Making the College and Career Ready Diploma a Reality

By Kelly Munn, State Field Director

The College and Career Ready Diploma became law with the passage of SB 6552 this past legislative session. That was a huge win, and it took many of you to make it happen.

Thank you. Thank you for the emails, the calls, the testimonies, for the late nights you spent working to get the College and Career Ready Diploma passed.

Now we need your help to make sure the diploma works the way it’s supposed to.

The State Board of Education is meeting in July to discuss the proposed rules for the implementation of the College and Career Ready Diploma (SB 6552) and has asked for public comment.

As the League of Education Voters’ State Field Director, and more importantly, as a parent, I’m writing to the State Board of Education to ask them to encourage and strengthen parental involvement in the development of a student’s High School and Beyond Plan, which is part of the College and Career Ready Diploma.

Beginning in middle school, Washington students create a plan to guide their high school coursework selection and career exploration. LEV believes parental sign-off should be required on this important plan.

Please write to the State Board and tell them that you also believe parents should be involved in their child’s middle and high school education every step of the way. Parental involvement is important to student success, and it should be encouraged and strengthened.

In addition to writing to the State Board, you can get involved through two upcoming public hearings on the College and Career Ready Diploma implementation:

1. Public forum on the rules, June 6: The State Board of Education is hosting a forum to give the public an opportunity to comment and ask questions about the proposed rules. The forum will be held on June 6, 3:00–4:30 p.m., in the Billings Conference Room (3rd floor), in the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction building, 600 Washington Street SE, Olympia. To attend, RSVP via email to sbe@k12.wa.us. Those unable to attend in person may also join via webinar.
2. Public hearing on the rules, July 9–10: The State Board of Education (SBE) is holding a public hearing about the rules for the implementation of the new law on July 9–10. LEV is organizing public comment on the rules.

If you’re interested in learning about other ways to get involved in making the College and Career Ready Diploma as strong and as effective as possible, please email me at kelly@educationvoters.org.

Below are some resources about the College and Career Ready Diploma that might be helpful:

• College and Career Ready Diploma. Our summary of the new law and what it means for students in Washington state
• SB 6552. The College and Career Ready Diploma legislation and background information
• Proposed Rules. The State Board of Education’s draft proposed rules
• Rulemaking Process. An overview of the Board’s rulemaking process related to this legislation