PTHS Graduation Requirements

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Starting with the class of 2008, Port Townsend School District students must:

PASS A SET OF CORE HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES
Students must pass courses in the following areas:

4 credits English
2 - 4 credits* Mathematics
2 credits Science
3 credits Social Studies
1.5 credits Physical Education
.5 credit Health
. .5 credit Careers/Life Skills
1 credit Visual or Performing Arts
1.5 credits Occupational Education
6.5 or 4.5 credits Electives
22.5 credits needed to graduate

EARN THE CERTIFICATE OF ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Beginning with the class of 2008, all students must meet standard on the 10th grade WASL in reading, writing and math* and earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement by the end of high school. Students will have four chances to retake the WASL during their junior and senior years. Students will only have to retake sections of the test they did not pass. Alternatives and/or an appeals process should be available for students who have the skills but can’t show them on the WASL, after multiple tries.

COMPLETE A HIGH SCHOOL AND BEYOND PLAN
Students must detail their plan for getting to graduation and succeeding beyond high school in college, work, travel, etc. This plan is started during Freshman year when students plan their high school experience. This will be supervised through the Life Skills/Careers Class. The remainder is completed during the senior year of high school in English class when students submit an essay of what their post-high school plans are.

COMPLETE A CULMINATING PROJECT
A successful culminating project is a combination of four phases of learning - a research paper, a project, a portfolio and a presentation. In this process, students will identify, research and complete a meaningful project which connects them to one or more of the five identified portfolio areas: individual, planner, citizen, worker and learner. The identification of a ‘topic’ is selected towards the end of a student’s junior year. The research paper is completed through senior English and the project is supervised through senior CWP. The final phase of this program occurs in May of senior year where seniors give a presentation to a teacher and community panel sharing their project, portfolio items and plan for the future.

* Students who do not pass the math WASL in 10th grade are required to take math each year until WASL standard is met.