December Meeting Recap

Release Date:

On December 7, the Board met to discuss and adopt rules on graduation pathways, discuss a draft of the annual charter schools report, and approve the draft strategic plan (outlining Board work moving forward through 2028). The Board also welcomed a panel to discuss the need to extend the emergency waiver for certain graduation requirements.

It was the final meeting for member and Eastern Washington representative, MJ Bolt. For her last in-person meeting in Yakima, Chair Bill Kallappa and members honored her with memories and a native blanket ceremony as a tribute to her last eight years on the Board.

Find the agenda, supporting materials, and links to TVW’s video footage of the December 7 meeting on SBE’s meeting site.

Highlights:

Performance-based Graduation Pathway Option – The Board adopted rules to implement a performance-based graduation pathway option. This new option will allow students to meet the graduation pathway requirement by showing what they know and can do in real-world ways that align with their individual goals for after high school. The Board is working with partners to develop proficiency targets for the new pathway option, as well as guidance and tools. Guidance, tools, and targets to support the new pathway option will be available in February.

Emergency Waiver – Guests and panelists for this segment were Roz Thompson and Scott Friedman of the Association of Washington School Principals, Jenny Morgan of the Washington School Counselors’ Association, and Dr. Maija Delaquin, executive director of Innovation and Career & College Readiness for the Puyallup School District. The panelists represent school personnel who are requesting an extension of the Graduation Requirements Emergency Waiver to allow for a waiver of the pathway requirement for students graduating this school year. The Board discussed whether today’s situation fits the purpose and intent of the emergency waiver and asked staff to draft proposed rules for further consideration at an upcoming special meeting to be scheduled for January. No policy decision has yet been made. Even with the waiver extended, school districts should continue their good faith efforts to support students in completing a graduation pathway.

Charter Schools Report – The Board reviewed a draft of the annual charter schools report. The report noted that overall, students attending Washington charter schools perform similar to or better than similar students attending traditional public schools (TPS). In addition, charter school students identifying as Black or African Americans, students who are English learners, and students qualifying for the Free and Reduced Price Lunch program (FRL) outperform their matched TPS peers. On nearly all the traditional education outcome measures, charter school students perform as well or better than students at traditional public schools.

Strategic Plan – The Board discussed priorities for the next Strategic Plan, including what work the Board should focus on to improve the K-12 education system over the next four years. The Strategic Plan provides a long term vision by establishing priorities and initiatives that guide the Board’s work, the issues addressed during public meetings, and the policies advocated for or adopted by the Board. The draft was approved and will serve as the interim plan. The final adoption of the plan is scheduled for June 2024.

Upcoming Board Meeting

The next meeting is scheduled for February 14-15 in Olympia. The Board has shifted its meetings calendar to come together on even months of the year. The agenda and materials will be posted one week in advance of the meeting on SBE’s meetings page.