Academics

Mountlake Terrace High School is a comprehensive high school that offers rigorous curriculum in core areas including the STEM Magnet Program, a large variety of Advanced Placement (AP) programs, career technical education courses, physical education curricula, and diverse visual and performing arts experiences.

Please consult our Course Request page for information and assistance with course selection and 4-year high school planning. This page includes a link to the online Course Catalog for with information related to graduation requirements, course descriptions, learning recommendations, and district policies.

Graduation Requirements

The State of Washington requires students meet three requirements in order to graduate:

High School Credits

The State of Washington requires students to earn 24 credits in order to graduate. The State of Washington and Edmonds School District has outlined the following required credits that must be met to graduate:

Subject	Required Credits	Notes
English	4.0
Math	3.0	Algebra 1 Geometry A 3rd credit of Math*
Science	3.0	At least two labs A 3rd credit of Science*
Social Studies	3.5	1.5 World History 1.0 US History 1.0 Civics/CWP
Art	1.0
CTE	1.5
Personal Finance	0.5
Health	0.5
PE	1.5
Electives*	5.5
TOTAL	24**

*Elective credits can be credits from ANY subject area. For example, if a student takes a 4th year of Math and/or Science, those are considered elective credits.
**Students can apply to waive up to 2.0 elective credits by submitting Form P-50.

Colleges and Universities may have additional requirements. Students are strongly encouraged to consult college admissions departments for additional requirements. Example: University of Washington

World Language Credits are NOT required for graduation but may be required for college admissions.

Volunteer Hours are NOT required for graduation.

Graduation Pathway

Every student in the state of Washington must meet a Graduation Pathway in order to graduate. Previously this requirement was met by passing the Smarter Balance exam. However, now there are a number of ways to meet it. Talk to your counselor about which pathway you want to pursue.

Below are some of the most common ways students meet it while at Mountlake Terrace High School.

Smarter Balance Assessment

Students meeting this graduation pathway need to earn at least the following scores on the high school English Language Arts (ELA) and math Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) of:

Score on ELA - 2548
Score on math - 2595

CTE Course Sequence

There are a variety of Career and Technical Education (CTE) Pathways and classes available to you in high school. CTE Pathways and classes help students prepare for life after high school graduation while exploring careers and developing skills in areas closely connected to their interests. In addition, recent changes to state graduation requirements provide students the option to meet state Graduation Pathway requirements by completing 2.0 credits within an approved CTE Pathway.

Read more about CTE Pathways and classes here: CTE Pathways and Classes

College Admission and AP Exams

Students may use scores on college admissions (ACT, ACT with Writing, SAT, SAT with Essay) and specified Advanced Placement (AP) tests to show they possess the knowledge and skills expected of high school graduates.

Dual Credit Courses (Running Start)

A student who completes a dual credit course in English language arts and mathematics in which the student can earn college credit may use passage of the class as a graduation pathway.

ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)

For a student who takes the ASVAB while in high school and earns at least the minimum score (31) on the Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) portion of the test, the ASVAB may be used to meet the graduation pathway.

Additional Information

Edmonds School District Graduation Pathway page

Washington State OSPI Graduation Pathway page

High School and Beyond Plan

College Credit Courses

Did you know that you can earn college credit for certain high school classes?

You are expected to make course decisions keeping in mind graduation requirements, your interests, and your educational goals for after high school. College credit options are available in both core academic and career and technical courses in all of our high schools. The following educational opportunities are provided to Edmonds School District students to meet individual academic needs:

Advanced Placement (AP)

College in the High School

College in the High School (CHS) is a program which allows students to receive college credit through college-level courses taken at their high school. These courses offer college credit at a significantly reduced tuition rate, and provide students with a college transcript reflecting these courses upon graduation from high school. You should contact the colleges you are interested in to verify that College in the High School credits will be accepted.

For information about College in the High School, please contact your course teacher. Scholarships may be available directly from the college.

CTE Dual Credit

CTE Dual Credit is a partnership between high schools and community colleges to provide high school students the opportunity to earn college credit in addition to high school credit in qualifying Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses provided at their high school. Tech Prep college credits earned in CTE courses can be applied directly to college certificate and technical degree programs. A grade of a "B" or better is required to earn college credit.

Information on registering for CTE Dual Credit Programs

There is a $50 fee if you want to earn college credit each year that you take CTE Dual Courses. If scholarships are needed, please contact Tribecca in the Career Center.

For more information about Career and Technical Education programs and courses, visit https://cte.edmonds.wednet.edu/cte-dual-credit

Running Start

The Running Start Program in Washington State provides the opportunity for eligible high school juniors and seniors to attend college level classes, tuition free. Students will be responsible for purchasing books and supplies, assessment and technology fees, and transportation.

Upon successful completion of college level courses taken through Running Start, students will earn credit at the college level which will also apply toward high school graduation.

For more information, please view our Running Start page.

Outside Credit Options

VOLUNTEER SERVICE CREDIT

Volunteer service hours are not required by the school, and do not need to be turned in. Students that complete 90+ Volunteer hours can choose to turn in their fully completed forms to the Career Center for up to .5 elective credits.

Volunteer service for credit must be approved by College & Career Specialist prior to completing hours. Forms turned in without prior approval may be declined for credit.

Volunteer service form

WORLD LANGUAGE EXAM

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 @ 7:20 am & Thursday, January 16. 2025 @ 7:20 am

Registration for World Language Proficiency Testing is now open for all Edmonds SD students in grades 9-12. Through this testing, students who are able to read, write, speak and listen in a language other than English have the opportunity to earn up to four credits for demonstrating proficiency in that language. For students taking a language test for the first time, the testing is free.

World language exam registration

Registration for the exam for 2024-25 is now closed.

World Language Proficiency Credits & Exam

PE Credit for Outside Activity

SUBSTITUTION (WAIVER) OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (School Board Procedure 2410P):

Students must complete at least one semester of physical education (at the high school or through eLearning Academy) prior to applying for either a waiver or to receive credit for outside instruction. Outside credit is not a substitute for an “in-house” PE course.
Students will be scheduled for at least one physical education class during the freshman and/or sophomore years.
Students are not eligible to apply for a waiver until the senior year.
Students may apply for a waiver or receive outside credit for a total of 1.0 credit.
Students must follow all written procedures and timelines, as well as complete any paperwork prior to established deadlines.
Students who have or have had while in high school, a late arrival, early dismissal, teacher’s assistant, or other open class period are not eligible to apply for waivers or outside credit.

Students must complete P-49 Application for Outside Instruction form and review the Documentation of Learning Packet found on the Physical Education and Health page. This application for credit MUST be submitted, with all required signatures, to your counselor PRIOR to beginning your off-campus instruction and BEFORE the beginning of the semester during which you plan to earn credit.

Worksite Learning Credit

If you are currently working for pay, you might be able to earn high school credit, too! What you are learning at work may tie in to what you’ve been learning in the classroom. You can earn .5 credit for every 180 hours of documented paid employment if you meet the following requirements:

You are 16 years old or older
You are currently employed
You have completed or are currently enrolled in a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course where the skills learned in that course are related to your current employment and job duties.
You agree to meet the responsibilities required of you for CTE Worksite Learning Credit.

If you are interested, please complete this form:

work site learning form

Summer School

All Summer School information is posted on the district Summer School page.

https://www.edmonds.wednet.edu/programs-services/summer-learning-opportunities/secondary-summer-school

Summer school is provided at the district level and details are provided on the district website -- including dates, location, and costs. Questions about summer school must be directed to summerschool@ed

ELEARNING

Message from Dr. Greg Schwab, Assistant Superintendent

In light of our current budget circumstances, we are adjusting our approach to Edmonds eLearning Academy enrollment for the 2024-25 academic year. Starting in the fall, students attending our neighborhood high schools will no longer have the option to enroll in eLearning courses on a part-time basis. eLearning will continue to serve full-time students and in addition, will provide credit recovery courses for any students in Edmonds School District.

We recognize this adjustment may raise concerns among our students and families. To ensure transparency and understanding, we want to share why these decisions have been made. Because of the way the state funds our school district, by eliminating part-time eLearning courses, the district will receive an additional estimated $200,000 by having students take these courses at their neighborhood school.

Furthermore, the practice of part-time enrollment in eLearning has presented logistical challenges at our neighborhood high schools. Specifically, it has become increasingly difficult to provide adequate supervision for students in these courses who have unscheduled gaps in their day.

We understand the impact this may have and encourage any student or family with concerns to reach out to their school counselor for guidance and support.

For more information about Edmonds eLearning Academy full-time enrollment, please call the school’s office at 425-431-7298 or visit their website: eela.edmonds.wednet.edu

PSAT

The Edmonds School District will be offering the PSAT/NMSQT assessment to all interested Juniors in the class of 2026 at their high school during the week of October 28-31, 2024. The PSAT/NMSQT is a standardized test provided via computer through the College Board which measures the knowledge and skills in reading, writing and math students learn in the classroom - the same knowledge and skills that students need to succeed in college and career. The PSAT/NMSQT provides students excellent practice for the SAT as well as feedback regarding their progress on the road to college. In addition, the PSAT/NMSQT connects students to more than $300 million in scholarships, including the National Merit® Scholarship Program.

Registration and Payment Instructions:

High School Juniors interested in taking the PSAT/NMSQT in October will need to register and pay the $20 testing fee through the district's online payment site by September 19th. Those students who qualify for Free/Reduced Price Lunch and register for the PSAT/NMSQT will have their testing fee waived but will still need to register. To register and pay for the PSAT/NMSQT Test, please follow the instructions below:

Go to the District’s online payment site at this link: https://wa-edmonds.intouchreceipting.com

Once you have reached this site, you will need to log-in using the same username and password that you use for QMlative/Skyward Family Access. Once you have logged in, follow this path:

Select “Shopping for (your student’s name)”
Select “Items At Student’s School”
Select the category “Testing”
Select "PSAT" and Complete all steps

Once you have registered and paid for the PSAT test using the online payment site, a PSAT/NMSQT test will be ordered for you for testing at your school at the end of October.

If you encounter any difficulties registering and paying online and need assistance, please contact your school's main office.

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