Washington high school students may soon have more options to connect coursework with their career plans. The State Board of Education is retooling the current framework with an eye to better prepare students for life after graduation. The proposed changes include shifting from 17 to 15 core credits while expanding personalized pathway credits from three to five.
Key Changes
The proposal would also require a quantitative reasoning course, which could include Algebra II, Statistics, a math-based technical course, or Chemistry. Additionally, schools would be required to offer two new classes for the personalized track: a half-credit health course and a one-credit course teaching financial literacy and life skills.
The existing Career and Technical Education requirement would remain as a default course that most students would complete. However, the proposal would allow students to earn two credits in the course if they demonstrate proficiency in both technical and academic course standards.
Washington school board members are wary of any new mandates the legislature may pass, citing ongoing financial strain due to a lack of state funding. The question isn’t whether financial literacy is important, but whether the state will provide the resources needed to teach it.
Original reporting: Clark County Today (Vancouver WA) — read the source article.
