Current through Register Vol. 24-06, March 15, 2024
This section describes the statewide minimum credit and subject
areas requirements for high school graduation for students who entered the
ninth grade or began the equivalent of a four-year high school program prior to
July 1, 2012 (the class of 2015 and previous classes). This section applies to
students of the applicable graduation cohorts in high school completion
programs at community and technical colleges.
(1) The minimum credit and subject area
requirements, except as noted in subsections (2) and (3) of this section, are
as follows:
(a) Three English
credits (reading, writing, and communications) that at minimum align with grade
level expectations for ninth and tenth grade, plus content that is determined
by the district.
(b) Two
science credits (physical, life, and earth) that at minimum align
with grade level expectations for ninth and tenth grade, plus content that is
determined by the district. At least one credit in laboratory science is
required which shall be defined locally.
(c) Two and one-half
social
studies credits that at minimum align with the state's learning
standards in civics, economics, geography, history, and social studies skills
at grade ten and/or above plus content that is determined by the district. The
social studies requirement shall consist of the following mandatory courses or
equivalencies:
(i) One credit shall be
required in United States history and government which shall include study of
the Constitution of the United States.
(ii) Under the provisions of
RCW
28A.230.170 and
28A.230.090,
one-half credit shall be required in Washington state history and government
which shall include study of the Constitution of the state of Washington and
shall include information on the culture, history, and government of the
American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state. If taken
in seventh or eighth grade, this course may meet the state history and
government graduation requirement. However, the course may only count as a high
school credit if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for
seventh and eighth grade classes or is equivalent to a course offered at a high
school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors
(RCW
28A.230.090 ). The study of the United States
and Washington state Constitutions shall not be waived but may be fulfilled
through an alternative learning experience approved locally under written
district policy. Secondary school students who have completed and passed a
state history and government course of study in another state, and students who
transferred from another state as eleventh or twelfth grade students who have
or will have earned two credits in social studies at graduation, may have the
Washington state history and government requirement waived.
(iii) One credit shall be required in
contemporary world history, geography, and problems. Courses in economics,
sociology, civics, political science, international relations, or related
courses with emphasis on current problems may be accepted as
equivalencies.
(d)
One-half credit of health.
(e) One and one-half credits of
physical education. Students may be excused from the physical
education requirement under
RCW
28A.230.050. Such excused students shall be
required to demonstrate proficiency/competency/mastery in the knowledge portion
of the physical education requirement, in accordance with written district
policy. Such policies that should be based upon meeting both health and
physical education curricula concepts as well as alternative means of engaging
in physical activities, as directed in
RCW
28A.210.365.
(f) One arts credit that at
minimum is aligned to learning standards.
(g) One credit in
career and technical
education or occupational education. Courses that meet this requirement
include courses that are part of career and technical education programs, as
defined in chapter 28A.700 RCW, or occupational education courses as identified
by the district. "Occupational education" means credits resulting from a series
of learning experiences designed to assist the student to acquire and
demonstrate competency/mastery of skills under student learning goal four
(RCW
28A.150.210 ) and are required for success in
current and emerging occupations. At a minimum, these competencies shall align
with the definition of an exploratory course as contained in the career and
technical education program standards of the office of the superintendent of
public instruction. Districts are encouraged to offer career and technical
education programs, as defined in
RCW
28A.700.010.
(i) An exception of the career and technical
education requirement may be made for private schools as provided in WAC
180-90-160.
(ii) A student who earns credit through a
career and technical education course determined by the district or by the
office of the superintendent of public instruction to be equivalent to a
noncareer and technical education course per
RCW
28A.700.070, will not be required to pass a
course in the non-career and technical education subject to earn a credit in
the noncareer and technical education subject. The single career and technical
education course equivalency meets two graduation requirements, the career and
technical education subject area graduation requirement and the noncareer and
technical education subject area graduation requirement. The student therefore
has an additional elective credit.
(h) Five and one-half credits of
electives. Districts may replace these credits with local district
requirements through written district policy.
(i) Each student shall have a high
school and beyond plan for their high school experience, that informs
course-taking and that is aligned with the student's postsecondary
goals.
(2) For students
who entered ninth grade prior to July 1, 2009 (graduating classes preceding the
class of 2013), additional graduation requirements are as follows:
(a) The total minimum number of credits
required for high school graduation is nineteen.
(b) Two mathematics credits that at minimum
align with mathematics grade level expectations for ninth and tenth grade, plus
content that is determined by the district.
(3) For students who entered ninth grade as
of July 1, 2009, through June 30, 2012 (the class of 2013 through the class of
2015), additional graduation requirements are as follows:
(a) The total minimum number of credits
required for high school graduation is twenty.
(b) Three mathematics credits that align with
the high school mathematics standards as developed and revised by the office of
the superintendent of public instruction and satisfy the requirements set forth
below:
(i) Unless otherwise provided for in
(b)(ii) of this subsection, the three mathematics credits required under this
section must include:
(A) Algebra 1 or
integrated mathematics I;
(B)
Geometry or integrated mathematics II; and
(C) Algebra 2 or integrated mathematics
III.
(ii) A student may
elect to pursue a third credit of high school-level mathematics, other than
algebra 2 or integrated mathematics III, based on a career-oriented program of
study identified in the student's high school and beyond plan that is currently
being pursued by the student.