A. The board will award a regular high school diploma to every student enrolled in the district who meets the requirements of graduation established by the district. Only one diploma will be awarded with no distinctions being made between the various programs of instruction which may have been pursued.
The board will establish graduation requirements which, as a minimum, satisfy those established by the State Board of Education:
Liberty Bell High School Graduation Requirements
English (reading, writing and communications) – 4 credits
Mathematics – 3 credits
Science (physical, life and earth; one laboratory credit – 2 credits
Social Studies (civics, history and geography) – 3 credits
Health and Fitness – 2 credits
Arts – 1 credit
Occupational Education – 3 credits
Elective – 10 credits
Advisory – 2 credits
Computers – 1 credit
Goal 4 – 1 credit
TOTAL……….. 32 credits
Washington State Graduation Requirements
Class of 2009-2012
English (reading, writing and communications) – 3 credits
Mathematics – 2 credits
Science (physical, life and earth; one laboratory credit) – 2 credits
Social Studies (civics, history and geography) – 2.5 credits
Health and Fitness – 2 credits
Arts – 1 credit
Occupational Education – 1 credit
Electives – 5.5 credits
TOTAL: 19 credits
Class of 2013 and beyond
English (reading, writing and communications) – 3 credits
Mathematics- 3 credits
Science (physical, life and earth; one laboratory credit) – 2 credits
Social Studies (civics, history and geography) – 2.5 credits
Health and Fitness – 2 credits
Arts – 1 credit
Occupational Education – 1 credit
Electives – 5.5 credits
TOTAL: 20 Credits
A credit is defined as 150 hours of planned instructional activities excluding passing time. The board will approve additional graduation requirements as recommended by the superintendent.
In addition to the minimum credit requirements, to earn a diploma each student must:
1. Pass the reading and writing portions of the statewide assessment.
2. Complete a High School and Beyond Plan: Within the first year of high school enrollment, each student will develop a plan for satisfying the state and district’s high school graduation requirements and for their first year after high school completion. The plan should be developed in collaboration with the student, parent and district staff. The plan should include how the student will satisfy the district’s academic credit requirements, preparation for successfully completing the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, a description of the student’s culminating project and the student’s goals for the year following graduation. Each student plan should be reviewed annually at the beginning of the school year to assess student progress, to adjust the plan, and to advise the student on steps necessary for successful completion of the plan;
3. Complete a Culminating Project: During the course of their high school career each student shall complete a culminating project. The project shall demonstrate the student’s ability to think analytically, logically and creatively and to integrate experience and knowledge to form reasoned judgments and solve problems. The project will also have a connection to the world of work in that it will demonstrate that the student understands the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities;
4. Complete math requirements: Students in the class of 2009-2012 who fail to successfully pass the mathmatics portion of the statewide assessment or an appropriate alternative, must earn two mathematics credits or career and technical education equivalent mathematics credits after 10th grade. Credits earned must meet high school standards. Students in the Class of 2013 and 2014 must pass the end-of-course assessment for the first year of high school mathemtics or the end-of-course assessment for the second year of high school mathematics or a high school mathematics retake assessment.
Beginning with the graduating class of 2015, the mathematics content area of the Washington assessment of student learning will be assessed using the end-of-course assessment for the second year of high school mathemtics, or results from a high school mathematics retake assessment for the end-of-course assessments in which the student did not meet the standard.
5. Complete science requirements: Students in the class of 2015 and beyond must pass the science statewide assessment or an appropriate alternative.
B. Students, in the Class of 2013 and beyond, must complete mathematics courses in one of the following progressive sequences.
a. Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II; or
b. Integrated Mathematics I, Integrated Mathematics II, and Integrated Mathematics III; or
c. Any combination of (a) and (b) in progressive sequence.
In lieu of a third credit of mathematics students may choose an alternative mathematics course, if the parent/guardian agrees that the third credit mathematics elective is supportive of the student’s education and career goals. Before approval of the elective third mathematics credit a meeting will be held with the student, the parent/guardian and the school staff to discuss the student’s High School and Beyond Plan and the mathematics requirements for post-secondary and career choices.
The district will obtain a signed consent from the parent for the student to enroll in the alternative third credit of mathematics. The consent form will confirm the meeting, that the parent understands the impact of the selection on the student’s educational and employment options, and that the alternative is most appropriate for the needs of the student.
Students may also satisfy the mathematics requirements by earning equivalency based credit in career and technical education mathematics courses. Those credits must be recorded using the equivalent academic high school department designation.
C. A student will receive a certificate of academic achievement only if they earn the appropriate number of credits required by the district, complete a culminating project, complete the high school and beyond plan; and meet the reading, writing and math standards on the high school statewide assessment or an appropriate alternative assessment.
Students qualifying for special education services will earn a certificate of individual achievement as determined by their individual education plan.
D. The superintendent shall develop procedures for implementing this policy which include:
1. Establishment of the process and assessment criteria for the high school culminating project requirements; and determination of the education plan process for identifying competencies.
2. Establishing the process for completion of the High School and Beyond Plan.
3. Recommending course and credit requirements which satisfy the State Board of Education requirements and recognize the expectations of the citizens of the district.
4. Determining which courses satisfy particular subject area requirements and whether a particular course may satisfy more than one subject area requirement including a process for determining the credits the district will recognize for courses taken through another program recognized by the state (e.g.another public school district or an approved private school) or those courses taken by students moving into the state from another state or country. Decisions regarding the recognition of credits earned before enrolling in the district will be based on the professional judgment of the high school principal or designee based on an evaluation of the student’s former program and demonstrated knowledge and skills in the discipline for which credit is sought. The decision of the principal may be appealed to the superintendent within fifteen school days.
5. Making graduation requirements available in writing to students, parents and members of the public.
6. Providing for a waiver of graduation requirements for an individual student when permitted. All state graduation requirements must be satisfied unless a waiver is permitted by law;
7. Granting credit for learning experiences conducted away from school, including National Guard high school career training.
8. Granting credit for correspondence, vocational-technical institutes and/or college courses for college or university course work the district has agreed to accept for high school credit, state law requires that the district award one high school credit for every five quarter hour credit or three semester hour credit successfully earned through a college or university, except for community college high school completion programs where the district awards the diploma; tenth and eleventh grade students and their parents will be notified annually of the Running Start Program.
9. Granting credit for work experience.
10. Granting credit based upon competence testing, in lieu of enrollment.
11. Granting credit for high school courses completed before a student attended high school, to the extent that the course work exceeded the requirements for seventh or eighth grade.
12. Counseling of students to know what is expected of them in order to graduate.
13. Preparing a list of all graduating students for the information of the board and release to the public.
14. Preparing suitable diplomas and final transcripts for graduating seniors.
15. Planning and executing graduation ceremonies.
16. Developing student learning plans for students who are not successful on one or more components of the statewide assessment.
In the event minimum test requirements are adopted by the board, a student who possesses a disability shall satisfy those competency requirements which are incorporated into the Individualized Education Program (IEP). Satisfactory completion of the objectives incorporated into the IEP shall serve as the basis for determining completion of a course.
A student will be issued a diploma after completing the district’s requirements for graduation. In lieu of the certificate of academic achievement, special education students may earn a certificate of individual achievement. A student will also be advised that he/she may receive a final transcript.
However, a student’s diploma or transcript may be withheld until the student pays for any school property that has been lost or willfully damaged. Upon payment for damages, or the equivalency through voluntary work, the diploma or transcript will be released. When the damages or fines do not exceed $100, the student or his/her parents will have the right to an appeal using the same process as used for short-term suspension as defined in Policy 3241, Classroom Management, Corrective Actions or Punishments. When damages are in excess of $100, the appeal process for long term suspension as defined in Policy 3241, Classroom Management, Corrective Actions or Punishments shall apply.
Graduation requirements in effect when a student first enrolls in high school will be in effect until that student graduates unless such period is in excess of ten years.
In the event that other forms of corrective actions are imposed for violations of school rules, the student may be denied participation in graduation ceremonies. Such exclusion will be regarded as a school suspension. In such instances, the diploma will be granted.
Cross References:
Board Policy 3110 Qualifications of Attendance and Placement
Board Policy 3241 Classroom Management, Corrective Actions or Punishment
Board Policy 3520 Student Fees, Fines and Charges
Legal References:
RCW 28A.230.090 High school graduation requirements or equivalencies — Reevaluation of graduation requirements — Review and authorization of proposed changes — Credit for courses taken before attending high school
RCW 28A.230.120 High school diplomas — Issuance — Option to receive final transcripts — Notice
RCW 28A.600.300-400 Running start program
RCW 28A.635.060 Defacing or injuring school property — Liability of pupil, parent or guardian — Withholding grades, diploma, or transcripts — Suspension and restitution — Voluntary work program as alternative — Rights protected
WAC 392-410 Courses of studies and equivalencies
WAC 180-51 High school graduation requirements
WAC 392-348 Secondary Education
WAC 392-121-182 Alternative Learning Experience Requirements
WAC 392-169 Special service programs running start program
Management Resources:
Policy News, October 2011 Policy Manual Revision
Policy News, June 2010 High School Proficiency Examination
Policy News, April 2009 High School Graduation Requirements (Class of 2009)
Policy News, February 2009 High School Graduation Requirements
Policy News, August 2007 Graduation Requirements Modified by Legislature
Policy News, October 2004 Graduation Requirements: High School and Beyond Plans
Policy News, February 2004 High School Graduation Requirements
Policy News, December 2000 2004 High School Graduation Requirements Adopted
Policy News, April 1999 Variations Complicate College Credit Equivalencies
Adoption Date: 3.11
Methow Valley School District
Classification: Essential
WSSDA 10.11