High School Graduation Requirements. Washington State students must meet various requirements to graduate high school and receive a diploma. Students must complete 24 credits in specified subject areas as determined by the State Board of Education (SBE). Students must also complete a High School and Beyond Plan and satisfy any local requirements. Graduating students in the class of 2021 and subsequent classes must earn 17 core academic credits, four elective credits, and three locally determined personalized pathway credits.
Students must meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway to receive their high school diploma. These include:
Rules adopted by the SBE to implement the career and college-ready graduation requirements must include authorizations for school districts to waive up to two credits for individual students based on the student's circumstances, provided none of the waived credits are identified as mandatory by the SBE. The waivers must be issued by school districts in accordance with written policies adopted by the applicable school district board of directors.
Students requiring special education may qualify for graduation by meeting applicable requirements and earning a Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA). The requirement that qualifying students earn a CIA as a prerequisite to graduation is discontinued after the graduating class of 2021.
High School Graduation Requirements. Beginning with the graduating class of 2021, graduating students must earn at least 20 credits, including both the mandatory core subject credits and the personalized pathway requirements as defined by the SBE. School districts must continue to provide students the opportunity to complete 24 credits.
Provisions that allow school districts to waive up to two credits for individual students based on the student's circumstances are modified and apply only to students in the graduating classes of 2019 and 2020. The limitations of school districts to issue waivers to individual students through the provisions do not apply in circumstances where a district is granted flexibility from state requirements under an emergency waiver program established in EHB 1121.
Graduation Pathways. An additional graduation pathway option is established. School districts may offer students the opportunity to meet graduation pathway options by completing a performance exhibition that includes authentic evidence demonstrating industry or profession specific knowledge and skills in two or more subject areas, and opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in other state learning standards.
Prior to offering the graduation pathway to students, the board of directors of the school district must adopt a written policy in conformity with applicable state requirements that describes the school district's processes for approving student requests to use the graduation pathway, and evaluating student performance exhibitions.
The SBE, prior to adopting rules to implement the performance exhibition pathway, must consult with states, schools in Washington and in other states, or both, that have successfully implemented exhibition or performance-based options students may use to demonstrate knowledge and skills. The consultations must address, among other topics determined by the SBE, criteria that is or may be employed when constituting panels to evaluate student performance exhibitions.
School districts are directed to determine if there is disproportionality among specific student subgroups participating in and completing each graduation pathway option offered by the school district. If disproportionality is found, school districts must take appropriate corrective actions to ensure the pathway options are equitable.
Other Graduation-Related Duties of the State Board of Education. Provisions mandating the SBE to reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous CTE programs are modified. The SBE is directed to reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous CTE programs, particularly those programs that lead to a high school diploma, instead of those that lead to a certificate or a state or nationally recognized credential.