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Lake Washington board approves policy to award high-school credit for demonstrated competency
Summary
The Lake Washington School District board adopted policy 2409 to allow students to earn high-school credit through demonstrated competency and proficiency on performance measures such as the Smarter Balanced Assessment and WCAS. The board approved the policy on a single reading and directed staff to develop procedures for implementation.
The Lake Washington School District Board of Directors on Jan. 27 approved a policy allowing high-school credit to be awarded when students demonstrate competency or proficiency on recognized performance measures, including the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and the Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS).
The policy, identified in board discussion as 2409 (presented under agenda heading "credit for competency / proficiency"), was introduced by Associate Superintendent Dr. Rose and approved by the board in a single reading. Dr. Rose described the policy as a way to recognize student learning through multiple methods and to create flexibility in students' high school schedules.
Dr. Rose, Associate Superintendent, said the policy "recognize[s] that there are many methods of demonstrating competency or proficiency of state learning standards" and described examples staff expect the implementing procedure to cover, including using a passing SBA score to "backfill" credit for a ninth- or tenth-grade course and awarding credit for world-language proficiency and for completion of the High School and Beyond plan.
Superintendent Dr. Holman told the board the policy is intended to increase student choice and to help students who fail or miss credit early in high school "not have to then take an additional [course]" later. The board approved the policy after brief discussion and questions about how credits would translate and how colleges view competency-based credits.
Board members asked staff to provide additional information on potential scope and scale. Director Guthrie asked whether other districts already use similar procedures; Dr. Rose responded that many districts, including Shoreline and Issaquah, have comparable policies and that the district is modeling its procedures on statewide examples.
The board approved the policy on a motion from Director Guthrie with a second from Director Laliberte. The board voted in favor; no opposition was recorded in the meeting transcript.
Staff said the board-adopted policy establishes the district's intent and that a separate, detailed procedure will define how credits are awarded, including protections such as not replacing credit already earned and specifying which assessments (e.g., high-school-level SBA and WCAS) qualify. Dr. Rose said staff will build procedural safeguards so students do not need prior knowledge of the policy to benefit from it.
Next steps: district staff will draft and publish procedures that operationalize the policy, with examples described by Dr. Rose (credit backfill for students who passed SBA but lack course credit, world-language proficiency recognition, and elective credit for completion of the High School and Beyond plan). The board requested a brief with estimates of how many students might benefit.
The policy adoption is part of the board's stated work to increase flexible, performance-based pathways for students while preserving rigor and transcript clarity.
