Media contact
Colton Kaltenfeldt
Colton.Kaltenfeldt@k12.wa.us
The Washington State Board of Education works to make school personal for all students in our state. The Board makes rules that help students focus on their needs and set the state's requirements for graduation. The Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) which supports school boards in our state, runs the election for elected seats, and the Governor appoints the rest.
The Board’s 16 members consist of:
- Two students
- The Superintendent of Public Instruction
- A Private schools representative
- Five elected members by WSSDA
- Seven appointed members by the Governor
You can learn more about our board members on the bio page.
Where Does Our Authority Come From?
"The purpose of the state board of education is to provide advocacy and strategic oversight of public education; implement a standards-based accountability framework that creates a unified system of increasing levels of support for schools in order to improve student academic achievement; provide leadership in the creation of a system that personalizes education for each student and respects diverse cultures, abilities, and learning styles; and promote achievement of the goals of RCW 28A.150.210." — RCW 28A.305.130
What Are Our Major Duties?
Advocacy and Strategic Oversight of Public Education
The Board provides a public forum to develop policies and provide advocacy to support a system of education that responds to individual student goals and community needs. It also provides leadership in the creation of a system that personalizes education for each student and respects diverse cultures, abilities, and learning styles.
Rulemaking
The State Board of Education adopts rules (WAC 180), as assigned by the Legislature, to carry out the law. View our rulemaking docket here.
Legislative Advocacy
The Board elevates key priorities for legislative consideration and foster community engagement in platform development. View our legislative priorities here.
High School Graduation & Learning Standards
The Board establishes credit and non-credit requirements for high school graduation, determines threshold scores for assessments, and alternatives to meet graduation requirements. Here are a few ways the Board supports this work:
FutureReady
FutureReady is an initiative aimed at updating Washington State high school graduation requirements to better prepare students for the future. The goal is to empower students with the essential knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a changing world, while streamlining the graduation requirements framework to promote accessibility and equity.
The Board recognizes that meaningful reform cannot be achieved by its efforts alone. Robust stakeholder engagement and public involvement are essential to developing a framework that reflects our educational community's diverse perspectives and priorities. To this end, the Board is convening a task force with subcommittees and community liaisons to facilitate comprehensive stakeholder engagement aimed at informing the Board’s proposal development. This structured approach will ensure that the voices of various stakeholders, especially those historically underserved by the education system, are heard and integrated into the development process.
Mastery-Based Learning Collaborative (MBLC)
In 2021, the Washington State Mastery-based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) was launched, led by the State Board of Education with support from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Professional Educator Standards Board.
The project aims to:
- Showcase effective practices for implementing culturally responsive and sustaining Mastery-based Learning (MBL).
- Develop and share tools and resources to support educators in adopting an MBL approach.
- Provide professional learning opportunities for teachers, principals, counselors, and other in-service educators.
The collaborative is helping 47 schools in 28 districts transition to mastery-based learning (MBL), collectively serving approximately 18,000 students.
High School & Beyond Plan (HSBP)
The Board adopt rules (WAC180-51-220) for local school district implementation of the State's High School & Beyond Plan graduation requirement. (RCW 28A.230.212)
Basic Education Compliance
The Board has the following responsibilities related to basic education compliance:
- Adopts rules and monitor compliance with a standards-based program of basic education (Chapter 180-16 WAC)
- Approve private schools operating in Washington (Chapter 180-90 WAC)
- Approve and monitor districts wishing to authorize charter schools (Chapter 180-19 WAC)
Educational System Health, Accountability & Recognition
The Board adopts goals for the system, consults with OSPI to develop, maintain, and report on the state assessment system, establishes the index for system accountability and metrics for system health, and identifies criteria and approves districts for recognition and improvement.
System Health Report
Every two years, the Board prepares a report on the state’s progress in meeting the goals established for each indicator and makes recommendations for improvement.
Accountability
Adopt performance improvement goals, identify the scores students must achieve to meet standards on statewide assessments, and periodically report and recommend improvements.
Washington State School Recognition Program
The Board collaborates with OSPI and the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC) to recognize schools who are among the best in the state. There are three routes for schools to be honored by the Washington School Recognition Program:
Closing Gaps: These schools make significant advancements for all students or specific student groups in the area identified for improvement.
Growth: These schools have at least one student group among the highest performers on at least 60% of WSIF measures.
Achievement: These schools show high performance on at least two of the following measures: attendance, dual credit completion, English language arts (ELA) assessments, graduation rates, math assessments, and ninth grade on-track.
