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Designing a New Graduation Pathway Option

The most meaningful learning experiences are relevant, engaging, and hands-on. These experiences should prepare students for graduation and their next steps. For some students, a new, performance-based graduation pathway option can align with post-high school goals, inspire greatness, and recognize real-world experiences. To make this new pathway the most meaningful it can be, we need your help designing rules for it.

The truth about adding a performance-based pathway

Chair Bill KallappaAfter three years of research, and with support from communities across Washington, lawmakers in the State House passed House Bill 1308 to add a performance-based option to the graduation pathways requirement.

Tell us about graduation pathway options

It's the end of the school year, let's reflect. Graduation pathway options went into effect for the Class of 2020, but the last two years have been anything but typical. How, after more than two years in a pandemic, do we see our students' pathways to graduation and life after high school? What can our system set as the standard requirements for achieving the Washington State high school diploma? What do our students need?

Graduation pathway options research summary

GraduateNew data has been collected (survey and focus groups) for the second year of a three-year project that will inform the State Board’s understanding of district perceptions regarding the new high school diploma graduation pathway options.

Graduation Pathway Options

Legislation passed in the 2019 session (HB 1599) established multiple graduation pathway options. In 2023, HB 1308 passed establishing the performance-based pathway.

Graduation Pathway Options Report

The Washington Legislature directed the State Board of Education (SBE) to provide an analysis of the equity and adequacy of new graduation pathway options through stakeholder outreach and engagement.

Olympia Community Talks Graduation

Consider an arts option for creative students

New graduation requirements in Washington have sparked important conversations since rules were adopted in November. SBE hosted its third forum on new graduation pathway options for students (required for the Class of 2020 and beyond) in Tumwater this past month. 

Grad Rules and Comment Summary

Rulemaking timelineFollowing the passage of HB 1599 (2019) SBE began the rulemaking process to address changes to the graduation requirements outlined in the bill. The proposed rules address changes based on three other pieces of legislation that made changes to the civics requirement and high school and beyond plan requirement.

Graduation Requirements Rules Adopted

Graduation pathway options have replaced the explicit link between the state assessment and graduation. The Washington State Board of Education (SBE) today adopted rules regarding graduation requirements at a public meeting in Bremerton.  In addition, the rules update the High School and Beyond Plan, and clarify and update credit graduation requirements to align with statute and practice.  

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