Legislative Priorities
Newly adopted: 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
Agency request legislation
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 on this request. Check out the latest blog post featuring examples of performance-based pathways: What does performance-based mean?
Budget request
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.
- Download the one-pager on this request.
- See video and learn more about student testimony on this bill.
- Read the blog post "Student Members Get the Vote!" and see the House of Representatives debate.
Legislative priorities from previous sessions:
- 2022 Legislative Platform
- 2021 Legislative Platform
- 2020 Legislative Platform
- 2019 Legislative Platform
- 2018 Legislative Priorities
- 2017 Legislative Priorities
- February 2016 letter to the Legislature regarding the budget
- 2016 Legislative Priorities
Contact information: