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:

• meeting or exceeding a set standard on statewide English language arts (ELA) and mathematics assessments;
• completing and qualifying for college credit in dual credit courses in ELA and mathematics;
• earning high school credit in a high school transition course in ELA and mathematics;
• earning high school credit with a C+ grade or receiving particular scores in AP, international baccalaureate, or Cambridge international courses;
• meeting or exceeding set scores on the SAT or ACT;
• meeting standards in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery; or
• completing a sequence of career and technical education (CTE) courses.

School districts are encouraged to make all graduation pathway options available to their students, and to expand their list of options until all are offered, but districts are granted discretion in determining which pathway options they offer.

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.
 

Students who select the performance exhibition pathway option must have successfully completed, or demonstrated mastery or competency in, Algebra 1 or Integrated Math 1, and Geometry or Integrated Math 2, or have earned two credits in equivalent CTE courses.  The term "demonstrated mastery or competency in" is defined to mean having earned mastery or competency-based credit in accordance with the policies of the applicable school or district.

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, among other topics determined by the SBE, must address:

• criteria that is or may be employed when constituting panels to evaluate student performance exhibitions; and
•  needed or anticipated considerations for the promotion and support of mastery-based learning practices.

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.

The SBE must review and monitor the implementation of the graduation pathway at least once every five years.  The reviews and monitoring may be conducted concurrently with other program reviews and monitoring conducted by the SBE.