High School Graduation Requirements, the CAA, and CAA Options

1
High School Graduation Requirements, the CAA,
and CAA Options

• Brian Jeffries, OSPI
• Graduation Policy Director

2
Standards Graduation Requirement

• READING AND WRITING Standards met with
• High School WASL, or
• Assessments for students in special education, or
  
• Certificate of Academic Achievement Options
  (state-approved alternatives)
• MATHEMATICS Standards met with ...
• High School WASL, or
• Assessments for students in special education, or
  
• State-approved alternatives
• OR
• Earn one math credit after 11th grade (class of
  2008) or two math credits after 10th grade
  (classes of 2009-2012) and annually take the
  appropriate math assessments

3
CAA Options

• Eligibility
• Take the High School WASL once and generate a
  score
• For COE and WASL/Grades Comparison, students also
  must attend school and get academic help per
  their Student Learning Plan
• For WASL/Grades Comparison, students must be in
  12th grade and have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or
  higher
• The law says
• CAA Options must be comparable in rigor to the
  WASL
• Schools/districts must tell students of the CAA
  Options annually

4
Collection of Evidence

• Students compile set of classroom work samples
  with the assistance of a teacher(s)
• May be used for meeting the mathematics, reading
  and/or writing standards
• State guidelines stipulate number of work samples
  needed and the knowledge and skills samples must
  cover
• Work samples must demonstrate proficiency at a
  level of difficulty comparable in rigor to
  meeting standard on the WASL
• School districts currently reimbursed 300 for
  each complete collection submitted

5
WASL/Grades Comparison

• Compares grades of the student with the grades of
  other students in the school
• Who took the same mathematics or English/language
  arts courses in the high school AND
• Who met or slightly exceeded the standard (Level
  3) on the WASL
• Student meets standard if the students grades in
  the classes are above the mean grades of this
  comparison cohort
• Tools available to help districts with
  calculations
• Program that completes the grade point
  calculations
• Program that compiles the cohort and completes
  the grade point calculations

6
WASL/Grades Comparison

• Highest Math WASL score 390
• Took Algebra I and Geometry
• Average grades for the two classes 2.9

7
Scores on College Admissions and Advanced
Placement Tests

• Student's SAT, ACT or AP test score may be used
  to meet the reading, writing or math standard
• PSAT mathematics scores may be used until Aug.
  31, 2008
• ACCEPTED MINIMUM PSAT, SAT and ACT SCORES

8
Scores on College Admissions and Advanced
Placement Tests

• Advanced Placement Examinations
• Students must score at least a three (out of
  five)
• Approved AP tests are
• For mathematics Calculus Statistics
• For writing English Language and Composition
• For reading English Literature and Composition
  Macroeconomics Microeconomics Psychology
  U.S. History World History
  U.S. Government and Politics
  
  Comparative Government and Politics

9
Scores on College Admissions and Advanced
Placement Tests

• Tests scores may be earned before or after taking
  the WASL
• State verifies students score and records it in
  state student information system
• Fee waivers/reimbursement are available for
  students taking the PSAT, ACT, SAT and AP Exams
• Intend to use the test as a CAA Option
• One-time use

10

• Score Appeals
• Waivers for Out-of-State Transfers
• Appeals for Special, Unavoidable Circumstances

11
Score Appeals

• Requirements
• High school assessments only
• May be used for WASL, WAAS, COE
• Can only be used if student did not meet the
  standard
• Must view the assessment and identify the scoring
  error
• Fixing the problem would result in student
  meeting the standard
• Appeal must be filed within 30 days of viewing
  the assessment
• Guidelines
• www.k12.wa.us/assessment/Appeals.aspx

12
Transfer Student Waivers

• Available ONLY to students who transfer from
  another state or country during grade 11 or 12
• Graduation requirement WAIVED if student
  transferring from another state has passed
  his/her previous states high school exit exam or
  the high school exam used to meet federal No
  Child Left Behind testing requirements.
• Student eligible to graduate but does not receive
  a CAA/CIA
• Initial WASL attempt WAIVED, giving students
  immediate access to the CAA Options without first
  taking the WASL

13
Appeal Due to a Special, Unavoidable Circumstance

• Available to students in 12th grade only
• Special, unavoidable circumstances include
• Not being able to take or complete an assessment
  
• A major irregularity in the administration of the
  assessment
• Loss of the assessment material
• Failure to receive an accommodation or
• Twelfth-grade student has transferred into the
  state after March 1
• Special, unavoidable circumstances for in-state
  transfers
• Appeal requirement to take high school WASL once
• Taking high school WASL must create hardship for
  student

14
Special, Unavoidable Circumstances Decision
Criteria

• Criteria
• Student was not able to successfully demonstrate
  his or her skills on the WASL, on a CAA Option,
  or on a special education assessment
• No other recourse or remedy exists prior to the
  student's expected graduation date
• Student is on track to meet all other grad
  requirements and
• In the board's best judgment, the student more
  likely than not possesses the skills and
  knowledge required to meet the state standard.
• An Appeal Board of principals and other educators
  makes recommendation to the SPI. SPI makes
  decision.
• Decisions made after May 1

15
Contact Information

• Graduation Requirements website
• http//www.k12.wa.us/GraduationRequirements/defaul
  t.aspx
• CAA Options website
• www.k12.wa.us/assessment/CAAoptions/default.a
  sp
• Appeals/Waivers website
• www.k12.wa.us/assessment/Appeals.aspx
• Graduation Requirements Email
• gradreq_at_k12.wa.us

16
Contact Information

• Brian Jeffries
• brian.jeffries_at_k12.wa.us