AN ACT Relating to graduation requirements; amending RCW 28A.05.060 and 28A.05.062; and repealing RCW 28A.05.064.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. Section 6, chapter 278, Laws of 1984 as amended by section 2, chapter 384, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28A.05.060 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students who commence the ninth grade subsequent to July 1, ((~~1985~~)) 1987, that meet or exceed the following:

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@h0!tm20,5,5,4,1 !sc ,4@bcsubject@ec!tj1!tc@bccred!ttits@ec

@h2 English!tl3

Mathematics!tl2

Social Studies

!sc ,3United States history

!sc ,5and government!tl1

!sc ,3Washington state

!sc ,5history and government!tl1/2

!sc ,3Contemporary world

!sc ,5history, geography,

!sc ,5and problems!tl1

Science (1 credit

!sc ,3must be in

!sc ,3laboratory science)!tl2

Occupational Education!tl1

Physical Education!tl2

Electives!tl((~~5 1/2~~)) 6 1/2

Total!tl((18)) 19

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@la (2) One of the electives shall be chosen from fine, visual, or performing arts, any of the subject areas listed above, or any combination thereof.

(3) For the purposes of this section one credit is equivalent to one year of study.

(((3) The Washington state history and government requirement may be fulfilled by students in grades seven or eight or both. Students who have completed the Washington state history and government requirement in grades seven or eight or both shall be considered to have fulfilled the Washington state history and government requirement.))

(4) Students in grades seven or eight or both may fulfill the state requirements listed above subject to state board of education rules and local district policies relating to the skill level of such students to address the content of the high school curriculum.

(5) It is the intent of the legislature that parent and student interest in seeking optional educational opportunities pursuant to subsection (4) of this section shall be balanced against district interests, policies, programmatic constraints and facility limitations. Subsection (4) of this section shall not abridge districts' authority to establish policies relating to requests for students in grades seven or eight or both to take courses meeting high school graduation requirements. It shall not be the intent of the legislature under subsection (4) of this section to promote the displacement of junior high/middle school curriculum programs by high school level curriculum programs.

(6) Districts are encouraged to consider various arrangements by which students in grades seven or eight or both can take courses to satisfy high school graduation requirements.

Districts are encouraged to consider various arrangements with nearby community colleges or four-year institutions by which students who have completed all state and local high school graduation requirements before the end of the twelfth grade, may take college-level courses on an elective basis before formal graduation from high school.

(7) A candidate for graduation must have ((~~in addition~~)) earned a minimum of ((18)) 19 credits including all required courses. These credits shall consist of the state requirements listed above and such additional requirements and electives as shall be established by each district.

((~~(5)~~)) (8) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board.

Sec. 2. Section 1, chapter 384, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28A.05.062 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 34.04 RCW, to implement the course requirements set forth in RCW 28A.05.060. Such rules shall include, as the state board deems necessary, granting equivalencies for and temporary exemptions from the course requirements in RCW 28A.05.060 and special alterations of the course requirements in RCW 28A.05.060. In developing such rules the state board shall recognize the relevance of vocational and applied courses and allow such courses to fulfill in whole or in part the courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.05.060. Such rules may include provisions for competency testing in lieu of such courses required for graduation in RCW 28A.05.060.

(2) The state board of education may adopt rules relating to the comparability and equivalency of curriculum content between and among the grade levels seven through twelve.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Section 4, chapter 384, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28A.05.064 are each repealed.