(1) This section establishes the school district, content, and other substantive requirements for the high school and beyond plan required by RCW 28A.230.090.

(2)(a) Beginning by the seventh grade, each student must be administered a career interest and skills inventory which is intended to be used to inform eighth grade course taking and development of an initial high school and beyond plan. No later than eighth grade, each student must have begun development of a high school and beyond plan that includes a proposed plan for first-year high school courses aligned with graduation requirements and secondary and postsecondary goals.

(b) For each student who has not earned a score of level 3 or 4 on the middle school mathematics assessment identified in RCW 28A.655.070 by ninth grade, the high school and beyond plan must be updated to ensure that the student takes a mathematics course in both ninth and 10th grades. These courses may include career and technical education equivalencies in mathematics adopted pursuant to RCW 28A.230.097.

(3) With staff support, students must update their high school and beyond plan annually, at a minimum, to review academic progress and inform future course taking.

(a) The high school and beyond plan must be updated in 10th grade to reflect high school assessment results in RCW 28A.655.061, ensure student access to advanced course options per the district’s academic acceleration policy in RCW 28A.320.195, assess progress toward identified goals, and revised as necessary for changing interests, goals, and needs.

(b) Each school district shall provide students who have not met the standard on state assessments or who are behind in completion of credits or graduation pathway options with the opportunity to access interventions and academic supports, courses, or both, designed to enable students to meet all high school graduation requirements. The parents or legal guardians shall be notified about these opportunities as included in the student’s high school and beyond plan, preferably through a student-led conference, including the parents or legal guardians, and at least annually until the student is on track to graduate.

(c) For students with an individualized education program, the high school and beyond plan must be developed and updated in alignment with their school to postschool transition plan. The high school and beyond plan must be developed and updated in a similar manner and with similar school personnel as for all other students.

(4) School districts shall involve parents and legal guardians to the greatest extent feasible in the process of developing and updating the high school and beyond plan.

(a) The plan must be provided to the student and the students’ parents or legal guardians in a language the student and parents or legal guardians understand and in accordance with the school district’s language access policy and procedures as required under chapter 28A.183 RCW, which may require language assistance for students and parents or legal guardians with limited English proficiency.

(b) School districts must annually provide students in grades eight through 12 and their parents or legal guardians with comprehensive information about the graduation pathway options offered by the district and are strongly encouraged to begin providing this information beginning in sixth grade. School districts must provide this information in a manner that conforms with the school district’s language access policy and procedures as required under chapter 28A.183 RCW.

(5) School districts are strongly encouraged to partner with student serving, community-based organizations that support career and college exploration and preparation for postsecondary and career pathways. Partnerships may include high school and beyond plan coordination and planning, data-sharing agreements, and safe and secure access to individual student’s high school and beyond plans.

(6) All high school and beyond plans must, at a minimum, include the following elements:

(a) Identification of career goals and interests, aided by a skills and interest assessment;

(b) Identification of secondary and postsecondary education and training goals;

(c) An academic plan for course taking that:

(i) Informs students about course options for satisfying state and local graduation requirements;

(ii) Satisfies state and local graduation requirements;

(iii) Aligns with the student’s secondary and postsecondary goals, which can include education, training, and career preparation;

(iv) Identifies available advanced course sequences per the school district’s academic acceleration policy, as described in RCW 28A.320.195, that include dual credit courses or other programs and are aligned with the student’s postsecondary goals;

(v) Informs students about the potential impacts of their course selections on postsecondary opportunities;

(vi) Identifies available career and technical education equivalency courses that can satisfy core subject area graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.097;

(vii) If applicable, identifies career and technical education and work-based learning opportunities that can lead to technical college certifications and apprenticeships; and

(viii) If applicable, identifies opportunities for credit recovery and acceleration, including partial and mastery-based credit accrual to eliminate barriers for on-time grade level progression and graduation per RCW 28A.320.192;

(d) Evidence that the student has received the following information on federal and state financial aid programs that help pay for the costs of a postsecondary program:

(i) The college bound scholarship program established in chapter 28B.118 RCW, the Washington college grant created in RCW 28B.92.200, and other scholarship opportunities;

(ii) The documentation necessary for completing state and federal financial aid applications; application timeliness and submission deadlines; and the importance of submitting applications early;

(iii) Information specific to students who are or have been the subject of a dependency proceeding pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW, who are or are at risk of being homeless, and whose family member or legal guardian will be required to provide financial and tax information necessary to complete applications;

(iv) Opportunities to participate in advising days and seminars that assist students and, when necessary, their parents or legal guardians, with filling out financial aid applications in accordance with RCW 28A.300.815; and

(v) A sample financial aid letter and a link to the financial aid calculator created in RCW 28B.77.280; and

(e) By the end of the 12th grade, a current resume or activity log that provides a written compilation of the student’s education, any work experience, extracurricular activities, and any community service including how the school district has recognized the community service pursuant to RCW 28A.320.193.

(7) In accordance with RCW 28A.230.090(1)(c) any decision on whether a student has met the state board‘s high school graduation requirements for a high school and beyond plan shall remain at the local level, and a school district may establish additional, local requirements for a high school and beyond plan to serve the needs and interests of its students and the purposes of this section.

(8) The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement this section.

Intent—2023 c 271: See note following RCW 28A.230.215.