Members of the Task Force met for their first meeting on January 31 at ESD 113 in Tumwater, Washington. This diverse group of about 35 individuals represented students, families, community organizations, K-12 and post-secondary education, employers, and policymakers. The goal of this first meeting was to lay the groundwork for robust discussions in future meetings by engaging in level-setting activities that helped all members have a similar foundation. The session included:  

• An overview of the FutureReady Initiative, which aims to update Washington State’s high school graduation requirements to better prepare students for success in postsecondary education, careers, civic engagement, and life-long learning.   

• A presentation from the Education Commission of the States looking at common elements included in other state graduation requirements and the impact of graduation requirements on student readiness and outcomes. This was followed by a discussion on tradeoffs for pulling different policy levers.  

• A presentation from the Washington Roundtable looking at Washington's future workforce projections and the gap in students going on to earn postsecondary credentials needed to meet workforce demands.

During the meeting, the Task Force created Venn diagrams that explored how Washingtons State’s graduation requirements might not fully support all students or provide enough opportunities in key areas (“Not Enough”), while also considering aspects that may be overly complex, burdensome, or restrictive (“Too Much”).

Members also discussed what “success” means for Washington’s high school graduates, focusing on readiness for post-secondary education, careers, civic engagement, and life-long learning. To ensure a wide range of perspectives, they developed questions to gather feedback from colleagues, families, students, and communities in preparation for Meeting #2.  

The Task Force’s next meeting is scheduled for March 21, 2025. The location will be announced soon.