It is the policy of the Seattle School Board to provide students with the opportunity to fulfill credit-based graduation requirements by earning equivalency credit.

Career and Technical Education Courses Provided by the District

Any statewide equivalency career and technical education course offered by the District or accessed at a skill center will be offered for academic credit.

Statewide equivalency courses are determined by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction under RCW 28A.700.070.

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.

Each high school will honor core academic course equivalencies for high school career and technical courses. The courses must be either from the state approved list of equivalencies or reviewed and approved for equivalency credit by a District team appointed by the Superintendent or their designee.

The District team will include a school administrator, the career and technical administrator, an instructor from the core academic subject area, an instructor or manager from the appropriate career and technical course, 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
2. 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.
3. Recorded on the student’s transcripts as the academic course the equivalence credit fulfills.

Elective Credit for Paid Work Experience

Students ages 16 and older may earn up to two elective high school credits through paid work experience. Students may earn one-half elective credit for each 180 hours of paid, verified work experience. Students seeking to earn elective credit through paid work experience must:

• Submit and receive approval for a proposal for earning elective credit through paid work.
• Demonstrate grade-level proficiency in the state financial education learning standards.
• Include the work experience in their High School and Beyond Plan.

Credits earned through this policy do not restrict students from additionally earning CTE worksite learning credit.

Proposals for earning elective credit through paid work may only be approved at high schools that provide students with the opportunity to learn and master the state financial education learning standards adopted in RCW 28A.300.469.

The Superintendent will develop procedures for the approval process, including eligibility criteria and school officials authorized to approve proposals for elective credit for paid work.

Computer Science Courses

The Board approves Advanced Placement (AP) computer science courses as equivalent to high school mathematics or science. The Superintendent or their 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.

Superintendent Procedure:

Policy Cross References:

• 2026 – Course of Study Adoption
• 2140 – Advising and School Counseling
• 2170 – Career and Technical Education
• 2409 – Mastery-Based Credits
• 2420 – High School Grade and Credit Marking

Previous Policies:

Legal References:

• 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.
• RCW 28A.600.270 Elective high school credit through paid work experience.
• RCW 28A.700.070 Course equivalencies for career and technical courses—Curriculum frameworks and course lists—Grants to increase academic rigor—Technical working group.
• WAC 180-51 High school graduation requirements.
• WAC 392-410 Courses of study and equivalencies.

Management Resources:

• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, December 2023
• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, July 2019
• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, May 2018
• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, September 2013
• WSSDA Policy & Legal News, August 2006

Last Board Review:

• May 14, 2025

Revisions:

• May 14, 2025
• March 13, 2025 (Administrative Update per Policy No. 1310)
• May 18, 2022
• September 5, 2018
• December 4, 2013

Adopted by the Board:

• December 7, 2011