The Washington State Legislature passed a law in 2019 that changes graduation requirements and may impact students who receive special education services. House Bill (HB) 1599 changes the rules about which tests students must pass in order to graduate and how they can earn a diploma.
The new law removes the direct link between statewide assessments and graduation requirements by discontinuing the Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) after the graduating class of 2019 and the Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) after the graduating class of 2021.
Students in the class of 2020 and beyond will need to demonstrate career and college readiness through one of eight graduation pathway options that align with the High School and Beyond Plan, a requirement for all Washington students. The High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) is expanded by the new law, and districts will be required to provide an electronic HSBP platform available to students beginning in 2020–21.
After-high-school plans are a critical aspect of the Transition Plan written into a student’s individualized Education Program (IEP) by age 16, and the expansion of the HSBP provides for improved alignment between these future-planning tools.
The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is the agency responsible for oversight of all public schools and non-public agencies in Washington State. OSPI maintains a website page with information about graduation requirements. Visit OSPI’s Graduation Requirements page for compete and updated material. The page includes a link to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
This article provides a brief overview of the new requirements, and parents can take this list to an IEP meeting to ask questions and create a plan to ensure graduation success. For more general information about planning for the transition from high school, take a look at a Recorded Webinar on PAVE’s website and/or read an article called Tips to Make a Well-Informed Transition into Life After High School.
Class of 2019, Take Note!
Some students in the Classes of 2014 through 2019 may be eligible to have their assessment graduation requirements waived in English language arts (ELA), math, or both. The Expedited Assessment Appeals Waiver requires that the student show that he/she has the skills and knowledge to meet high school standards and possesses the skills necessary to successfully achieve college or career goals established in the High School and Beyond Plan.
Students may use one of the following to meet the assessment graduation requirements:
- Graduation standard on Smarter Balanced or WA-AIM (ELA and math)
- Passing a dual credit course
- Passing a Bridge to College course
- ACT or SAT score
- Advanced Placement score
- Passing Locally Administered Assessment (COE-Local)
- Grades Comparison
- CIA cut-score on Smarter Balanced (“L2 Basic”) (for some students with disabilities)
- Locally Developed Assessment (LDA) (for some students with disabilities)
- Off-grade assessment (for some students with disabilities)
- Expedited Assessment Appeals Waiver
Further information about the waiver is provided in an OSPI Bulletin.
Class of 2020: What will change?
Students will need to demonstrate readiness for post-secondary career or college via one or more pathways. Students in the Class of 2020 will also have access to a waiver. The pathways available to the Class of 2020 are:
- Graduation standard on Smarter Balanced or WA-AIM (ELA and math)
- Dual credit
- Bridge to College
- C+ in AP, IB, or Cambridge class or achieving certain score on AP, IB, or Cambridge tests
- ACT or SAT score
- Also, if completed during the 2018-19 school year: Locally Administered Assessment (COE-Local) This option is not available in 2019-20.
Students must demonstrate skills via a pathway for ELA and math. The above options can be used interchangeably to meet both requirements.