All Washington state high school students must show they have key reading and writing skills by graduation. Most students will meet this requirement by passing a state exam. Some students with strong skills, however, may need to use an assessment to demonstrate their skills. For these students, state-approved alternatives are available, called Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) Options.

What are the three CAA Options?

Collection of Evidence
Students compile a set of classroom work samples with the help of a teacher. Collections for students in Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs can include work from their CTE program and other classes.

GPA Comparison
A student’s grades in English courses and/or math courses are compared with the grades of students who took the same courses AND passed the HSPE. This option is available to students in their 12th grade year.

Advanced Placement and College Admission Test Scores
Students may use their scores on the SAT reading and math reasoning tests, ACT reading and math tests, and specified Advanced Placement examinations to show they have key skills.