Background:

Educational Attainment Goals.

In 2013 the Student Achievement Council established two educational attainment goals for 2023 that the Legislature adopted in 2014. Those goals are:

All adults in Washington, ages 25-44, will have a high school diploma or equivalent.
At least 70 percent of Washington adults, ages 25-44, will have a postsecondary credential.

Basic Education for Adults.

According to the Washington State Adult Education Plan, 10 percent of the population has less than a twelfth grade education and nearly half of those have less than a ninth grade education. The community and technical colleges (CTCs) are required under the federal Workforce Investment Act of 1998 and reauthorized under the Workforce Innovations and Opportunity Act of 2014 to provide adult education for persons over the age of 16 who are not enrolled, or required to be enrolled, in secondary school under state law, and who:

do not have a high school diploma or degree, or have not achieved an equivalent level of education;
lack sufficient mastery of basic educational skills to function effectively in society; or
are unable to speak, read, or write English.

Adult basic education instruction is designed to help an individual achieve mastery of skills in reading, writing, oral communication, and computation at a level sufficient to function effectively as a parent, worker, and citizen. It also includes English as a second language and preparation and testing services for a high school equivalency certificates. The basic education for adults programs offered at the CTCs include:

Adult Basic Education and English as a Second Language;
Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST);
English literacy and civics education;
High School 21+
High School Equivalency;
Integrated Digital English Acceleration (I-DEA);
Volunteer Literacy Programs;
Washington State College in Prisons; and
WorkFirst.

The CTCs may waive all or a portion of tuition and services and activities fees for students 19 years of age or older who are eligible for resident tuition and are enrolled in a course or program to finish their high school education.

The Caseload Forecast Council.

The Caseload Forecast Council (Forecast Council) is in charge of overseeing the preparation and approval of the official state caseload forecasts. The Forecast Council estimates the number of persons expected to meet entitlement requirements and require the service of: public assistance programs; state correctional institutions; state correctional non-institutional supervision; state institutions for juvenile offenders; the common school system; long-term care; medical assistance; foster care; and adoption support. It also forecasts the number of students eligible for the College Bound Scholarship who are expected to attend an institution of higher education.