Competency-based education

AN ACT Relating to supporting the implementation of competency-1
based education; amending RCW 28A.230.125; adding a new chapter to 2
Title 28A RCW; and repealing RCW 28A.300.810. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The definitions in this section apply 5
throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires 6
otherwise.7
(1) "Competencies" mean the rigorous, shared expectations for 8
learning that encompass knowledge, skills, and abilities across grade 9
levels. Competencies are broader than learning standards and may 10
encompass multiple learning standards. Competencies are transparent, 11
measurable, relevant, and transferable to multiple contexts.12
(2)(a) "Competency-based education" means education that includes 13
the following elements: 14
(i) Students are empowered daily to make important decisions 15
about their learning experiences, how they will create and apply 16
knowledge, and how they will demonstrate their learning;17
(ii) Assessment is a meaningful, positive, and empowering 18
learning experience for students that yields timely, relevant, and 19
actionable evidence; 20
S-0179.2
SENATE BILL 5189
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Wellman, Dhingra, Harris, Nobles, C. Wilson, Kauffman,
Hasegawa, and Saldaña
Prefiled 01/08/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
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(iii) Students receive timely, differentiated support based on 1
their individual learning needs; 2
(iv) Students progress based on evidence of mastery, not seat 3
time; 4
(v) Students learn actively using different pathways and varied 5
pacing; 6
(vi) Strategies to ensure equity for all students are embedded in 7
the culture, structure, and pedagogy of schools and education 8
systems; and 9
(vii) Rigorous, common expectations for learning, including 10
knowledge, skills, and dispositions, are explicit, transparent, 11
measurable, and transferable. 12
(b) "Mastery-based learning" has the same meaning as "competency-13
based education." 14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) By September 1, 2025, the office of 15
the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to 16
authorize full-time enrollment funding for students enrolled in 17
competency-based education programs identified by the state board of 18
education based on:19
(a) School membership in the mastery-based learning collaborative 20
established in section 502 (2), chapter 334, Laws of 2021 or the 21
school having a current waiver from credit-based graduation 22
requirements granted by the state board of education under RCW 23
28A.300.750; or 24
(b) The process developed by the state board of education under 25
section 3 of this act. 26
(2) Rules adopted pursuant to this section must permit school 27
districts to report full-time equivalent students in eligible 28
competency-based education programs for general apportionment 29
funding. 30
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The state board of education shall 31
design and recommend a process to identify and designate schools and 32
school districts that are implementing competency-based education and 33
identify costs associated with this process. This process must 34
consider the extent to which competency-based education is being 35
implemented as compared to the seven elements of the definition in 36
section 1 of this act. The office of the superintendent of public 37
instruction shall consult with the state board of education on how 38
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this designation can be displayed on the Washington state report card 1
website. 2
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in 3
consultation with the state board of education, shall develop and 4
recommend a process for the office of the superintendent of public 5
instruction to create competencies aligned with the state learning 6
standards and identify costs associated with this process. This 7
process must incorporate relevant materials and guidance developed 8
through the mastery-based learning collaborative established in 9
section 502 (2), chapter 334, Laws of 2021. The office of the 10
superintendent of public instruction shall submit the recommendations 11
and associated costs developed in accordance with this subsection to 12
the state board of education by December 1, 2025. 13
(3) The state board of education shall include the 14
recommendations and associated costs developed in accordance with 15
this section in the report required by section 502 (2), chapter 475, 16
Laws of 2023 that is due December 31, 2025. 17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The Washington interscholastic activities 18
association shall include in its rule adoption process a review of 19
whether the rule would create any potential barriers related to 20
students participating in competency-based education in order to 21
ensure continued equitable access to interscholastic activities for 22
those students.23
Sec. 5. RCW 28A.230.125 and 2024 c 202 s 5 are each amended to 24
read as follows: 25
(1) ((The)) (a) Before the 2026-27 school year, the 26
superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the four-27
year institutions as defined in RCW 28B.76.020, the state board for 28
community and technical colleges, the state board of education, and 29
the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall 30
develop and update for use by all public school districts a 31
standardized high school transcript. The superintendent shall 32
establish clear definitions for the terms "credits" and "hours" so 33
that school programs operating on the quarter, semester, or trimester 34
system can be compared. 35
(((2))) (b) The standardized high school transcript must include 36
a notation of whether the student has earned the Washington state 37
seal of biliteracy established under RCW 28A.300.575.38
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(2) Before the 2026-27 school year, the state board of education, 1
in consultation with the four-year institutions as defined in RCW 2
28B.76.020, the state board for community and technical colleges, the 3
office of the superintendent of public instruction, the Washington 4
student achievement council, and the workforce training and education 5
coordinating board, shall develop or identify and recommend to the 6
office of the superintendent of public instruction a format for a 7
competency-based education high school transcript that can be used by 8
all public school districts as part of, or as an alternative to, the 9
standardized high school transcript developed under subsection (1) of 10
this section.11
(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must 12
inform public school districts of updates to the transcripts 13
developed under this section.14
(4) For the purposes of this section, "competency-based 15
education" has the same meaning as in section 1 of this act.16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 4 of this act 17
constitute a new chapter in Title 28A RCW.18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. RCW 28A.300.810 (Innovative learning pilot 19
program) and 2020 c 353 s 2 are each repealed.20
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