Release Date:
SBE held its Board meeting January 13 and 14, and discussed rulemaking, basic education reporting, the upcoming legislative session, mastery-based learning, graduation pathway options, and more. You can find documents from the meeting on SBE’s Simbli page. Find links to recordings (streamed by TVW) on SBE’s meetings page.
Basic Education - The Board approved of 212 districts for compliance with minimum basic education requirements at its December Board meeting. The remaining 77 districts were approved at the January Board meeting.
Districts have resolved several compliance concerns during the basic education reporting process that include provision of:
- Minimum 180-day school year
- Minimum instructional hour requirements and how they were calculated
- At least two credits of laboratory science
- At least three credits of science
- Total of at least 24 credits
- Electronic High School and Beyond Plan tool
- Approval by Chair of Board and Superintendent
- Other requirements outlined in the reporting form and certification
Several new questions yield interesting information about the number of instructional hours and school days required, mastery-based learning, reopening plans, High School and Beyond Plans, and subject area graduation requirements.
Rulemaking - The Board adopted final permanent rules for Chapter 180-19 WAC (Charter Schools) and Chapter 180-16 WAC (Support for Public Schools). See the following adopted exhibits:
- Exhibit B: Adoption of Chapter 180-16 WAC: State Support for Public Schools - Final Permanent Rules
- Exhibit C: Adoption of Chapter 180-19 WAC: Charter Schools - Final Permanent Rules
Student Panel - Association of Washington Student Leaders (AWSL) members presented ideas for improving the education system. SBE Board members Margarita Amezcua and McKenna Roberts were joined by AWSL student leaders Shreya Mehta and Thien Nguyen.
Legislative Session Kick-off - Staff provided an update on the status of the State Board of Education's legislative requests, what to expect for the remote session, committee membership, and other updates. Find the 2021 legislative platform, as well as information about SBE’s request legislation here: www.sbe.wa.gov/waleg.
Mastery-based Learning - The Mastery-based Learning (MBL) Work Group has examined opportunities to increase student access to relevant and robust mastery-based academic pathways aligned to personal career goals and postsecondary education, and reviewed the role of the High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) in supporting mastery-based learning. The group’s recommendations are highlighted in the 2020 report, submitted December 1. SBE members discussed these recommendations and the implications they have for SBE’s future work on graduation requirements. Find an abbreviated, graphic version of the report on SBE’s web page about MBL.
Graduation Update/Pathway Options Research - The Board heard about graduation data from spring 2020 from Dr. Deb Came, Assistant Superintendent for Assessment and Student Information, OSPI. On behalf of the Board, Strobel Consulting will conduct the survey of districts about graduation pathway options (required by Legislation). In addition, the 2021 research on graduation pathway options will include follow-up to the previous 2019-2020 survey of stakeholders.
- Video presentation about Strobel Consulting Year II Work Plan
- Student Board member remarks on graduation (video)
- OSPI data presentation (PDF)
- OSPI data presentation (video)
Upcoming Board meeting
The next meeting is scheduled for March 10-11, 2021. The agenda and materials will be posted one week in advance of the meeting on SBE’s meetings page.
PDF version of this recap: January 2021 Board meeting recap.