The State Board of Education (SBE) is now collecting compliance information annually online from each school district in Washington. The prompts for the 2022-23 collection are provided for respondents to review prior to initiating the collection process.

SBE is responsible for ensuring district compliance with the program of Basic Education, and annually conducts a survey that allows districts to affirm compliance. For the 2022-2023 school year, the survey application and format have been changed to accommodate new reporting requirements for an emergency waiver program in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to address the evolving need to collect information from districts to help improve the state’s K-12 educational system.

The number of questions about credit graduation requirements and the emergency waiver program have been reduced, and a few questions about state-mandated and state-recommended educational elements were added. The purpose of these questions are to 1) help inform districts of requirements and recommendations in current law, and 2) gather information that helps the Board to promote a system that best meets the goals of Basic Education for all students.

SBE staff is reviewing Basic Education submissions from school districts for the 2022-23 school year on a rolling basis and will continue to do so until all school districts are deemed to be in compliance. The Board is expected to formally certify basic education compliance for some school districts at the July Board meeting. SBE staff created a list of school districts that will be recommended for certification as being in compliance with the provision of basic education at the next scheduled Board meeting. Please review the certification status of your school district or LEA on this list.

If your school district completed the basic education submission and is not on the list of tentatively compliant school districts, your submission has one or more issues needing to be addressed before the Board considers formal certification through a Board action. Please take these steps to begin the resolution of your school district’s outstanding compliance issues.

1. Review the PDF attached to the confirmation email sent to the individual submitting the compliance information and responses. The issues needing to be addressed are identified in the bold red font. 
2. Please send an email to Viktoria Bobyleva (Basic Education Manager) explaining the steps your school district is taking and the approximate timeline needed to meet the compliance requirement(s). Please include your "District Name & Basic Education Issue” in the subject line.

SBE staff is committed to resolving any compliance issues as soon as possible.

Per WAC 180-16-195, annual reporting on this form gives assurance to the Board that school districts are in compliance with the minimum requirements of the Basic Education Act under RCW 28A.150.220, as well as related requirements determined by the SBE.

What the does Basic Education Compliance and District Survey Contain?
The survey includes questions regarding minimum access to the program of basic education that allow the state to ensure that students are offered the full breadth of the goals of the program of basic education, specific required or encouraged offering, and the full breadth of  the state learning standards. Focuses of the new and improved basic education survey are described first:

• Instructional hours, days, and school schedules
• State-mandated and state-recommended educational offerings and activities
• Mastery-based learning
• Emergency waiver administration and data from last spring.
• Continuity of Operations Plan to ensure transition to modalities other than in-person in the event of an emergency

A summary of the four following time-related accessibility questions is that they cover the minimum access to time for students to engage in instructional hours or school days. This is the basic entitlement of time to all students. 

For questions or if your school district is out of compliance with any of the requirements, please contact Viktoria Bobyleva, Basic Education Manager.

• Kindergarten Minimum 180-day School Year (RCW 28A.150.203 / RCW 28A.150.220 / RCW 28A.150.315) –Implementation of all-day kindergarten programs must be achieved in the 2017-18 school year.  All-day programs must consist of no fewer than 180 days.
• Kindergarten Total Instructional Hour Offering (RCW 28A.150.203 / RCW28A.150.220 / RCW 28A.150.315) - Implementation of all-day kindergarten programs must be achieved in the 2017-18 school year.  All-day programs must consist of no fewer than 180 days, comprising no fewer than 1,000 hours of instruction.
• Grades 1-12 Minimum 180-Day School Year (RCW 28A.150.220 / RCW 28A.150.203) - The school year is accessible to all legally eligible students and consists of at least 180 school days for students grades 1-12, inclusive of any 180-day waivers granted by the State Board of Education.
• Grades 1-12 Total Instructional Hour Offering (RCW 28A.150.220 / RCW 28A.150.205 / WAC 180-16-200) - The district makes available to students enrolled in grades 1-12 at least a district-wide average 1,000 instructional hours in grades 1-8 and a district-wide average 1,080 instructional hours in grades 9-12, which may be calculated as a district-wide average of 1,027 instructional hours in grades 1-12.

The following is the student’s entitlement to coursework to complete graduation requirements such subject areas and credits, graduation pathway options, the High School and Beyond Plan, and local graduation requirements:

• State High School Graduation Minimum Requirements (RCW 28A.150.220 / RCW 28A.230.090 / WAC 180-51-066) All subject areas are aligned with the state’s high school learning standards and essential academic learning requirements, at a minimum meet grades 9-10 grade level expectations. District high schools meet or exceed all state minimum graduation requirements.