Overview

Beginning in 2008, graduates from public high schools in Washington must earn a “Certificate of Academic Achievement” in order to receive a diploma. The certificate is earned by meeting the standards in reading, writing and mathematics portions of the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning. In 2010, meeting standards on the science WASL will also become a requirement to earn the certificate. The multiple choice, short answer and extended response questions on the WASL are all connected to the skills and knowledge students should be acquiring under the state learning goals set by educators, parents, business and community leaders, and many other citizens during the past decade. The requirement to earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement by meeting standards on the WASL is one way to help ensure that Washington high school graduates have the basic skills they need to navigate the adult world and build successful careers in whatever fields they choose.