2413 Equivalency Credit Opportunities

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 developed with or submitted to a district-designated team, with final approval from the Executive Director of Teaching & Learning.
 
A district review team will include a teaching and learning department administrator, an instructor from the core academic subject area, an instructor from the appropriate career and technical course (as needed), a school counselor, and a content-area representative leader from the teaching and learning department. The team will identify appropriate content area standards that will form the basis for analysis and planning.
                                                                                                                                    
The proposal shall include the following elements:
 
  1. Name of program or planned learning experience;
  2. Objectives of the program or planned learning experience;
  3. Which one or more of the state learning goals and related essential academic learning requirements are part of the program or planned learning experience;
  4. 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);
  5. Content outline of the program and/or major learning activities and instructional materials to be used as they align with learning standards;
  6. Description of how student performance will be assessed;
  7. Qualifications of instructional personnel;
  8. Plans for evaluation of program;
  9. Timeline for completion of learning activities and submission of evidence of student performance; and
  10. 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, and education programs sponsored by governmental agencies.
 
II. Career and Technical Education Courses Provided by the District
 
As of 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.
A district review team will include 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
  1. 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; and
  1. Recorded on the student’s transcripts as the academic course the equivalence credit fulfills.
III. Mastery/Competency-Based Credits
 
Students may obtain mastery-based credit in the content areas of the Arts, English Language Arts, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, Science, Social Studies, and World Language in accordance with Board Policies 2402 – 2409. Options for obtaining mastery-based credit may include passing a Washington State Assessment or assessment alternative, passing a locally created written or oral assessment or demonstration, successful completion of a next higher-level course, and/or designated equivalency credit opportunities outside of school.
 
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.
 
IV. Computer Science Courses
 
Advanced Placement Computer Science courses will be approved 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.
 
The district may award academic credit for computer science to students based on student completion of a mastery/competency examination reviewed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for alignment with the state learning standards for computer science or mathematics and course equivalency requirements adopted by OSPI.
 
V. Courses Taken before Attending High School
 
The district will award high school credit for 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
  1. 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.
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.
 
 
Legal References:  
Laws of 2019, ch. 180, §2   High school computer science course – Availability – Competency testing
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
  
Adoption Date: 2/11/86
Franklin Pierce Schools
Revised: 9/9/08; 7/05/22
Classification: Essential