals who are able to access, understand, appraise, apply and advocate for health information and services in order to maintain or enhance one's own health and the health of others.  

• In Physical Education, students will develop into physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity. 

In middle school, students will take at least three physical education courses and one health course.  

• One physical education course will be taken during each grade level.  

• For the health course, visit the school website to see when it is offered. 

Career & Technical Education (CTE) is a planned program of course work and learning experiences that supports the development of academic, career, and life skills.

More information can be found on the College and Career Readiness/CTE webpage.

Visual and performing arts courses in Lake Washington School District: 

• Cultivate positive artistic dispositions that nurture creative, self-confident young artists. 

• Build on standards-aligned foundational concepts and skills. 

• Value student voice by developing techniques and ways of thinking that enable students to use art to express their own perceptions, experiences, and views. 

• Offer students the ability to relate both personally and meaningfully to works of art and, through this process, to forge societal, cultural, and historical connections. 

• Provide opportunities for all students not only to learn about and respond thoughtfully to art, but also actively participate in making it. 

• Engage students in developing knowledge and skills in order for them to become proficient in the use of artistic tools, processes, and materials.  

Lake Washington School District middle school students can choose from a variety of fine arts elective courses, such as music, visual arts, and theatre arts.

Learning to communicate in languages of the world helps students become global citizens, ready for life in the interconnected world of the 21st century.  The courses of study in World Languages are based on national standards and proficiency guidelines as outlined by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages, emphasizing real-world communicative skills.  

World Languages is an elective course in middle school. This means students are not required to take a world language in 6th, 7th or 8th grade, but may choose to if interested.  

Students completing high school courses in middle school, including Spanish, Japanese, or French, will automatically have the credit and grade on their high school transcript. The grade factors into the high school GPA. 

Special education classes are for students who receive IEP services. High school is an opportunity for exploration and growth towards positive post-secondary outcomes (employment, transition academy, vocational training, college, etc.) Decisions on classes are made in the context of IEP meetings, and they are outlined in the Transition Plan of the IEP.