3 new requirements, 1 familiar one

State education officials developed three new graduation requirements for the Class of 2008:

• Reaching state educational standards in reading, writing and math, as measured by the WASL.

• Producing a culminating project, a research project with a written portion and a presentation. It is up to each district and school to determine the requirements.

• Completing the High School and Beyond Plan, which details how students will meet the graduation requirements and connect that to a job, college or whatever else they plan to do. It is up to each district and school to determine how students complete that.

Each district has come up with a different way to address the requirements, but all require time and effort by students:

Tumwater: For years, the district has combined the project and the High School and Beyond Plan in the "4Ps," which stands for Plan, Pathway, Portfolio and Presentation. The 4Ps also require community service.

North Thurston: River Ridge started the culminating project more than a decade ago, and the district's other two high schools followed. Each school has different expectations, but every student must choose a project that emulates a field study, find a community mentor and create a project. Presentations are judged by people who live in the area.

Olympia: Olympia implemented the culminating project and the High School and Beyond Plan this year. Most students do the culminating project as an extra project in one of their classes. The High School and Beyond Plans are fulfilled in advisory classes starting in freshman year, and students have check-in deadlines throughout high school.
What is a credit?

A credit is the equivalent of a year of a one-period class. A semester counts for a 0.5 credit.

Here are the minimum state requirements:

•English: 3 credits

•Math: 2 credits

•Science (with at least one lab): 2 credits

•Social Studies (including U.S. and Washington state history): 2.5 credits

•Visual or performing arts: 1 credit

•Health and fitness: 2 credits

•Occupational education: 1 credit

•Electives: 5.5 credits

•Total: 19 credits

Districts can require additional credits.

Olympia: 22 total credits — one more social studies credit, two more elective credits than the state.

North Thurston: 22 total credits — 0.5 more Social Studies credit, 0.5 of a culminating project class credit, and two more elective credits than the state.

Tumwater: 22.4 credits — Tumwater is slightly different because it is on a trimester system. Some classes earn more than 1 credit per year, for example, a yearlong English or science class is 1.02 credits. Tumwater requires 2.66 more elective credits than the state. Next year, the district will adopt the semester system.

Sources: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Board of Education, The Olympian archives
Options for those who didn't meet requirements

There are several ways to get a diploma for seniors who won't meet requirements by their anticipated graduation day in June:

• Students can continue at their high school until they turn 21. Summer school is an option at Tumwater, Olympia and North Thurston districts.

• South Puget Sound Community College has a High School Completion program, which offers a true diploma, rather than a GED, which is a diploma equivalent.

• Students who participated in Running Start during their 11th-and 12th grade years but didn't complete the classes required for high school graduation may continue their Running Start participation to take only the classes that will fulfill their high school graduation requirements.

Sources: Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, South Puget Sound Community College