Over the past several years, the Washington Legislature has specified elements that all High School and Beyond Plans must contain. The required elements include the following:

• an identification of career goals, aided by a skills and interest assessment;
• an identification of educational goals;
• a four-year plan for high school course-taking that fulfills state and local graduation requirements and aligns with the student's career, training, and educational goals;
• options for satisfying state and local graduation requirements, taking into account academic acceleration (RCW 28A.320.195), dual credit courses, Career and Technical Education programs, and graduation pathway options;
• evidence the student has received information on federal and state financial aid programs (including the College Bound Scholarship program) that pay for postsecondary programs;
• The documentation necessary for completing state and federal financial aid applications; application timeliness and submission deadlines; and the importance of submitting applications early;
• Information specific to students who are or have been the subject of a dependency proceeding pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW, who are or are at risk of being homeless, and whose family member or legal guardian will be required to provide financial and tax information necessary to complete applications;
• Opportunities to participate in advising days and seminars that assist students and, when necessary, their parents or legal guardians, with filling out financial aid applications in accordance with RCW 28A.300.815;
• and by the end of twelfth grade, a current resume or activity log that provides a written compilation of the student's education, any work experience, and any community service and how the school district recognized the community service.

In addition the High School and Beyond Plan must also:

• be revised as necessary for changing interests, goals, and needs of the student.
• be updated to inform junior year course taking.
• identify available interventions and academic support, courses, or both, that enable students who have not met the high school graduation assessment standards to do so.
• be advised for an 8th grade student who has not learned a Level 3 on middle school state assessment in math, the student must take a math course in both 9th and 10th grades.
• for a student who takes a career and technical education (CTE) course that has been determined to be equivalent to an academic core course (a CTE course equivalency), include a record of a certificate of CTE course completion. The academic course is recorded on the students’ transcript and the record that the student completed a CTE course is part of the High School and Beyond Plan.
• for students with an individualized education program (IEP), the HSBP must be updated in alignment with their school to postschool transition plan, and be updated in a similar manner and with similar school personnel as for all other students.