The Washington State Board of Education is rethinking how students earn a high school diploma — and we need your voice. We’re asking for input from communities across the state to make sure the new requirements reflect what students really need to be prepared for their future. We know that meaningful change can't happen without hearing directly from the people most affected. This input will be used by the Board to inform its FutureReady initiative, a project aimed at updating Washington State high school graduation requirements to better prepare students for the future.

This is where you come in! We invite you to host a listening session to hear directly from students, families, educators, and community members about what’s working and what needs to change.

About this Toolkit

This toolkit is for anyone who wants to host a conversation in their school, community, or organization. It contains:

• Information on the FutureReady initiative
• Discussion questions to guide discussions
• Educational resources about current Washington Graduation Requirements
• Resources to help you facilitate effective listening sessions.

You and your community's feedback will help shape graduation requirements that support a student’s success in whatever their next endeavor is after high school.

View the Toolkit

 

Questions We'd Like Your Input On

Discussion Topic: High School & Beyond Plan

The FutureReady Task Force is considering making improvements to the HSBP process through additional guidance, reflection, and improved relevancy. ​We have heard feedback about incorporating more practical life skills (adulting 101) in the school day, such as financial education, cooking, and managing a home and are finding ways to include that. ​

We are interested in hearing what would be helpful when completing the HSPB, including the types of guidance students should receive, how time is dedicated to completing the HSPB, and what a final demonstration of a reflection might look like.

• What would have been helpful/relevant when working on your HSBP? Please be specific about tasks, outcomes, or guidance. 

• What felt unnecessary or unhelpful during the HSBP? Please be specific. 

• Would you be interested in dedicated time during the school day to work on your HSBP activities and practical life skills with guidance? (e.g., a standalone 0.5 credit course, advisory time, other?) 

• If there were a reflection to be completed in your senior year for you to connect all of the activities and classes you’ve done throughout high school to your next steps (giving you an opportunity to practice for interviews,  writing cover letters and resumes, talking about your accomplishments, etc.), how would you structure that? 

  • If there were a final demonstration of your reflection, such as a presentation or exit interview, what components would make that feel most relevant? 

Discussion Topic: Credit & Subject Area Requirements

The Task Force is in the process of determining credit and subject area requirements. We have some specific areas where feedback would be appreciated to inform final decisions.

• Financial Education: Where should financial education live within the credit requirements?  

  • Should it be required for graduation (whether that is done through a standalone course or integrated into other courses)?  

  • Note: Districts must already offer access to financial education standards to students.  

• Career & Technical (CTE): Should all students be required to take a CTE course to graduate, or should this be offered by a school to all students while allowing students to substitute it for another course that more closely aligns with their postsecondary plans? CTE courses are opportunities for students to receive applied learning of a variety of skills, including career specific technical skills, practical life skills, and academic skills. ​

  • Note: CTE course equivalencies would continue under the proposed framework, allowing approved CTE courses to meet both CTE and academic subject area requirements (such as English Language Arts). The key policy question is whether all students should be required to complete a CTE course focused on applied technical skills, or whether students should have the option to not take a CTE course so they can focus on other courses of interest. Additionally, we are exploring changes to the 2-for-1 policy that would allow students to earn both CTE credit and the corresponding academic credit, rather than meeting two requirements while earning only one credit toward the 24-credit total.​

Resources for Organizing & Submitting Your Notes

Listening Session Summary Form
The final step to hosting a session is sharing your notes with the State Board so they can include your insights in the next phase of the project! Please complete this form to submit feedback.

Important Note!​
Any communication sent to State Board of Education staff or Board members is subject to public disclosure under Washington’s Public Records Act. This means that members of the public may request access to emails, photos, videos, voice recordings, handwritten notes, and other submitted materials.

Other Resources

Listening Session Resources Folder
We’ve compiled all the documents and resources referenced in the toolkit in a Google Drive folder for easy download.

FutureReady Frequently Asked Questions
Our FutureReady FAQ section answers many of the questions we've received about the initiative.

FutureReady Informational Brochure
This document provides a high-level overview of the FutureReady initiative and key objectives.