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High School Graduation Requirements

Beginning with the graduating Class of 2008, all public high school students will be expected to meet new statewide requirements in order to earn a diploma. The goal: More students better prepared to become responsible citizens, to contribute to their own economic well-being and to that of their families and communities, and to enjoy productive and satisfying lives.

Snoqualmie Valley School District's Graduation requirements:

Credit Requirements22
WASLUntil 2013, students can
  • Earn a diploma by meeting the state's reading and writing standards, and
  • Earn math credits and test annually until graduation

    • High School and Beyond Plan Students must have a Five Year Education Plan (high school plus year following graduation) - Mount Si will be using an electronic Portfolio (eFolio) system for this requirement. Students will begin working on their plan during their sophomore year and udate the following school year.
    Culminating Project Mount Si students will use the eFolio to display their competency in a wide variety of academic disciplines through development of artifacts which demonstrate understanding of subject matter and concepts.

    Beginning with the class of 2013, students will be required to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) or Certificate of Indivdual Achievement (CIA) by meeting state learning standards in reading, writing, math and science.

    Both the CAA and the CIA lead to the same diploma. Only a student’s transcript indicates which certificate the student earn.

    Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA)
    Students earn the CAA by meeting state reading, writing and math learning standards on the High School Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) or on one of the CAA Options (state-approved alternatives to the WASL).

    High School WASL: Most students take the WASL for the first time as 10th-graders, though ninth-graders who believe they can pass the WASL also may choose to test. Students have five free chances to pass the WASL while in high school. Testing windows are in March/April and August. Additional retake opportunities will be available in high school completion programs in community colleges.

    CAA Options: Most students will earn a high school diploma with a CAA by passing the High School WASL in reading, writing and math. But some equally skilled students will need a different way to show what they know. The state has created a menu of options students may access after they take the High School WASL at least once and meet any requirements spelled out in their Student Learning Plan.

    All of the CAA Options are designed and required to be at least as rigorous as the High School WASL. The CAA Options should not be viewed as an alternative for students who have not yet acquired the reading, writing, or mathematics knowledge and skills that are required by the state.

    The CAA Options:

    • Submitting a “collection of evidence” consisting of student work showing they meet grade-level academic standards.
    • Earning scores at or above a state-designated level on the PSAT, SAT, ACT and Advanced Placement exams.
    • Comparing a student’s grades in specified math or English/language arts classes with the grades for students who passed the test. (This option is only available to students in 12th-grade with an overall cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 grading scale.)

    Additional information on these alternative methods is available by clicking here.

    Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA)
    The CIA is available for students with an Individualized Education Program (IEP) who are unable to take the High School WASL (with or without accommodations). As 10th-graders, students in special education programs only earn a CIA by passing the WASL-Modified (the High School WASL with the passing score adjusted to Level 2) or Washington Alternate Assessment System Portfolio. In grades 11 and 12, students who have not yet earned a CIA may also use the Developmentally Appropriate WASL (DAW), which allows students to take the WASL at a grade level that best matches their abilities. To pass the DAW, students must earn Proficient (Level 3) on each test taken. Any testing accommodations used must be consistent with the student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP). Students with 504 Plans are not eligible to earn a CIA. 

    For more information visit the Washington State's Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction's Guide to Graduation or call the Curriculum Office, 425-831-8018.