PSD 'On Target' for New Graduation Rules

The isn't sweating the increased high school graduation requirements recently announced by the Washington State Board of Education. Claudia Thompson, the district’s academic officer for teaching and learning, said the district is already “pretty much on target” for the new requirements.

On Nov. 10, the education board approved multiple changes to the state’s high-school graduation requirements. Students slated to graduate in 2016 and beyond will now have to take more English and social studies classes in order to do so.

That translates into an additional year, or credit, of English and an extra half-credit in social studies.

The added credits bring Washington more in line with high-school graduation requirements in most other states. Prior to the education board's action, 45 states required their high-school students to take more English than those in Washington; 39 states required more social studies. Washington's graduating classes through 2015 are still required to have at least three credits of English and 2.5 credits of social studies.

While the Peninsula School District has yet to make concrete plans for complying with the new requirements, Thompson said, “We think we’re going to be OK. We have got some time to do it thoughtfully.”

She added that district officials plan to get teacher and principal input before making any changes.

Although the PSD only requires 3.5 years of English to graduate, she said that most students at and Schools are already taking four years.

“The other requirements, we just need to look at and see how those are going to work in our existing system,” Thompson said. “We just know that we need to do that so there is no huge hurry.”

Thompson said that the fact that the changes will not apply to students already in the high-school system eases the burden somewhat. The state will also grant school districts a two-year extension if need be in order to give them additional time to plan for and implement the new requirements.

“(The) vote is the culmination of years of diligent and thoughtful work,” said Board Chair Jeff Vincent, in a news release. “We are confident that these new requirements will result in more students graduating better prepared for the challenges ahead.”

Per the rule revisions, students are now able to take Washington State history in middle school and have it count toward graduation as a non-credit requirement. Students also may take a career and technical education course to satisfy two requirements, such as CTE and fine arts.

Thompson said that PSD views the new requirements as being done with the students’ best interest at heart.

“They’re making it more rigorous, but for the right reasons,” she said. “It gives us more guidance in helping us move forward, as well.”