MSD%202413%20-%20Equivalency%20Credit%20Opportunities%20MARKUP%20updated.pdf

Parent document: Regular Board Meeting-09-11-2024.pdf

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MERIDIAN SCHOOL DISTRICT
Policy: 2413
Section:2000—Instruction

Equivalency Credit Opportunities

Prior to course
scheduling or course registration for the next school term, the district will provide
information to students and their parents or legal quardians about meeting credit-based
graduation requirements through equivalency courses.

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 for 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 governmental agencies.

II. Career and Technical Education Courses Provided by the District

under RCW-28A4-700-070-On or after September 1, 2021, any. ‘statewide ‘eu iaalenay i 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 a district team appointed by the superintendent or a
designee.

The district team will include a school administrator, the career and technical administrator,
an instructor from the core academic subject area, an instructor from the appropriate career
and technical course, a school counselor, and a representative 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

Students may obtain from _.5 to 1

mastery-based credit for English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and
Science _ [ ] by passing a
district-created assessment that is aligned to state learning standards and_or- course
equivalency requirements adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction
(OSPI). Students do not need to have attempted and failed a course before being eligible
for these options. Students may gain the knowledge and skills to earn
mastery/competency-based credits through learning experiences such as independent

nae or eee education, including paid work.
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Successful completion of 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 in [Algebra I j ] if the student

achieves a C or higher grade in the next-higher level course.

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. A-studentmaytake

> The district will award credit based on the highest

examination score.

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
ualifying for free or reduced lunch.

The district will receive official test results for each student who takes a
mastery/competency examination. The district will provide a letter to the student with a
copy of the test results and an indication of how many credits the student will be awarded.
Credits awarded will be recorded on the student’s transcript with a grade of “Pass.”

To ensure cultural responsiveness and equity in awarding mastery-based credit, the district
will collect and annually review disaggregated data to see which subgroups of students are
receiving mastery-based credit. If disproportionality is found, the district will take
appropriate actions to ensure equitable access to these crediting opportunities.

Elective Credit for Paid Work Experience

Beginning no later than the 20256-5-202676 school year, sStudents ages 16 and older may
earn up to two elective high school credit through paid work experience according to >the

i host ar ter 28A.600 RCW which meilde
reapproval 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:

e 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;

e 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, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational
opportunities as provided in RCW 28A.150.210(4); and

e _A plan for demonstrating or otherwise assessing the student’s:

o _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

o___ 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 of the regular school calendar, or
in accordance with WAC 180-51-050 and 180-51-051. The district will verify the number of paid hours
worked by the student at least once per term.

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 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.

IV. Computer Science Courses
AP courses

The board will approve Advanced Placement (AP) 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.

Mastery/Competency-based credits

The district may award academic credit for computer science to students based on student
completion of a mastery/competency examination that is aligned with the state learning
standards for computer science or mathematics and course equivalency requirements
adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction (OSPI).

To receive mastery/competency-based credits for computer science, a student must take a
mastery/competency examination that OSPI has found aligns with the state learning
standards for computer science or mathematics and that aligns with course equivalency


requirements adopted by OSPI. The number of credits awarded will be based on the
student’s performance on the mastery/competency examination.

Cross References: 2170 - Career and Technical Education
2410 - High School Graduation Requirements

2401 - Financial Education Mastery-Based Learning and
Credit

Legal References: eourses—Avaitabiity—_Competeney testingRCw 28A.230.300
Computer Science

RCW 28A.230.010 Course content requirements—Access to
career and technical course equivalencies—Duties of school
boards of directors—Waivers

RCW 28A.230.097 Career and technical high school course
equivalencies.

RCW 28A.230.120 High School Diplomas - Issuance- Option
to receive final transcripts —Notice

WAC 180-51 High school graduation requirements
WAC 392-410 Courses of study and equivalencies

Management Resources: 2023 - December Policy Issue
2019 - July Policy Issue
2018 - May Policy Issue
2013 - September Issue

Policy News, August 2006 Legislature Codifies Course
Equivalency for Career and Technical Courses

Adoption Date:-96-46-4968-.66 08.06
Classification: Essential

Revised Dates: 68-06;-42.44;-09.43;-05.48;07-19;-04/01/2020;-42/22/2020;02.24
22.23 06.10; 12.11; 07.24.13; 03.14