Washington State Honors Award

The Washington State Honors Award is a state program that honors the top 10% of the current year's Washington state high school graduating class. It is the responsibility of high school counselors to identify eligible high school seniors for the award.

Eligibility

A student is eligible to be identified for a Washington State Honors Award if they meet all of the following criteria:

• Has demonstrated academic achievement in both an English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics assessment. Schools may use the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), American College Test (ACT), the statewide ELA and Math assessment, and local assessments to evaluate students' academic achievement.
• Has completed at least 75% of the credits required for graduation.
• Is enrolled in at least three academic core subjects in Grade 12.
• Meets the Grade Point Average (GPA) requirement as outlined by OSPI.

Students who are enrolled in Running Start courses are considered for this award. Running Start students need to work with their high school counselor to assure credit information is available and that they are included on the high school list of eligible students.

Timeline

In late March of each year, OSPI will issue a bulletin to all high schools with information on how to identify Washington State Honors Award recipients.

In mid-May, OSPI will provide the high school counselors with the certificate for the Washington State Honors Award to print for their recipients. Awards will be given to students who rank in the top 10% of the current year's Washington state high school graduating class. Each recipient will receive a certificate for presentation at his/her graduation ceremony.