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?

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.

Collection of Evidence
The COE is an evaluation of a set of work samples based on classroom work prepared by the student with instructional support from a teacher. It leads to a Certificate of Academic Achievement and is one of three alternative assessments available to Washington high school students. Students must meet eligibility criteria to access the COE.