Procedure: 2413P
Instruction
Equivalency and Competency Credit Opportunities
I. Experiential Education Opportunities
The district may grant credit, including high school graduation credit, for school planned or approved learning experiences which may be conducted away from the facilities owned, operated, or supervised by the district or conducted primarily by individuals not employed by the district. To grant credit for such experiences, a proposal or approval of credit must be submitted to the district’s designated team.
The proposal shall include the following elements:
a. Name of program or planned learning experience;
b. Length of time for which approval is desired;
c. Objectives of the program or planned learning experience;
d. Which one or more of the state learning goals and related essential academic learning requirements are part of the program or planned learning experience;
e. Description of how credits shall be determined (completion of a district-defined course or satisfactory demonstration of proficiency/mastery in the related state learning standards in accord with WAC 180-51-050(1)) and WAC 180-51-051;
f. Content outline of the program and/or major learning activities and instructional materials to be used;
g. Description of how student performance will be assessed;
h. Qualifications of instructional personnel;
i. Plans for evaluation of program; and
j. How and by whom the student will be supervised.
Approved experiences may include, but are not limited to, the following: School planned or approved learning experiences such as travel study, work study, private lessons, paid work, volunteer work, and education programs sponsored by government agencies.
II. Career and Technical Education Courses Provided by the District
Any statewide equivalency course offered by the district or accessed at a skill center will be offered for academic credit. Any approved state and local equivalency course offered by a host district in a skill center in which the district participates under an interdistrict cooperative agreement will be honored as an equivalency course by the district. Students served at any core, branch, or satellite skill center campus must have access to academic credit for any approved local or state equivalency courses offered at those sites and in accordance with transcript requirements in RCW 28A.230.097.
The district may also adopt local course equivalencies for career and technical education courses that are not on the list of courses approved by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.700.070.
Each high school will adopt core academic course equivalencies for high school career and technical courses, provided that the career and technical course has been reviewed and approved for equivalency credit by the district team appointed by the superintendent or designee.
Courses will be reviewed by a representative stakeholder group which may include: Building Administrators, Career and Technical Education Administrators, core academic and career and technical content experts, and representatives from the curriculum department.
Career and technical courses approved for equivalency will be:
1. Aligned with the state’s essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations; and
2. Aligned with current industry standards, as evidenced in the curriculum frameworks. The local career and technical advisory committee will certify that courses meet industry standards.
3. Recorded on the student’s transcripts as the academic course the equivalence credit fulfills.
III. Mastery/Competency-Based Credits
Competency through Course Progression
Successful completion of the next higher-level course: Credit may be awarded for a course when the student successfully completes the next higher-level course in a sequence that includes a natural progression of the state learning standards from the previous course. State or locally determined learning standards will be used as the guide when making decisions regarding what courses should qualify.
Mastery-based credit is available as outlined in the table below if the student achieves a C or higher grade in the next-higher level course. Students must earn a C or higher in both semesters of the higher level course in order to earn either 0.5 or 1.0 credit for the lower level course. Students may obtain up to 1.0 credit per 1.0 higher level credit course progression.
Credits awarded will be recorded on the student’s transcript with a grade of “Pass.”
| Original Course Taken | Higher Level Course |
|---|---|
| ELA 9 | ELA 10 or ELA 11 or ELA 12 |
| ELA 10 | ELA 11 or ELA 12 |
| ELA 11 | ELA 12 |
| Algebra 1 | Algebra 2 or upper level math (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Algebra 2 | Upper level math (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Upper level math | Advanced math course appropriate with sequence (verify with Instructional Services) |
| World Language 1 | World Language 2 or World Language 3 or World Language 4 |
| World Language 2 | World Language 3 or World Language 4 |
| World Language 3 | World Language 4 |
| Physical Science | Chemistry or Physics or advanced chemistry or physics course (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Biology | Advanced life science course (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Chemistry | Advanced chemistry course (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Introductory Fine Arts | Advanced Fine Arts course (verify with Instructional Services) |
| Introductory CTE Course | Advanced CTE course (verify with CTE) |
| Introductory Elective | Advanced Elective course (verify with Instructional Services) |
Competency through Assessment
The mastery/competency examination must be offered in a proctored setting with appropriate technology. The district will approve the site(s) where the examination is offered, which could include individual schools, district buildings, community colleges, universities, education service districts, or other community settings. The district will award credit based on the highest examination score. Currently approved assessments for competency credit are included in the table below.
The student will be responsible for the cost of taking a mastery/competency examination. The district will offer financial assistance to students who demonstrate need, such as qualifying for free or reduced lunch.
The district will receive official test results for each student who takes a mastery/competency examination. Credits awarded will be recorded on the student’s transcript with a grade of “Pass.”
| Policy Criteria | Score | Transcript and Course Code Guidelines | Parameters |
|---|---|---|---|
| World Language Proficiency/ Competency | Pass | Transcript to course of applicable assessment | Up to 4 credits can be obtained through an OSPI-approved assessment, as articulated in 2409P |
| State Testing: Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) | Pass (OSPI Graduation Cut Score) | Transcript to course of applicable assessment |
ELA: Up to 2.0 credits can be obtained for 9th and 10th grade English/Language Arts Up to 1.0 additional credit can be obtained for 11th grade ELA for meeting OSPI CCR score (Level 3 or higher) Math: Up to 1.0 credit can be obtained for Algebra 1. Up to 1.0 additional credit can be obtained for Geometry for meeting OSPI CCR score. (Level 3 or higher) |
| State Testing: Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) | Pass (OSPI CCR Score) | Transcript to course of applicable assessment |
Biology: Up to 1.0 credit can be obtained with proficiency in Life Science portion of WCAS and an overall Level 3 score Physical Science: Up to 1.0 credit can be obtained with proficiency in Earth & Space portion of WCAS and an overall Level 3 score One credit can be obtained with an overall Level 3 score. An additional 1.0 credit (for a maximum of 2.0 credits) can be obtained with an overall Level 4 score. |
| AP or IB Exam | Pass AP: 3 or higher IB: 4 or higher | Transcript to course of applicable assessment | Up to 1.0 credit per AP/IB course can be obtained by passing the corresponding test. Cannot earn credit by exam for credits already earned for the class. |
| SAT or ACT Exam | Pass OSPI published cut score | Transcript to course of applicable assessment |
Available to students upon junior year. ELA: Up to 2.0 credits can be obtained for 9th & 10th grade English/Language Arts for students meeting cut scores established by OSPI as state-approved Graduation Pathway on the SAT with Essay or ACT with Writing. Cannot award credit by exam for credits already earned for class. Math: Up to 2.0 math credits can be obtained for Algebra and Geometry for students meeting cut scores established by OSPI as state-approved Graduation Pathway. Cannot award credit by exam for credits already earned for class |
| General Education Development Test (using State Board of Education/OSPI score) | Pass | Transcript to course of applicable assessment | Up to 1.0 credit for ELA, math, science, and social studies can be obtained by passing the corresponding test. Cannot earn credit by exam for credits already earned for the class. |
Competency through High School and Beyond Plan
In recognition of Career and College Readiness, students may receive elective or retrieval of elective credit by demonstrating proficiency/competency in the components of the High School and Beyond Plan. Up to 1.0 credit can be obtained through successful completion of the High School and Beyond Plan components.
Credits awarded will be recorded on the student’s transcript with a grade of “Pass.”
IV. Computer Science Courses
AP and IB Courses
The board will approve Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) computer science courses as equivalent to high school mathematics or science, and may be used by a student to meet math or science graduation requirements. The superintendent or designee will adopt procedures to denote on the student's transcript that AP computer science qualifies as a math-based quantitative course for students who complete it in their senior year.
Courses Taken Before Attending High School
The district will award high school credit for computer science courses taken before attending high school if either of the following occurs:
1. The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or
2. The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district determined by the board.
Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances above shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit.
V. Elective Credit for Paid Work Experience
Students ages 16 and older may earn up to two elective high school credits through paid work experience according to the requirements contained in chapter 28A.600 RCW, which include the preapproval of a proposal and assessment of the student’s grade-level proficiency on the state financial education learning standards. Credits earned through this policy do not restrict students from earning additional credits through cooperative worksite learning (WAC 392-410-315) through mastery/competency policy.
Students who are legally eligible for paid employment may earn elective credit for paid work experience. Students who meet the requirements below as determined by the appropriate school official will be awarded one-half elective credit for each 180 hours of paid, verified work experience. Students may earn up to a maximum of two elective high school credits through this process.
In order to be eligible to receive elective credit, the student’s High School and Beyond Plan must be updated to reflect the paid work experience. In addition, the student’s paid work experience must be approved in advance and in writing by the school counselor, principal, or principal designee. Approval is contingent upon the student’s submission of the following information:
- Identification of the work-based sponsor (employer) who will serve as the point of contact for the employer and participate in supervising the student during the student’s employment;
- A student narrative describing how the paid work experience will enable the student to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the goals of basic education, including those essential to understanding the importance of work and finance and how performance, efforts, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities as provided in RCW 28A.150.210(4); and
- A plan for demonstrating or otherwise assessing the student’s:
- Grade-level proficiencies on the state financial education learning standards for employment and income or financial decisions as provided in the state financial education learning standards adopted in RCW 28A.300.469; and
- Growth in proficiency in meeting the state financial education learning standards that occurred between pre-work and post-work experiences.
The hours worked may occur during a student’s school day, outside the regular school calendar, or in accordance with WAC 180-51-050 and 180-51-051. The district will verify the number of paid work hours worked by the student at least once per term.
Credits earned will be posted with a “pass” grade mark.
VI. Cultural Responsiveness and Equity
The district collects and annually reviews disaggregated data to see which subgroups of students are receiving mastery-based credit. If disproportionality is found, the district takes appropriate actions to ensure equitable access to these crediting opportunities.
Adopted: 10/2021
Revised: 12/2022, 12/2023, 2/2024