Washington Administrative Code › Title 180 - Education, State Board of › Chapter 180-51 - High school graduation requirements › Section 180-51-056 - Previous requirements for high school graduation

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 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.