Weekly Update | January 5

January 2021 Meeting Preview The Board will meet virtually on Zoom January 13-14. Agenda items include rulemaking, a student panel discussion, ethnic studies and culturally responsive education, basic education, mastery-based learning, graduation pathways, and more. Download a copy of the tentative agenda and find the Zoom information on SBE's meetings page.

Partner Highlights WA Digital TeachKit (Washington Library Association) Imagining 2021 (Stories from School) Podcast – The 2021 Washington state Teachers of the Year (League of Education Voters) Education Policy and Budget Highlights (Office of the Governor) Broad View Leveraging Out-of-School STEM Programs During COVID-19 (National Science Teaching Association) Finalists Named For AASA’s 2021 National Superintendent Of The Year® (AASA) An Open Letter To President-Elect Biden: A Tutoring Marshall Plan To Heal Our Students (Robert Slavin's Blog) Around Washington Washington grads for Washington businesses (Seattle Times) Washington’s 2020 graduation rate sets record as 6 Clark County high schools stand out (The Columbian) Gene Sharratt and Sue Kane: Education beyond high school is essential for economic recovery (Wenatchee World) Here’s what the COVID pandemic did to Tri-Cities high school graduation rates (Tri-City Herald) Washington High School Seniors Set Graduation Rate Records This Year (The Daily Chronicle)

Mastery-based Learning in Washington Schools Several schools in Washington embody some of the characteristics of the Mastery-based Learning Work Group’s vision for mastery-based education. Find out more about what's happening around the state on SBE's latest blog post: WA School Examples of Mastery-based Learning. Special thanks to Delta High School (Pasco), Avanti High School (Olympia), and Enumclaw High School (Enumclaw) for sharing your stories with the State Board and MBL Work Group!

Legislative Requests and Platform: Now Live on sbe.wa.gov SBE's 2021 legislative priorities and request legislation information are now viewable on the State Board's web page dedicated to this topic: sbe.wa.gov/waleg. Request legislation includes: emergency waiver of graduation requirements, emergency waiver of instructional hours and days at private schools, new graduation credit and pathway options, and support for Mastery-based learning.

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

The SBE Vision: An education system where students are engaged in personalized education pathways that prepare them for civic engagement, careers, postsecondary education, and lifelong learning.