Draft%20of%202413%20Equivalency%20Credit%20Opportunities.pdf

Parent document: Regular Board Meeting-02-12-2024.pdf

Text

- Public Schools

Book Board Policy

Section 2000 - Instruction

Title Draft of Equivalency Credit Opportunities

Code 2413

Status

Adopted April 11, 2011

Last Revised January 9, 2024

Prior Revised Dates 10.12.15; 11.26.18; 10.14.19; 1.22.2021; 03.25.2021;

I

EQUIVALENCY CREDIT FOR-CAREER AND-FECHNIGCAL EDUCATION COURSESOPPORTUNITIES

I. Career and Technical Education Courses

On or after September 1, 2021, any statewide equivalency course offered by the district or accessed at a skill center
will be offered for academic credit.

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 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:
A. Aligned with the state s essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations; and
B. 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.

I. Mastery /Competency-Based Credits

Students may obtain .5 mastery-based credit for English language arts, mathematics, and science assessment that
is aligned to state learning standards andor 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:

e State assessment

e An end-of-course exam where one is available

e On an approved state alternative that meets graduation requirements

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


Legal

making decisions regarding what courses should qualify.

Mastery-based credit is available in English language arts, mathematics, science, world languages, or other
programs with a sequence based on prerequisites 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 student may
take the examination one time. The district will award credit based on the 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 qualifying 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.

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.

III. 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 master/competency examination.

RCW 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

Notice


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

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

Policy News, December 2023
Policy News, February 2021
Policy News, July 2019

Policy News, May 2018

Policy News, September 2013

Cross References 2170 - Career and Technical Education

2410 - High School Graduation Requirements