The State Board of Education is responsible for setting state-level graduation requirements that students must complete in order to receive a diploma (RCW 28A.230.090). The Legislature may also establish additional requirements.

In addition to these state-level requirements, school districts may add additional local graduation requirements on top of the state minimum requirements. Only after students meet all of the designated state and local requirements do they earn a diploma.

The state's arts high school graduation requirement is two (2) credits in visual or performing arts aligned to high school arts learning standards, one of which may be replaced by a Personalized Pathway Requirement, as provided in subsection (15)(c) of WAC 180-51-068.

The assessment of this subject area is determined by the local district. State law requires districts to have "assessments or other strategies" in high school arts. The state superintendent's office has developed classroom-based assessment models for districts to use (RCW 28A.230.095).

A course that is taught to the Arts Learning Standards may be considered an arts class that meets graduation requirements. The standards include five disciplines: dance, media arts, music, theater, and visual arts. Descriptions of classes and type of content covered in each discipline is as follows:

Dance

A student’s dance-education experience may include, but is not limited to, contemporary, creative movement, world dance, ballet, jazz, tap, modern, break dance, hip-hop, ballroom, folk, step, and square dance, as well as choreography, dance notation, dance history, dance anatomy, musical theatre, dance production, and improvisation.

Media Arts

A student’s media arts-education experience may include, but is not limited to, photography, film, animation, broadcast technology (radio, T.V., and Internet), audio/video arts technology (T.V., radio, and audio projects, social media, and Internet projects), video game design, digital art and design, emerging technologies, visual communications, Advanced Placement Studio (AP) courses, and International Baccalaureate (IB) visual arts.

Music

A student’s music-education experience may include, but is not limited to, general music, choir, band (e.g. basketball/pep, marching), orchestra, jazz ensemble, guitar, percussion ensemble, music theory, Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory, technology composition, song writing, piano lab/music keyboards, recording studio, International Baccalaureate (IB) Music, music history, drum line, world and historical music, opera, musical theatre, Mariachi, marimba, steel drums, world drumming, ukulele, guitar, and recorder.

Theater

A student’s theatre-education experience may include, but is not limited to, acting, theatre, film acting and film-making, improvisation, mime, puppetry, performed poetry/spoken word, musical theatre, playwriting, technical theatre/stagecraft, theatre production, Shakespearean literature and performance, and International Baccalaureate (IB) Theatre.

Visual Arts

A student’s visual arts-education experience may include, but is not limited to, drawing, painting, ceramic arts/pottery, sculpture, 2-D design, 3-D design, photography, arts printmaking, graphic arts, textiles, jewelry, glass arts, Advanced Placement Studio (AP) courses, and International Baccalaureate (IB).

No, the arts graduation requirement may not be waived.

Arts classes must be taught by Arts certified instructors, or, in specific circumstances where the district has established a course equivalency, by Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers — see OSPI's Career and Technical Education Course Statewide Course Equivalencies for more information. The Washington State School Directors Association has created a model policy on CTE course equivalency (WSSDA Policy 2413).

Arts courses that meet graduation requirements generally will be taken during students 9th through 12th grade years.

In order for a middle school arts courses to meet graduation requirements, the academic level of the course must exceed the requirements for seventh and eighth grade and the course must be similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors (RCW 28A.230.090)

The Washington Student Achievement Council has established a minimum admission requirement of one (1) credit of fine, visual, or performing arts. This requirement can be satisfied with either of the following two options:

• 1 credit in the fine, visual, or performing arts.
• 1 credit beyond the minimum in any other College Academic Distribution Requirement (CADR) subject area.

Examples of acceptable courses: art appreciation, band, ceramics, choir, dance, dramatics performance and production, drawing, fiber arts, graphic arts, metal design, music appreciation, music theory, orchestra, painting, photography, print making, or sculpture.

Examples of courses not accepted: architecture, color guard, creative writing, drafting, drill team, fashion design, interior design, sewing, speech, web design or graphics, woodworking, and yearbook.

Note: The University of Washington and Western Washington University specify one-half credit in fine, visual, or performing arts. The other half may be in the arts or an academic elective.

Yes, as long as the district has established the course equivalencies, per RCW 28A.230.097.

See OSPI's Career and Technical Education Course Statewide Course Equivalencies for more information

For more information on the arts in Washington Schools visit the OSPI's Arts webpage.