Even though Clark County high school graduation requirements exceed state standards, local districts and those across the state will be asking more of their students in the future.
How far in the future depends on the state’s finances.
The Washington State Board of Education recently approved a resolution designed to make students better prepared for careers or college when they receive their high school diplomas. But the plan is still awaiting legislative approval and funding.
The goal is to implement the new graduation requirements for the class of 2016 (this year’s seventh-graders), but the board has said it will not implement costly changes without state funding. Given the current state budget, reform could be years away, said Aaron Wyatt, communications manager for the board of education.
“We’re not adequately funding basic education as it is,” Wyatt said. “We need to fund what we’re doing now better, and then make sure our kids graduate and are career- and college-ready.”
In order to better prepare students, the board has come up with several changes to state graduation requirements, which haven’t been updated since 1985.
The main change is to increase the number of credits required from 20 to 24. Most Clark County districts require 22 or 23 credits; La Center requires 24 and Hockinson requires 25. The proposal would also streamline the statewide requirements for culminating senior projects and require more planning for life after high school by increasing interaction with school counselors.
The changes would be phased in over five years. Operating costs are estimated to be about $3.8 million the first year, reaching $67.2 million by the fifth year. The costs include additional materials, instructional time, counselor time and facilities needs.
While statewide changes may be years away, one Clark County school district has already implemented many of the proposed changes.
“Our board decided they were going to do this two years ago, and it’s really changed the conversations,” La Center Superintendent Mark Mansell said. “We’ve seen kids are changing course selections, changes in how our counselors are working. We put a goal out there for our kids to go get.”
In the fall of 2009, La Center School District implemented its “Pathways to the Future” model. Students in the class of 2013 (this year’s 10th-graders) must complete 24 credits in one of three pathways depending on their aspirations after high school, whether on-the-job training programs, technical school, community college or a university. Each pathway has a different focus and slightly different credit requirements, though all students must complete 24 credits.
In 2008, as officials discussed changing graduation requirements, the district conducted a transcript study to figure out what classes graduates took in high school.
“What we found was, we had to catch up with our kids,” Mansell said.
The study showed that 54 percent of students were already meeting the minimum requirements for college admission and 60 percent of students were earning 24 or more credits. The study also showed the district its weaknesses: math, science and visual/performing arts.
The district held linkage meetings with community stakeholders — parents, students, city council members — and retooled its course offerings to align with stakeholders’ expectations and address weaknesses. Now that students have a clearer idea of what’s expected, they’re stepping up to the challenge, Mansell said.
“When you believe things can happen, when you dream big, don’t be surprised if big things happen,” he said.
While the 24-credit requirement may take years to spread statewide, the state board of education could implement some of the no-cost measures in 2011. However, it will likely hold off because Gov. Chris Gregoire has put a restriction on new rules, Wyatt said.
Those no-cost changes would include allowing each district to establish what constitutes one credit (currently, the state defines one credit as 150 hours); establish a two-for-one policy that enables students to take a career and technical education course that also satisfies another requirement; and make Washington state history and government a noncredit requirement.
Another change is to increase English credit requirements from three to four, social studies from 2.5 to three, require 0.5 credit of health and decrease the number of electives required to keep the total credits at 20.
Sam Gilroy-Hicks, director of instructional services for Evergreen Public Schools, said the district requires students complete 22.5 credits to graduate. She supports the change to 24 credits, but said it does raise some concerns.
Students in the district who attend the Clark County Skills Center typically use six of their 6.5 elective credits. If the number of elective credits is reduced, as the state board suggests, students may be squeezed to meet all requirements and still attend the skills center, Gilroy-Hicks said. Some students are already in a pinch to meet all of the requirements, she said.
“We need a longer school day, and that needs to be funded,” Gilroy-Hicks said.
For now, the future of graduation requirements seems to be on hold.
“This is going to be a wait-and-see year,” Wyatt said.
Marissa Harshman: 360-735-4546 or marissa.harshman@columbian.com.
