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Eighth graders, heads up. It’s time to choose your high school classes!

This March, you will meet with your 8th grade counselor and choose classes to take during your first year of high school. This is called ‘forecasting.’

In 2019, Washington state legislation passed HB 1599 which created multiple ways to graduation. Graduation pathway options allow students to a pursue a personalized, meaningful education that results in a diploma and skills needed for college or career. All students can use new pathways, and they are equal in value.

Washington State Board of Education – Graduation Pathways

Students must meet at least one of these pathway options to graduate:

1. State Assessment: Meet or exceed the graduation scores in the Smarter Balanced Assessments (SBA) in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics or in WA-AIM (Washington Access to Instruction & Measurement).

2. Dual Credit: Earn at least one high school credit in ELA and at least one high school credit in math in dual credit courses (Running Start, College in the High School, and/or Career and Technical Education dual credit courses).

3. AP/IB/Cambridge: For both ELA and math, earn a 3 or higher on certain Advanced Placement (AP) exams or a 4 or higher on certain International Baccalaureate (IB) exams or an E on certain Cambridge International exams, or pass the course with at least a C+.

4. SAT/ACT: Meet or exceed the graduation scores set by SBE in the math and ELA portions of the SAT or ACT.

5. Transition Course: Pass a transition course in ELA and math (for example, a Bridge to College course) which allows a student to place directly into a credit-bearing college level course.

6. Performance-based: Learn more about the newest pathway.

7. Combination: Meet any combination of at least one ELA and one math option of those options listed in 1-5.

8. ASVAB: Meet standard on the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) by scoring at least the minimum established by the military for eligibility to serve in a branch of the armed services.*

9. CTE Sequence: Complete a sequence of Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses. Note: Students who pursue these pathways (ASVAB or CTE) do not need to meet English and math requirements separately. English and math content are embedded in both pathways—and a student who meets either the ASVAB standard or the CTE pathway requirements has met the graduation pathway requirement.