Ninth graders in Washington state will have the option of taking the state鈥檚 10th grade academic assessment a year early, beginning in the spring of 2006.
Terry Bergeson, the state schools chief, will make the tests available to 鈥渄emystify what the high school graduation requirement is going to look like,鈥� according to Kim Schmanke, a spokeswoman for the state office of public instruction.
Passing the 10th grade test will become a graduation requirement starting with the class of 2008, which is this year鈥檚 freshman class.
Ninth graders will receive credit toward graduation for any of the sections of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning that they pass, without penalty for any that they fail. The change does not require legislative approval.
