1. High School and Beyond Plan
The High School and Beyond Plan gets all students thinking about their future and how to get the most out of high school, so that they’re ready to pursue their adult lives, no matter what direction they plan to take.
Ideally, students write their plan in eighth or ninth grade and then continue to revise it throughout high school to accommodate changing interests or goals. Students should be encouraged to include the following elements in their plan:

• Their personal story – what experiences, interests and goals are shaping who they are now and who they want to become.
• Their learning style.
• Their goals for high school – What will their four years of high school look like, including classes, extracurricular activities, sports, a job, etc.?
• Their goals for immediately after high school – Do their goals for high school get them ready for what they want to do after graduation? A student’s plan should include the classes needed in preparation for a 2- to 4-year college, vocational or technical school, certificate program or the workforce.

Each school district determines the guidelines for the High School and Beyond Plan. Please contact your local school district to obtain a copy of the guidelines that have been established for your district.

This link provides access to a Web-based tool for creating a High School and Beyond Plan: https://ems.wa-k12.net. If you have questions regarding logins or other functions of the tool, please contact Becky Downey at 360-725-4980.

2. Credit Requirements

Washington requires public school graduates to complete a minimum of 19 credits in order to graduate. Many local school districts, however, require students to earn credits beyond the state minimum.
It’s important to remember that students aren’t taking classes just to get out of high school, but to be prepared for their next steps after high school. Students planning on going into the military or attending a trade school, certificate program, community college or a four-year public or private university should research the credits needed for entrance and to be well prepared for success once there.

3. Certificates of Academic Achievement and Individual Achievement

The Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) and Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) tell families, schools, businesses and colleges that an individual student has mastered a minimum set of reading, writing and math skills by graduation.

Until 2013, students can still earn a diploma without one of the certificates if they:

• Meet the state’s reading and writing standards, and
• Earn math credits and test annually until graduation.

Beginning with the class of 2013, students will be required to earn one of the certificates 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 earned.

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. 
Click here for more information.

Transfer Students and Special Cases
Guidelines have been established for students who have special cases (e.g., an extended illness, death of immediate family member, etc) or who transfer to a Washington public school during their junior or senior year. For transfer students, the process considers whether students have passed a high school assessment in their former state. In addition, these transfer students may access the CAA Options without first taking the WASL.

The appeal process ONLY applies to the state’s testing requirement for graduation. Students with special circumstances and those who move into the state during their junior or senior year need to ask their local school district how they can fulfill the other statewide graduation requirements.

Information is available at: http://www.k12.wa.us/assessment/Appeals.aspx.

4. Culminating Project

For many Washington students, the words "Culminating Project" and "senior project" mean hard work, fun and a chance to explore an interest or a potential career path.
Many Washington students have been participating in culminating and senior projects for years. Beginning with the Class of 2008, completing a Culminating Project will be a graduation requirement for all students.
While each school district determines the guidelines for the Culminating Project, there are statewide goals:

• Encourage students to think analytically, logically and creatively and to integrate experience and knowledge to solve problems.
• Give students a chance to explore a topic in which they have a great interest.
• Offer students an opportunity to apply their learning in a “real world" way.

As part of the Culminating Project, each student will demonstrate essential skills through reading, writing, speaking, production and/or performance. To complete the project, students may be asked to write a research paper, work with a mentor in school or in the community, present to a community or peer panel, pull together a portfolio of work and/or develop a multi-media presentation.
Note:  Students and families please contact your high school for information about the Culminating Project.

• Sample documents - This information has been gathered from schools that already have Culminating Projects in place. Included are entire handbooks and project requirements in detail.