State Board of Education. The 16-member State Board of Education (SBE) is comprised of five members elected by geographic regions by school board directors, one member elected by private school directors, seven members appointed by the Governor, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, and two student members.
The SBE has various duties and powers prescribed in statute, including:
The SBE may also grant waivers to districts from the provisions of statutes or rules relating to the length of the school year, student-to-teacher ratios, and other administrative rules that may need to be waived in order for a district to implement a plan for restructuring educational programs within the district.
Basic Education Minimum Instructional Requirements. School districts must meet annual minimum requirements for providing instructional hours and school days. Districts must offer students a district-wide average of at least 1080 hours for students in grades 9 through 12 and a minimum of 1000 instructional hours for students in kindergarten through grade 8. School districts must also offer a minimum of 180 days of instruction each year to students in all grades.
The instructional program of basic education provided by each school district shall also include instruction that provides the students the opportunity to complete 24 credits for high school graduation. Course distribution requirements may be established by the SBE.
Graduation Requirements—Overview. To qualify for graduation from a public high school in Washington, students must satisfy course and credit requirements established by the SBE, meet any locally established requirements, complete a high school and beyond plan, and meet the requirements of at least one graduation pathway option.
School districts, state-tribal education compact schools, and charter public schools are specified as entities eligible to receive waivers from the SBE relating to the requirement that each school district provide the opportunity to complete 24 credits for high school graduation, as well as waivers relating to the length of the school year, student-to-teacher ratios, and other administrative rules that may need to be waived in order for a district to implement a plan for restructuring educational programs within the district.
PRO: The entities in the bill were not spelled out and have been left out of waiver opportunities. These waivers allow kids to explore differing career paths in an appropriate educational setting. The waivers would allow for flexibility for conferencing with families outside of the school day.