Washington Graduation Requirements

Subject	WA Requirements	Summit Requirements	Required
English	4	4	English 9 English 10 AP Language and Composition AP Literature
Mathematics	3	4	Math 1 Math 2 Math 3 Choose 1 from 12th grade Math options
Science	3	4	Biology Physics Chemistry AP Environmental Studies
Social Studies	3	4	Modern World 1 Modern World 2 AP US History AP Government
World Language	2	2	At least 2 years of HS Language Summit offers: Spanish 1 Spanish 2 Spanish 3 AP Spanish
Arts	2	2	Choose 2 from Arts electives options
Health and Fitness/PE	1.5 Fitness and 0.5 Health	1.5 Fitness and  0.5 Health	0.5 health + choose 2 from Fitness electives
Career and Technical Education	1	0	No credits are required because AP Environmental studies fulfills this requirement
College Readiness Electives	N/A	1	College Readiness in 11th grade mentor time.
Additional Electives	4	1-4	Choose 1-4 additional electives from electives options Summit’s 4th year of Math, History and Science count as electives for WA state.
Total =	24	24+	Most students earn between 24-28 total credits at Summit

 

Graduation Year	Testing Requirements
Class of 2021 and Beyond	Meet the graduation cutoff score on the Smarter Balanced ELA Test Meet the graduation cutoff score on the Smarter Balanced Math Test Meet the graduation cutoff score on the 11th grade WCAS Science test

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is required for PE? How can a student waive PE requirements?

Students are required to take 1.5 PE/Fitness credits. This can be completed by taking 2 PE electives at Summit or PE courses can be waived if the student:

• Has a signed waiver stating that they have participated in an afterschool sports/fitness program. Each semester of participation counts has .5 credits and a seperate waiver is required for each semester.
• Has a signed waiver stating that the student cannot participate due to religious reasons. 1 waiver can waive the requirement.
• Has a signed waiver stating that they participate in ROTC. Each semester of participation counts has .5 credits and a seperate waiver is required for each semester.

Please note: Families are responsible for getting these waivers from the front desk and completing them at the end of each semester.

What is required for health? How will students have Summit complete the health requirements?

Students are required to complete .5 health credit.

Students in 2019 and 2020 graduating class with earn this .5 health credit by completing 5 health playlists during mentor PLT and attending a Sex Ed workshop and a CPR training in school during the 2018-2019 school year.

Students in the class on 2021 and beyond will be required to take 1 semester of health which will cover sex ed as one of their electives and will earn a full health credit for this course.

What is required for College readiness? How is college readiness graded?

All 11th grade students will be required to complete a college readiness course during mentor time. This course will count a 1 credit and will be graded pass/fail.

What is required for foreign language?

All Summit Students are required to complete 2 years of high school level foreign language or to complete up through a level 2 language course. Summit encourages students to take 3 or 4 years of a foreign language (or up through a level 3 or 4 course) in order to best acquire the language and to be competitive as they apply to college.

Can you test out of foreign language requirements?

Students who speak, read, and write a language other than English can earn world language credits in high school and college by demonstrating proficiency. Students who demonstrate proficiency on nationally recognized proficiency assessments may be able to receive competency credits on their high school transcript. Starting in the 2018-2019 school year, Summit students who A) speak another language at home or B) wish to be tested based on previous language student will have the opportunity to take the designated language test in the language of their choice to earn language credits.

Can some MS courses count as HS credits?

MS courses (Including language courses) do not count for high-school credit or go on a student’s transcript unless the course is A) taken with highschool students or B) Specifically designed to cover highschool content and C) a parent or guardian requests that the course count for credit. If a student completed and passed a foreign language course(s) in middle school with a C- or better, they may be placed into a language course higher than a level 1. This would allow them to meet the high school foreign language requirement of reaching a level 2 in a fewer number of years.

Now that Electives are happening 1 per semester, will students still be able to earn a full credit for each electives course?

Summit students will complete 180 minutes of in class electives course work per week. Because electives will still allow for the amount of time needed for students to master the content and skills for each electives credits,, students will still earn 1 credit per electives course. Students can earn up to 2 electives credits each year, 1 per semester.

Are students required to take a CTE class? How is this fulfilled at Summit?

All Summit Seniors take AP Environmental Science which also fulfills the CTE requirement. This course is worth 1 credit but fulfill two requirements- Senior Science and CTE.

How will students at Summit Fulfill the Highschool and beyond WA state credit requirement?

The PLP is Summit’s version of the HS and Beyond plan. No additional action is needed from Summit Students.

How will Summit Students fulfill the WA state history requirement?

Summit 8th graders will take a combined US+WA state history course in 8th grade. For students who join Summit in 9th grade, they will have already completed this course in MS. If a student has not completed this course in MS, they will be required to complete the 3 WA state history playlists on the PLP in addition to their 9th grade history coursework.

Do Summit students have to complete community service hours?

No. While Community Service is highly encouraged and an asset for college admissions, it is not a graduation requirement at Summit.

Do Summit Students receive credit for completing internships?

Summit Washington students have the opportunity to complete internships during their 12th grade year. These internships will be included on their transcript but do not count for course credit.

Does Summit weight GPA for AP classes?

Yes. Students’ final grades are translated into letter grades for transcripts and Grade Point Averages (GPAs) for colleges. Note that different colleges may calculate GPAs differently based on college-specific policies. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are rigorous, college-level classes. Therefore, GPAs in AP classes are “weighted,” meaning that students receive an extra point on their GPA in these classes.

Can a student graduate without passing the ELA and Math SBAC exams?

Yes. All students are required to attempt the SBAC exams. If a student does not pass after attempted, there are multiple pathways to work towards graduation. Please see pathways below. We will hold a meeting at the start of the 2018-2019 school year to speak with families and students who have not yet passes one or both of these exams.

Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) Options

GPA Comparison

A GPA comparison allows student’s grades for courses in a specific content area to be compared with the grades of students who took the same courses and passed the same state exam or accountability assessment. This option is available to students in their 12th grade year who possess a cumulative grade point average ≥ 3.2 and have met the Eligibility Criteria.

College Admission/AP/IB Tests

Students may use scores on college admissions (ACT, ACT with Writing, SAT, SAT with Essay), and specified Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) tests, to show they possess the knowledge and skills expected of high school graduates. Students must meet Eligibility Criteria before submitting scores from any of these examinations.

Dual Credit Courses

A student who completes a dual credit course in English language arts or mathematics in which the student earns college credit may use passage of the course as an objective alternative assessment. OSPI is currently in the process of establishing the method and criteria for applying this new assessment graduation alternative created by the passage of Engrossed Substitute House Bill (ESHB) 2224.