This document provides information about Washington State's high school completion requirements and Shoreline Community College's high school completion program. It outlines the state requirements in subject areas, additional state requirements including a culminating project and passing the state proficiency exam. It also discusses options for students 21 and older to earn a diploma by obtaining an associate's degree. The document guides students through evaluating previous coursework, determining remaining requirements, including deficiencies in an academic plan to complete them, and notes students have a choice whether to finish a high school diploma.
2. Washington State’s HS
Requirements:
Subject Areas (measured in “Carnegie Units”):
Language Arts (3)
Mathematics (3)
Occupational Education (1)
U.S. History (1)
Washington State History (1/2 )*
Contemporary Issues (1)
General Science (1)
Lab Science (1)
Fine Arts (1)
Health & Fitness (2)
Electives (5.5) ** *waived if the equivalent of 10th grade
was finished before coming to Shoreline
**6.0 if WA State History is waived
3. Additional State Requirements:
Three additional requirements were
implemented in 2008.
These requirements are mandatory for any
student who began the equivalent of 9th grade
in the academic year 2004-05 or later.
4. Additional State Requirements:
1. “Culminating Project” –
Students will demonstrate essential skills
through
reading, writing, speaking, production, and/or
performance.
At Shoreline CC, students may meet this
requirement by completing either English
102, CMST 101, or CMST 220. (Note: This class
may not also be used toward the 20 unit requirement.)
5. Additional State Requirements:
2. “High School-Plus” Educational Plan
Students will provide information outlining how
they plan to meet their high school graduation
requirements and how they will spend their first
year out of high school.
The “High School-Plus” plan is included in your
packet. Ideally this should be completed early in
your studies toward the high school diploma. It
must be completed and submitted to the HS
Programs Office before your graduation can be
approved.
6. Shoreline Community College
High School Completion Program
“High School Plus” Plan
State Requirement: “Each student shall have an education plan for their high school experience, providing
information outlining how s/he plans to meet his/her high school graduation requirements, and including
what s/he expects to do the year following graduation.”
This “High School-Plus Plan” asks that you think about your future and how you will make the most of your
high school education. You are encouraged to complete this plan early in your studies as part of Shoreline’s
High School Completion Program, and then continue to revise and update it throughout your time here to
accommodate your changing interests and/or goals. Your plan must be submitted to the High School
Programs Office before a high school diploma can be issued.
The above stated requirement may be met by either option described below.
Option 1:
Please attach a written or typed essay of 2-5 pages in which you discuss your high school education and
plans for the future. We encourage you to include the following elements in your plan:
What led to your decision to pursue the completion of your high school diploma through Shoreline
Community College’s High School Completion Program?
Your personal story – what experiences, interests, and goals have shaped who you are now and
who you want to become in the future?
Your learning style
Your goals for high school – what will your high school years look like, including classes taken,
extracurricular activities, sports, work, etc.?
Your goals for immediately after completing your high school diploma – do your goals for high
school prepare you for what you hope to do after graduation? How?
[Note: If you have taken a class in which you were asked to complete an assignment which addressed this
same or a similar topic, you may be able to submit that assignment as your “High School and Beyond Plan”.
Such a substitution will require the permission of Shoreline’s Director of High School Completion Program.
Please consult your advisor for more information.]
Option 2:
A. Choose and complete a minimum of 5 of the following activities related to your high
school education and/or your future academic and work/career path.
___Attend and participate in CEO 101 (for students in the CEO program only)
Quarter taken:________ Grade earned:_____ Instructor______________
___Make an appointment and meet with a Shoreline advisor or counselor to
discuss your future plans.
Date Completed:______ Advisor/Counselor Name:__________________
___Attend a workshop related to your college major, transfer planning, or career
exploration.
Date Attended:______ Title of Workshop:__________________________
Presented by:________________________________________________
7. Additional State Requirements:
3. Successfully Pass The State High School
Proficiency Exam (HSPE) Or An Approved
Alternative To This Test
The statewide High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE)
assesses students for 10th grade competencies.
Successfully passing will be an indication that an
individual student has mastered a minimum set of
reading, writing and math skills by graduation.
International students in Shoreline’s HSC program are
allowed to take the SAT or the ACT test as an alternative
to the HSPE. Minimum acceptable scores are:
SAT: ACT:
Reading: 350 Reading: 13
Writing: 380 Plus Writing: 15
Math: TBD* Math: TBD*
8. The New 21 Year-Old Policy:
“An individual, twenty-one years or older, who enrolls in
a community or technical college for the purpose of
obtaining an associate degree and who satisfactorily
completes an associate degree, including an associate
of arts degree, associate of science degree, associate of
technology degree, or associate in applied science
degree, shall be awarded a diploma from the college
upon written request from the student.”
As of 2009, any community college student
who is at least 21 years old and has not
graduated from high school may be awarded a
high school diploma upon earning an
Associate’s degree.
9. What Do I Have? What Do I
Need?
In most cases, it is helpful to have an
evaluation completed of your previous high
school-level coursework (grade 9+), so that
those courses can be applied toward the
graduation requirements.
1. Gather your official high school/jr. high school
transcripts;
2. Request a professional evaluation from an
evaluation service.
3. Bring the professional evaluation to the HS
Programs Office at SCC, attached to Credit
Evaluation Request Form.
10.
11. Evaluation Of Previous
Coursework
Complete the “Credit Evaluation Request”
form in your packet and the professional
evaluation report and give it to the HS
Programs Office.
The HS Programs Office will contact you to set
up an appointment to discuss what
requirements have already been met and what
requirements are still needed.
12. Shoreline Community College
International High School Completion Program
Credit Evaluation
Student Name: Sample Student
Student ID # : 965-XX-XXXX
Progress Toward High School Completion:
STATE UNITS UNITS # SCC credits
REQUIREMENTS MET NEEDED needed
Language Arts (3) 1.0 2.0 10.0
Mathematics (2) 1.5 0.5 3.0
Occupational Ed (1) 1.0 0 0
U.S. History (1) 1.0 0 0
WA State History (.5) Waived 0 0
Contemporary 1.0 0 0
Issues (1)
General Science (1) 1.0 0 0
Lab Science (1) 0.5 0.5 3.0
Fine Arts (1) 1.0 0 0
Health & Fitness (2) 1.0 1.0 5.0
Electives (5.5)+.5=6 7.5 0 0
HS-Plus Plan required
Culminating Project required
SAT - verbal required
TOTAL (19)
Evaluated by:______________________________ Date:_______
Notes/Comments: Includes 2 years of study in Taiwan as well as one year
of study at Yellville-Summit HS in Arkansas.
13. Now I Know What I Need; How Do
I Finish These Requirements?
One unit of high school work may be made
up by taking one 5-credit class at
Shoreline.
(e.g.needed: 1 unit of Language Arts: Take
English 101- 5 credits)
Use the pages in the packet to determine which
SCC classes can be used to meet the high school
requirements.
14. Include HS Deficiencies In Your
Academic Plan
Your advisor will include any missing high
school requirements in your academic plan.
Example:
Needed: 2 units of Language Arts
1 lab science
Take: English 101, English 102
Physics 110
15. Academic Plan
Courses needed for high
school completion may also be
used towards your Associate’s
degree.
16.
17. Academic Plan
English 101, English 102 may be used for your
Associate’s degree and high school diploma
18. Academic Plan
Physics 110 may also be used for your
Associate’s degree and high school diploma
19. Do I Have To Finish My HS
Diploma?
It is your choice! You are not required by SCC
to finish the HS diploma.
Students who intend to transfer to a university
may find that the university requires a HS
diploma, even if the student has earned an AA
degree.
It’simportant to contact the university you would
like to transfer to ask about whether or not they
require students to have earned a high school
diploma in order to gain admission.
