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State Board of Education September 2026 Meeting Recap |
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The Board approved agency request legislation to comprehensively update Washington's high school graduation requirements. The request will be presented to the Legislature for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.
The FutureReady proposal includes changes that require action by the Legislature and changes that fall within the Board's existing rulemaking authority. The Board will develop draft rules in fall 2026 and is expected to consider draft rule language during its October 2026 meeting. The Board will share additional information about the rulemaking process and opportunities for public comment as it becomes available.
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The request would provide funding to continue supporting educators with professional learning opportunities, maintenance grants, resources, and other supports to help schools successfully implement mastery-based learning, also known as competency-based education (CBE).
If funded, the request would support:
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Continuation of the MBLC demonstration project: This includes grant funding for participating schools, educator professional development, statewide networking opportunities, and SBE administrative and technical assistance.
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Continuation of project evaluation: The evaluation would support continuous improvement by monitoring implementation progress as well as developing accountability measures.
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Maintenance of a statewide resource suite: Resources would support school districts in implementing CBE, including development of high-quality, relevant materials such as performance-based assessments, model rubrics with scoring criteria, competencies aligned to learning standards, and model policies.
What is the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative?
The Mastery-based Learning Collaborative is a statewide demonstration project led by SBE that launched in 2021 to support schools in implementing culturally responsive CBE practices across Washington. The project currently supports 40 schools across 28 districts, reaching over 18,000 students.
A multi-year evaluation of the project found increased student engagement, stronger teacher-student relationships, more culturally responsive practices, and greater student voice among schools with higher levels of implementation.
In addition to supporting individual schools in adopting CBE practices, the MBLC provides insights that can inform future policy, including what high-quality CBE looks like, the time required for implementation and the resources schools need to be successful.
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