Graduation Requirements.
To qualify for a high school diploma, public school students must satisfy credit and subject area requirements established by the Legislature and the State Board of Education (SBE), fulfill any locally established requirements, complete a High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP), and meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway option.
Although graduation requirements are largely developed at the state level and subject to frequent revisions, determinations about student compliance with statewide requirements are made at the local level.
High School and Beyond Plans.
General Requirements. Each student must complete an HSBP. The purpose of the HSBP is to guide the student's high school experience and inform course taking that is aligned with the student's goals for education or training and career after high school.
The HSBP must be initiated for students during grades 7 or 8 and must contain specific, minimum elements prescribed in statute, including the identification of career and education goals, information about dual credit programs, a four-year plan for high school course taking, and certain scholarship and financial aid information. For students who are not on track to graduate, the HSBP must identify available interventions and academic support, courses, or both, that are designed to enable those students to meet graduation requirements. The HSBP must also be updated to reflect student results on statewide high school assessments and revised as necessary for changing interests, goals, and needs.
School districts are encouraged to involve parents and guardians in the process of developing and updating the HSBP, and the HSBP must be provided to the students' parents or guardians in their native language if that language is one of the two most frequently spoken non-English languages of students in the district.
In addition to statutory requirements, school districts may establish local HSBP requirements that serve the needs and interests of their students, but all determinations of whether a student has met the requirements for an HSBP remain at the local level.
Electronic Platform. Legislation adopted in 2019 required school districts, beginning in the 2020-21 school year, to ensure that an electronic HSBP platform is available to all students who are obligated to have an HSBP.
The 2019 legislation directed the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), subject to specific legislative funding, to facilitate the creation of a list of available electronic platforms for the HSBP. Platforms that are eligible for inclusion on the list must meet delineated requirements, including: enabling students to create and revise their HSBPs; granting parents, guardians, educators, and counselors appropriate access to students' HSBPs; and allowing for portability between platforms for students that transfer.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
In addition to its constitutional charge of supervising all matters pertaining to public schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction and its office have numerous and broad responsibilities prescribed in statute, including:
High School and Beyond Plans.
General Requirements. New and revised requirements for HSBPs are established. For example, the modified requirements direct school districts to:
School districts are also strongly encouraged to partner with student-serving, community-based organizations that support career and college exploration and preparation for postsecondary and career pathways. Partnerships may include HSBP coordination and planning, data sharing agreements, and safe and secure access to individual student's HSBPs.
Requirements governing the minimum elements that must be included in an HSBP are modified. For example, an academic plan for course taking, one of the required elements of an HSBP, must:
Universal Online Platform.
The OSPI is directed to facilitate the transition to a universal online HSBP platform (universal platform) that will ensure consistent and equitable access to the needed information and support to guide students' educational experience and ensure preparation for their postsecondary plans.
Vendor List. By January 1, 2024, the OSPI must develop a preliminary list of existing vendors that can provide or build a universal platform that meets numerous, delineated requirements. The OSPI must submit the list of vendors and estimated costs associated with statewide implementation of the universal platform to the Governor and the education policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature.
Vendor Selection. Subject to funding requirements, the OSPI, by June 1, 2024, must select the vendor that will be responsible for developing the universal platform. The OSPI, however, may partner with existing community and regional networks and organizations who support students' career and college preparation in the analysis, selection, and implementation of the universal platform.
Implementation Plan. By October 1, 2024, the OSPI must develop an implementation plan that includes both an estimated timeline and updated cost estimates. The implementation plan must also include the technical assistance, technology updates, maintenance requirements, adjustments to the technology funding formula, and statewide professional development that may be needed for completing statewide implementation of the universal platform.
The plan may include a cost alternative for Educational Service Districts to host the universal platform for school districts of the second class when such a district does not have sufficient technology resources to implement and maintain the universal platform.
Platform Elements and Capabilities. In addition to the requirements established in provisions governing HSBPs, the universal platform must have the capability to be routinely updated and modified to include 16 specified elements and capabilities to ensure equity in HSBP implementation and engagement. Examples of these elements and capabilities include:
Mandatory Student Access. Within two years of the OSPI completing the universal platform development requirements and alignment with technical and substantive requirements for HSBPs, school districts must provide students with access to the adopted universal platform.
Guidance and Technical Assistance. The OSPI must develop guidance and provide technical assistance and support for the facilitation of statewide professional development for school districts and partner organizations in using the universal platform.
Stakeholder Input. In selecting a vendor and meeting other requirements related to the transition to the universal platform, the OSPI must seek input from agencies and persons with specified qualifications, including the SBE, educators, school and district administrators, school counselors, career counseling specialists, families, students, and the Student Achievement Council.
Transition to Online Learning Platform and Promoting Student Choice in Meeting Graduation Requirements.
After selection of the vendor for the universal platform, the OSPI, in consultation with the SBE, must report to the Governor and education committees of the Legislature recommendations for additional policy changes related to transitioning the HSBP and the universal platform into a more robust online learning platform that:
In addition to the HSBP minimum content elements, the recommendations should examine and incorporate the following elements:
The SBE must develop recommendations regarding how the HSBP could be modified to further support student choice and flexibility in meeting graduation requirements and preparing students for postsecondary education and training, including increasing access to mastery-based learning and mastery-based crediting opportunities. The SBE must report the recommendations to the Governor and education committees of the Legislature by August 1, 2025.
Other Changes.
The list of entities that the OSPI must work with for purposes of identifying best practices that school districts may employ when complying with HSBP requirements is modified to include nonprofit and for-profit private institutions of higher education.
Provisions requiring school districts to prepare student learning plans meeting specified requirements for students who did not meet standard on high school assessments in English language arts or mathematics are repealed.
The amended bill changes the engrossed second substitute bill by adding:
(In support) The HSBP is an important component in our education system, but it is implemented many ways, from a paper checklist to an electronic platform. The different platforms may be difficult for students. Efforts to contact the larger companies that provide HSBP platforms were made, but they did not want to speak with the sponsor of the legislation. School counselors have high workloads and cannot know the history of each student. Schools need a platform that will enable them to collect information on each student. Language is an issue—HSBPs are not always understood by non-English speakers, but this issue can be solved by technology. Other states are interested in what Washington is doing, and perhaps the state could license an HSPB platform to other states. An extensible platform is needed and the costs associated with an electronic platform is within the state's means.
There is support for a meaningful platform that can be used by students. Stakeholders want the legislation to recognize the work of school districts that are already using or working on platforms. One district has prepared a framework that works for its needs, while another has an electronic HSBP option that begins in sixth grade and is available in many languages.
An online tool that students and staff can access is important. Many benefits will result from accessibility, and creating input for the development of online plans will build support, increase equity, and increase successful implementation.
Stakeholders support the enhancements of the HSPB and the platform provision in the bill. A statewide online platform will provide consistency and include student privacy provisions. The option for having Educational Service Districts host the platforms is supported. If students move, the information will be portable and will help build post-secondary success rather than a list of completed high school activities.
The OSPI wants equitable student access to HSBP platforms and associated information. There are more than a dozen platforms being used, and this creates problems for some students who move. Some school districts have invested time and resources for their own platforms, but all students need access to platform. This bill has been heavily stakeholdered. The OSPI looks forward to when all students have access to the platform in a way that does not vary by zip code.
The creation of a statewide platform is a step in the right direction. Advocates want to ensure there is sufficient support and local flexibility for the statewide platform. Students should be provided dedicated time to complete their HSBPs.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) A universal platform is unnecessary and undermines the substantial investments that many school districts have made. Some districts have platforms that are meeting student and district requirements. The transition to a new system will have challenges. The OSPI should instead be directed to develop standards that will allow districts to select platforms that meet their unique needs.