Credit Requirements

English – 4 credits Must include three credits of literature and composition.

NOTE: Passing the Smarter Balance state assessment in ELA is equivalent to earning the first two credits of high school English.

NOTE: English as a Second Language (ESL) course are generally counted as elective only credit. ESL courses include both high school and college English courses taken in countries where English is not the primary language of instruction.

• Must include three credits of college-preparatory composition or literature.
• One credit may be satisfied by courses in drama as literature, creative writing, public speaking, debate, journalistic writing, business English, English as a Second Language (ESL), or Learning Support English.

Remedial or applied courses are not acceptable (e.g., acting, basic English skills, developmental reading, library, newspaper staff, remedial English, review English, vocabulary, yearbook/annual).

College students without four CADR high school English credits may earn credits by completing one of the following:

• Pre-college English coursework that would prepare a student for college level composition or literature (typically the highest level pre-college course at a given institution).
• College level course work in composition or literature component. Generally any course with an English or writing prefix is acceptable.
• One credit may be satisfied by a college course in speech, drama as literature, journalistic writing, business English, ESL, or engineering/technical writing.

Mathematics – 3 credits

Must include one credit each of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II (intermediate algebra);  OR… Integrated Math I, II, and III

NOTE: Passing the Smarter Balance state assessment in math is equivalent to earning the first two CADR credits of high school math (Algebra I and Geometry or Integrated Math I and II).

Completion of three credits - Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II (intermediate algebra); OR… Integrated Math I, II, and III.

NOTES:

• Successful completion of math through pre-calculus meets the 3-credit math requirement.
• Arithmetic, Pre-algebra, Business Math, Computer Science, Philosophy, and Statistics courses will not count toward this requirement.

College students without three high school mathematics credit may earn that credit by completing one of the following:

• Pre-college math coursework that would prepare a student for college Algebra (typically the highest level pre-college math course at a given institution).
• A course in Intermediate Algebra - the course must be completed with a grade of ‘C’ (2.0) or better. At Washington community colleges, this course is numbered below 100 and is considered the equivalent of the third year of high school math. It does not transfer as college credit.
• Mathematics courses with Intermediate Algebra as a prerequisite (see exceptions below). This includes any higher-level mathematics courses such as Elementary Functions, Pre-calculus, Calculus, and beyond.

NOTE: Courses in Philosophy (e.g., logic), Statistics, or Computer Science do not satisfy the mathematics requirement

One credit of math-based quantitative coursework is required in the senior year.

This requirement may be met through senior year enrollment in:

• One of the three required math courses described above;
• OR… a math-based quantitative course like Statistics, applied math, or a math-based CTE course;
• OR… by completing an algebra-based Science course.

Substitute Provision: Successful completion of math through Pre-calculus meets both the course and senior year math requirement.

This requirement can be met by taking Algebra 2 in senior year;

OR… Pre-calculus or Calculus (if Algebra 2 was completed prior to grade 12);

OR… a quantitative course such as Statistics, advanced level of Applied Math, or math-based CTE courses;

OR… an algebra-based science course, e.g., Chemistry, Physics, or other science course that incorporate knowledge of algebra.

OR… AP Computer Science course. (For this option, the student must be concurrently enrolled in or have successfully completed Algebra 2.)

EXCEPTION: Prior to the senior year, completion of higher-level math – e.g., Pre-calculus or Calculus – exempts students from the senior-year quantitative course requirement

Comparable college courses in math, (e.g., Pre-calculus, Statistics, or algebra-based science) may apply.

Science – 3 credits, including;

• Two credits must be laboratory science
• One credit must be an algebra-based science.
• One credit must be in Biology, Chemistry or Physics

Issaquah School District Biology, Chemistry and Physics courses are all both laboratory and algebra-based sciences.

All ISD courses with an SC course code are laboratory science.

An algebra-based science course with laboratory (like Chemistry or Physics) taken in the senior year may satisfy both the science requirement and the senior-year math-based quantitative course requirement described above.

College science courses with a lab will count toward the laboratory science requirement. For example, lab courses in astronomy, atmospheric science, biological structures, biology, botany, chemistry, environmental science (but not environmental studies), genetics, human physiology, geology, oceanography, physical anthropology, physical geography, physics, or zoology may apply toward this requirement

World Languages – 2 credits

Two consecutive credits of the same World Language, Native American Language, or American Sign language.

Courses completed in any World Language may be used to satisfy this requirement, including American Indian languages, American Sign Language (ASL), and languages no longer spoken, such as Latin and ancient Greek.

Schools may award up to 4.0 World Language credit based on a district-approved competency assessment.  Students must demonstrate proficiency in reading, writing, listening and speaking.

A World Language course taken in middle school may satisfy one credit of the requirement if the second year level course is completed in 9th through 12th grade.

The World Language requirement will be considered satisfied for applicants who complete their education through 7th grade in school(s) (a) where English was not the language of instruction and (b) in countries other than Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or the United States.

NOTE: non-ASL forms of sign language or computer “languages” are not accepted as World Language.

Each five-credit quarter or three-credit semester of language in college is considered equivalent to one credit in high school. Applicants who have never studied a World Language will need to complete 10 quarter or 6 semester credits of a single, sequenced World Language.

College students who earned one credit of a World Language in high school must complete the equivalent of a second credit of that language in college.

For example, a high school student who earned only one credit in French would be required to take five quarter credits, or three semester credits, of French 102 or equivalent to gain a second CADR credit.

NOTE: College graduation requirements in World Languages often include the third year of the same language.

5 college quarter credits = one CADR World Language credit

3 college semester credits = one CADR World Language credit

Three credits are required in history or in any of the social sciences – e.g., anthropology, contemporary world problems, economics, geography, government, political science, psychology, or sociology.

The World History, US History, and Civics credits required for an ISD diploma all fall within the category of Social Science.

NOTE: Credit for religion courses, consumer economics, student government, or community service will not count towards the requirement.

Courses in the social sciences, e.g., anthropology, economics, ethnic studies, history, philosophy, political science, psychology, or sociology will count toward the requirement.

Arts – 1 credit

One credit of fine, visual, or performing arts, or one additional credit in Math, English, Social Science, Lab Science, or World Language.

One credit in the fine, visual, or performing arts or an additional year in any of the academic areas defined above is required.

Examples of acceptable coursework in fine, visual, or performing arts include: art or music appreciation, band, ceramics, choir, dance, dramatics performance and production, drawing, fiber arts, music theory, orchestra, painting, photography, print making, and sculpture.

Not accepted toward this requirement: architecture, color guard, creative writing, drafting, drill team, fashion design, interior design, sewing, speech, web design or graphics, woodworking, and yearbook.

Academic electives are courses in any of the core subject areas (defined above) beyond the minimum number of years specified above.

NOTE: UW and WWU specify that one-half credit of this requirement must be in the fine, visual, or performing arts; the other half may be either in the arts or in an academic elective.

NOTE: colleges and universities outside the WA public university system may not accept additional academic credit in place of the Fine Art requirement.

Students can satisfy the arts requirement with any of the following three options:

• Five quarter credits or three semester credits in fine, visual, or performing arts.
• Three quarter credits or two semester credits in art, art history, cinema/filmmaking, dance, music, or photography.
• Three quarter credits or two semester credits in drama, except drama as literature courses.

NOTE: courses in architecture are generally not acceptable, except for those in architectural history.