Prior learning assessment policies allow students to earn college credit for knowledge and experience gained outside of a classroom, which can accelerate their time to graduation. Research shows that students who receive Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) credit accumulate more credit and graduate more quickly and at higher rates than their peers who…

This guidance focuses on how school districts in Washington state can plan and respond to the challenges of the 2020-21 school year, specific to closing equity gaps in dual credit access and success and postsecondary transitions. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the significant inequities inside of education systems that districts across the…

Teachers in the Federal Way (Wash.) Public Schools had no shortage of student data. Standardized test scores, unit tests, and report card grades were as familiar to educators as reading, writing, and arithmetic. With the onset of statewide testing in the 1990s, data analysis was expanded to cover a multitude of state learning goals in grades 4, 7,…

Pressures to increase accountability in basic skills education have encouraged policy makers and postsecondary institutions to focus on student achievement. Using the Washington State Student Achievement Initiative Database and two consecutive years of data, this study examines the academic progress of basic skills students at one community…

The Washington Secondary Credit Exchange Program allows grade 7-12 migrant students to complete work toward graduation and/or to enhance basic skills during late afternoon or evening classes as they follow the crops from state to state with their families. A Spring Model allows students entering late in the year to complete courses already begun…

Three sections describing the Washington Pre-College Test (WPC) are presented. The first, Registration Booklet, is intended for high school students who may take the WPC. It describes the program; provides detailed instructions on completing the answer folder; lists colleges in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho which accept WPC results; and includes…

The Evergreen State College is a public liberal arts college in Washington that has been named the "number one learning community" in the nation by "U.S. News & World Report." There are no grades at Evergreen; instead, faculty provide a narrative evaluation of students' performance in their courses. There are also no majors…