Legislative Priorities

Newly adopted: 2024 Legislative Platform
2023 Legislative Platform

At the November 2022 meeting, the Board adopted its 2023 legislative platform. It includes descriptions of requests and focuses on three priorities:

Support the whole child to create the conditions needed for learning
Enhance relevance and personalization of the student learning experience
Expand and strengthen opportunities for powerful learning

Expand graduation pathway options

The Board submitted agency request legislation (HB 1308) to expand graduation pathway options. The proposal would add a performance-based pathway to the options that school districts may offer. This new option would allow students to show what they know and can do in real-world, hands-on ways that align with their individual goals for after high school. In addition, the proposal clarifies the purpose of graduation pathways and establishes ongoing data and monitoring requirements at the state and local levels.

See the bill information
Download a descriptive two-pager
Check out examples of performance-based pathways: What does performance-based mean?
The truth about adding a performance-based pathway, by Chair, Bill Kallappa

HB 1308 status updates

February 6: public hearing held by the House Education Committee (video)
February 13: the House Education Committee passed HB 1308 out of committee
March 2: passed off the House floor with a vote of 63 Yeas, 34 Nays, 1 Excused
March 13: public hearing held by the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee (video)
March 23: the Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education Committee passed HB 1308 out of committee after adopting a striking amendment that focuses the pathway in English and math
April 5: passed off the Senate floor with a vote of 47 Yeas, 1 Nay, 1 Excused
April 19: passed by the Legislature (announcement)
May 9: signed by the Governor

Expand mastery-based learning

In addition, the Board submitted a budget request to expand mastery-based learning. See a copy of the Decision Package. The Governor’s 2023-25 budget proposal includes full funding for this request.

Previous agency request legislation

SSB 5497 - Student Board Member Vote passed and was signed by Governor Inslee.

The State Board of Education is a 16-member board, including two student members. Under previous law, all the members can vote except for the student members. This bill extended voting authority to the student members on the Board, allowing them to vote in the same manner as other members. Granting student members an official vote helps make the Board more student-centered and responsive to the people most directly impacted by the Board’s policy decisions.