The authority for this chapter is RCW 28A.305.220 as recodified as a new section in chapter 28A.230 RCW by section 418, chapter 263, Laws of 2006 which authorizes the superintendent of public instruction in consultation with the higher education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the work force training and education coordinating board to develop a standardized high school transcript and to establish definitions for credits and hours for use by all common school districts.

The purposes of this chapter are:

(1) To establish standardized criteria for high school transcripts issued by all common school districts; and

(2) To establish definitions for credits, hours, and marking system so that common school district high school transcripts are standardized.

As used in this chapter, the term "high school" shall mean all courses taken in the common school commencing with grade nine.

As used in this chapter, "standardized high school transcript" shall mean the standardized content specified in WAC 392-415-070. Such transcript usually is completed by the student's graduation from the twelfth grade but may extend for some students through the school year in which the student becomes twenty-one years of age.

As used in this chapter, "credit" and "hour" shall mean the same as defined in WAC 180-51-050.

(1) The standardized high school transcript shall report the marks/grades earned by students in courses as follows. It is not required to adopt a marking/grading system that uses pluses or minuses or, if adopted, to report pluses or minuses on standardized transcripts.

(2) The minimal passing mark/grade is D = 1.0. Nonnumerical marks/grades such as pass/fail, pass/no pass, credit/no credit, and satisfactory/unsatisfactory marks also may be used. A mark/grade of "W" shall be used to indicate a withdrawal from a course.

(3) If high school credit is awarded on a competency basis as authorized under state board of education policy WAC 180-51-050(2), the district may use either of the following options for noting the students' performance on the state standardized transcript under WAC 392-415-070:

(a) Determine locally the equivalent passing mark/grade as listed under subsection (1) of this section; or

(b) Designate "pass" or "fail" or "no pass" in the appropriate manner on the transcript.

(1) Each student's "grade point average" shall be the sum of the point values, as defined in WAC 392-415-050, of all the marks/grades received for all courses attempted, divided by the sum of the credits for all courses attempted.

(2) The grade point value shall be rounded by multiplying the numerical value of the mark/grade earned by the number of credits assigned to the course.

(3) Grade point averages shall be rounded to the third decimal place and reported for each trimester/semester or other term and for the cumulative credits earned for all courses attempted in high school.

(4) All marks/grades for all courses taken shall be included in the calculation of grade point averages except for:

(a) Nonnumerical marks/grades shall be excluded from the calculation of grade point averages; and

(b) Only the highest mark/grade earned for a class/course taken more than once to improve a mark/grade shall be included in the calculation of grade point averages.

This exception shall not apply to recurring courses. Recurring courses are not considered repeated courses taken for the purpose of improving a mark/grade. Recurring courses are those taken by a student to further develop their understanding and skills in the subject (e.g., journalism, advanced art or drama, concert band, etc.), or is taken by the student more than once to satisfy different credit requirements (e.g., advanced drama taken three times to meet an elective requirement, an art requirement, and the occupational education requirement).

(c) Credits attempted for courses taken more than once to improve a grade/mark may count only once toward the number of credits required for graduation.

(d) Credits attempted for courses taken more than once to improve a grade may count toward the number of credits required for graduation on the condition that the letter grades earned for all attempts are included in the calculation of the student's grade point average. Districts and schools shall not convert letter grades to nonnumerical grades/marks for the purpose of this subsection.

All common school districts shall use the standardized high school transcript and the definitions of "credits," "hours," and "marking system" as specified in this chapter. The standardized high school transcript shall be used as an official record for students who commence grade nine subsequent to July 1, 1986.

The school of record shall be that school in which the student was most recently enrolled or is currently enrolled whichever is applicable. The school of record shall be responsible for incorporating into the student's standardized transcript the information specified in WAC 392-415-070 from all previous high schools in which the student was enrolled.

(1)(a) The standardized high school transcript shall contain only the information listed in subsection (2) of this section in order to meet the statutory requirements under RCW 28A.230.125 for a statewide standardized transcript.

(b) Any other information the district or school may desire to include may be stapled to the transcript or otherwise provided with the transcript. Information that is not listed below shall not be included on the state standardized transcript:

(2)(a) Authorized and required transcript information must include:

(i) The student's legal name (last name, first name, and middle name(s) or middle initial(s)), and other or former names used;

(ii) The name(s) of parent(s) or guardian(s);

(iii) The student's birth date (mm/dd/yyyy);

(iv) The student's school district identification number (if applicable);

(v) The school name, address, phone number, and name of the school district issuing the transcript;

(vi) A list of previous schools attended where credit was attempted (school name, city, state, and month and year of entrance and exit);

(vii) The student's academic history for all high school level courses attempted, including courses taken under RCW 28A.230.090(4) and including those courses where a student has withdrawn, and listed by report period for the grade level (month and year), course code and description, marks/grades earned as defined in WAC 392-415-050 (a mark/grade of "W" will be used to indicate a withdrawal from a course), credits attempted and earned as defined in WAC 392-415-040, grade point average as defined in WAC 392-415-055, and a report period and cumulative summary of the student's high school level academic history;

(viii) Credits attempted for courses taken more than once to improve a grade/mark may count only once toward the number of credits required for graduation, except that credits attempted for courses taken more than once to improve a grade may count toward the number of credits required for graduation on the condition that the letter grades earned for all attempts are included in the calculation of the student's grade point average. For the purpose of this subsection, districts and schools shall not convert letter grades to grades/marks not used in the grade point average calculation.

(b) Authorized and required additional transcript information in effect for students who first entered ninth grade in the 2002-03 school year. The following courses, for which college credit can be earned, shall be designated on the transcript with the designation coding indicated. Courses completed and credits earned through running start shall be noted with an "R" designation. Courses completed and credits earned through advanced placement shall be noted with an "A" designation. Courses completed and credits earned through college in the high school shall be noted with a "C" designation. Courses completed and credits earned through an international baccalaureate program shall be noted with an "I" designation. Courses completed which earn college credit through techprep and/or the corresponding credits or certification earned shall be noted with a "T" designation. Courses that meet or satisfy higher education coordinating board core course requirements shall be noted with a "B" designation. Courses completed and credits earned through an honors option shall be noted with an "H" designation.

(c) Authorized and required additional transcript information in effect beginning with students who first entered ninth grade in the 2004-05 school year:

(i) Notation that the high school and beyond plan graduation requirement was met or not met by the student;

(ii) Notation that the culminating project graduation requirement was met or not met by the student; and

(iii) If applicable, notation that the certificate of academic achievement graduation requirement was met or not met by the student;

(iv) If applicable, notation that the certificate of individual achievement graduation requirement was met or not met by the student; and

(v) If applicable, notation of whether the student has earned the Washington state seal of biliteracy as provided under WAC 392-410-350.

(3) Each issuance of the transcript shall include a report date (mm/dd/yyyy), graduation date (noting month and year), end of transcript record (signifying no more authorized data), office of superintendent of public instruction (OSPI) transcript form version number, and page number ('x' of 'y').

(4) The signature of the authorized school official (name, title, and date) and seal of the district, if available. The signature of the authorized school official may be affixed electronically, subject to a written district policy that addresses signature security and assures that the authorized school official acknowledges, in writing, that affixing their signature electronically to the transcript is a legal and binding action.

Each school may develop a school profile to be distributed with the standardized transcript. This profile may include school characteristics such as accreditation status, school motto, school size, grades served, staff size and training, school graduation requirements, special curriculum features, and community information. The school profile may be distributed without the student's consent.

Common school districts shall inform annually all high school students that prospective employers may request to see transcripts and that the student's decision to release transcripts can be an important part of the process of applying for employment.

All common school districts shall adopt written procedures for the release of official student transcripts. Such procedures shall recognize the limited exception to the release of transcripts provided in RCW 28A.635.060 and shall provide that student transcripts are released to persons other than the student or the student's parents or guardians only upon the written authorization of the student or the student's parents or guardians, whichever is applicable, or as set forth in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and subsequent amendments. Except as provided in RCW 28A.635.060, all common school districts shall provide or make available to students upon request complete copies of their high school transcripts, with graduation noted thereon, within forty-five calendar days following the student's graduation from high school.

The superintendent of public instruction shall make available to school districts standardized transcript forms that include the content specified in WAC 392-415-070.