2410: High School Graduation Requirements
- 2000: Instructional
2410: High School Graduation Requirements
Adoption Date: March, 19, 2013
Last Revised: Sept. 17, 2019
The Board will award a regular high school diploma to every student enrolled in the District who meets the requirements of graduation established by the District. Only one diploma will be awarded with no distinctions being made between the various programs of instruction which may have been pursued.
Credit Requirements
The Board has established the following graduation requirements which, satisfy and exceed those established by the State Board of Education:
| Subject Areas | Credit Requirements |
| English | 4 |
| Mathematics | 3 |
| Science | (2 lab science credits) 3 |
| Social Studies | 3.5* |
| Health and Fitness (one class must include training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and use of automatic external defibrillators (AED)) |
2 |
| Arts (1 credit may be met through a Personalized Pathway Requirement) | 2** |
| Career and Technical Education | 1 |
| Electives (any course that is not required may satisfy elective credit) | 3.5 |
| World Language (or) Personalized Pathway Requirement | 2** |
| Total Credit Requirements | 24 |
*Exceeds state requirements. The state requires 3 credits.
**Personalized Pathway Requirements are courses determined by the District that prepare students for a particular career and education goal chosen by the student and specified in their High School and Beyond Plan.
Additional Requirements
In addition to the minimum credit requirements, to earn a diploma each student must:
A. Complete a High School and Beyond Plan
B. Complete one or more of the following pathways in each of English Language Arts and Mathematics:
1. Meet or exceed the Smarter Balanced Assessment scores set by the State Board of Education;
2. Complete and qualify for college credit in dual credit courses such as Running Start or College in the High School;
3. Earn credit in a high school transition course, when completion of the course will ensure college level placement;
4. Earn high school credit, with a C+ grade or a score of 3 or higher on the AP exam; C+ in relevant International Baccalaureate courses or a 4 on the IB exam; or C+ in Cambridge International courses (no score equivalent) Meet or exceed the scores established by the State Board of Education for the SAT or ACT;
Or:
5. Meet standard on the Armed Services Vocational Battery; or
6. Complete a sequence of CTE courses that are relevant to a student’s post-secondary pathway including those leading to workforce entry, state or nationally approved apprenticeships, post-secondary education and that meet either Core Plus program criteria or the minimum criteria identified in RCW 28A.700.030
C. Earn a minimum cumulative 2.0 grade point average.
D. Earn a minimum of forty (40) hours of Community Service. Students in the classes of 2020 and 2021 who have IEPs and are not appropriately served by the graduation pathway options above, may earn a Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) using multiple measures to demonstrate their skills commensurate with their individual education programs. The determination of whether the pathway options above are appropriate shall be made by the student’s IEP team. The State Special Education Advisory Council will develop guidelines as to which multiple measures are appropriate to use for the Class of 2022 and beyond.
Procedures
The superintendent will develop procedures for implementing this policy which include:
A. The process for completion of the High School and Beyond Plan
B. The process for requesting an expedited assessment appeal
C. The process for waiving required Community Service Hours and the minimum GPA requirement
D. The process for the completion of Personal Pathway Requirements
E. Establishing the process for requesting a credit waiver based on unusual circumstances
F. The process for students fulfilling an IB diploma to meet graduation requirements G. Which courses satisfy particular subject area requirements and whether a particular course may satisfy more than one subject area requirement.
H. Which credit toward high school graduation may be granted for learning experiences conducted outside the District (Outside Learning Credits) from an accredited institution and/or online courses approved by the Washington State Department of Digital Learning.
I. The process by which individual students may be excused from the fitness requirement because of physical disability, employment, or religious belief, or because of participation in directed athletics or military science and tactics or for other good cause. Such excused students shall be required to demonstrate proficiency/competency in the knowledge portion of the fitness requirement.
J. Publishing graduation requirements and distributing to students, parents and members of the public.
K. Granting credit for correspondence, technical institutes and/or college courses for college or university course work the district has agreed to accept as high school credit.
L. Granting credit for work experience when permitted;
M. Granting credit based upon competence testing, in lieu of enrollment when permitted;
N. A description of how students meet the Washington state history and government; and civics requirements
O. Credit for high school courses taken prior to high school
Cross References
Legal References
- RCW 28A.230.090 High school graduation requirements or equivalencies — Reevaluation of graduation requirements — Review and authorization of proposed changes — Credit for courses taken before attending high school — Postsecondary credit equivalencies
- RCW 28A.230.120 High school diplomas — Issuance — Option to receive final transcripts — Notice
- RCW 28A.230.050 28A.600.300-400 Running start program
- RCW 28A.635.060 Defacing or injuring school property — Liability of pupil, parent or guardian — Withholding grades, diploma, or transcripts — Suspension and restitution — Voluntary work program as alternative — Rights protected
- RCW 28A.655.061 High school assessment system — Certificate of academic achievement requirements — Exemptions -- Options to retake high school assessment — Objective alternative assessment — Student learning plans
- WAC 180-51 High school graduation requirements
- WAC 392-121-182 Alternative Learning Experience Requirements
- WAC 392-169 Special service programs running start program
- WAC 392-348 Secondary Education
- WAC 392-410 Courses of studies and equivalencies