Washington’s Board of Education proposes new high school graduation requirements

Washington high school students are required to complete 24 credit hours. That number won’t change, but personalized credit opportunities would be expanded.  

In September, the board is expected to vote on a final proposal, which would then be sent to the Legislature for consideration in next year’s session. The soonest any changes would take effect is for the class of 2031. 

While drafting the graduation requirements over two years, members of the board’s FutureReady Task Force spoke with hundreds of students, families and educators and consulted with federally recognized tribes.

“Our students, and communities whose voices are not often at the education policy table, have clearly communicated the provisions they want to see — and we are listening,” said Mary Fertakis, chair of the Washington State Board of Education. 

Under the proposal, students would be required to take 15 credits of core classes instead of 17. The number of credits under what’s called the Personalized Pathway Requirements would increase from three to five.  

The personalized track currently includes two standard credits of global languages and an art class. The existing art credit would be classified as a core credit and the global languages requirement would remain unchanged.

In addition to three math credits, the proposal would also require a quantitative reasoning course, which could include Algebra II, statistics, a math-based technical course, or chemistry, for example, said Colton Kaltenfeldt, communications manager for the board. 

Schools would be required to offer two new classes for the personalized track: a half-credit health course and a one-credit course teaching financial literacy and life skills and dedicating time for students to work on their High School and Beyond Plans, according to Kaltenfeldt.

The board proposal recommends developing a statewide model curriculum for the latter course while allowing the subject matter to be taught as one class or spread among multiple classes, according to the proposal. 

State schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal proposed a similar course to the board for consideration in July, but his Postsecondary Launch Course would combine the existing half credit of civics with another half credit in financial literacy and postsecondary readiness. Board members felt that financial literacy and civics would each need more instruction time beyond half a credit. 

The existing career and technical education requirement would remain as a default course that most students would complete, but the proposal would allow students to earn two credits in the course if they demonstrate proficiency in both technical and academic course standards. Students could also choose another course offering more suited with their goals. 

Lastly, the proposal would combine the existing civics course with the existing contemporary world problems course to create a year-long one credit class. 

Under the proposal, the new graduation requirements would not take effect until implementation costs were funded by the Legislature, Kaltenfeldt said. 

Washington school board members are wary of any new mandates the Legislature may pass, citing ongoing financial strain due to a lack of state funding. 

Ronda Litzenberger, Eatonville School Board president, said there are unseen implementation costs for new graduation requirements such as curriculum adoption, professional development for teachers, updates to information systems, communication with students and families among others. 

“The question isn’t whether financial literacy is important, it absolutely is,” Litzenberger said. “The question is whether the state will provide the resources needed to teach it … Otherwise, well-intentioned policy risks widening the gap between large, well-resourced districts and the small rural districts that are already doing more with less.” 

Meanwhile, Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desire for a requirement that students complete the Federal Application for Free Student Aid, or the state-equivalent Washington Application for State Financial Aid, is not in the board’s proposal.