Purpose: To make graduation rate goals more rigorous as a strategy for encouraging school districts to improve graduation rates and to address the gap in graduation rates among students of different ethnic backgrounds and special program status.

     Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Repealing WAC 3-20-300.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a).

      Adopted under notice filed as WSR 05-07-127 on March 22, 2005.

     Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: Proposed new section WAC 3-20-410 was not adopted.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 1.

     Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0;      Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

     Date Adopted: May 9, 2005.

Christopher M. Thompson

Executive Director

OTS-7970.2

NEW SECTION
WAC 3-20-390   Definitions.   As used in Title 3 WAC:

     (1) "High school" means a public school in the state enrolling students in any of grades nine through twelve.

     (2) "Graduation rate" means the percentage of students who receive a regular high school diploma within four academic years of having enrolled for the first time as ninth grade students. Students who transfer to another school less than four academic years after initial enrollment in the ninth grade shall not be included in the calculation of the graduation rate for the school from which the student transfers. Students who become deceased shall not be included in the calculation of the graduation rate for the school last attended. Students who earn a regular high school diploma after their four academic years will be included in additional calculations and reports for the year a regular high school diploma is completed.

     (3) "Graduation rate goal" means the expected minimum graduation rate reported in a particular year for the prior year's graduating class. For example, the graduation rate goal for 2006 relates to students in the class of 2005.

     (4) "Graduating class" or "class of" or "cohort" of any particular year means the group of students who are scheduled to graduate in that particular year after having completed grades nine through twelve in four or fewer academic years.

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     (2) The minimum graduation rate goals through 2013 shall be as follows for each of the nine groups of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2):

     (a) Sixty-six percent in 2005, one percentage point above the previous year's goal from 2006 through 2009, and three percentage points above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013; or

     (b) For any student group whose graduation rate falls below sixty-six percent in 2005, the minimum goal for 2005 is two percentage points above that group's graduation rate in 2004, an additional two percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2006 through 2009, and an additional four percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013, until the rate for that group meets or exceeds the goal described in (a) of this subsection.

     (3) Graduation rate goals in 2014 and each year thereafter for each group of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2) shall be not less than eighty-five percent.

     (4) School district boards of directors are authorized to adopt district-wide graduation rate goals and to approve high school graduation rate goals that exceed the minimum level required under this section. However, district-wide and high school graduation rate goals that exceed the minimum level required under this section shall not be used for federal or state accountability purposes.

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     The following section of the Washington Administrative Code is repealed:

WAC 3-20-300

High school graduation.

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office