Students in the Class of 2013 to 2018 (students who entered the 9th grade after July 1, 2012, and before June 30, 2015) should take Algebra II or Integrated Math III, or a rigorous, high school-level math course that meets the student's education and career goals identified in the student's high school and beyond plan, subject to the following requirements:
- Choose a course that is based on a career-oriented program of study identified in their high school and beyond plan.
- Meet with a high school representative and their parent/guardian (or designee if a parent or guardian is unavailable) to discuss the student’s high school and beyond plan and the requirements for credit bearing two- and four-year college level mathematics courses.
- Sign a form, along with the high school representative and parent/guardian, to acknowledge that: 1) the meeting was held, 2) the required information was discussed, and 3) the parent/guardian (or designee if a parent or guardian is unavailable) agrees that the course is more appropriate for the student’s education and career goals.
For students in the Class of 2019 and beyond (unless the student's home district applied for a waiver extending the implementation of the 24-credit graduation requirements by up to two years), E2SHB 6552, passed by the Legislature in 2014, specifies that the content of the third credit of math may be chosen by the student based on the student's interest and their high school and beyond plan, with the agreement of the student's parent or guardian or agreement of the school counselor or principal. Rules adopted by the SBE, WAC 180-51-068 and WAC 180-51-210, clarify that the school must give precedence to the direction of the parents or guardian, if provided, and that request for agreement should be made in the predominant language of the parents or guardian to the extent feasible.
Students and educators should be aware that Algebra II, as well as a senior year math-based quantitative course, is a College Academic Distribution Requirements (CADRs), a requirement for admission to Washington public four-year baccalaureate institutions, as well as many other colleges and universities.
The State Board of Education intends for the third credit to be a rigorous, high school-level math course that will serve the student's education and career goals. Courses in which the majority of the math is at a K-8 level would not qualify for the third credit. Traditional math examples may include, but are not limited to: statistics, discrete math, linear algebra, and mathematical modeling.