WA superintendent proposes life skills class for high school seniors
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal wants Washington's high school seniors to take a new mandatory, yearlong class aimed at teaching them practical life skills before they receive their diploma, he announced Tuesday.
Students in the state superintendent of public instruction's proposed "Postsecondary Launch Course" would learn a variety of skills, including how to build a résumé, register to vote and apply to jobs, colleges and the military, among other things. He intends to submit the proposal to state lawmakers for consideration during the 2027 legislative session.
Reykdal's proposal comes as the Washington State Board of Education is considering updates to statewide high school graduation standards. His proposal, and any other changes to those graduation standards, would need to be approved by Washington lawmakers before taking effect.
"Students are graduating from the K-12 system without consistent access to the tools needed to support their independence," Reykdal said in a written statement Tuesday. "Young people are taking on loans and credit card debt without knowledge of the implications. They don't always know what to add to their resume, or how to register to vote. We can fix that."
Students who complete the yearlong class would earn a half-credit in financial literacy and postsecondary readiness, in addition to a half-credit in civics - fulfilling an existing high school graduation requirement.
The class's curriculum would be timed with actual requirements that students need to complete during a typical senior year, the superintendent's office said. For example, in the fall, when many high school seniors apply to college, students would learn about their financial aid options.
If approved, the proposal would take effect during the 2030-31 school year, agency spokesperson Katy Payne said. The superintendent has asked the board to include the course in its proposal to the Legislature during the 2027 legislative session, Payne added.
Revamping high school graduation requirements
Reykdal submitted his proposal last month to a state task force responsible for the "FutureReady" initiative, aimed at updating high school graduation standards for students across Washington. The group, led by the state Board of Education, is reviewing potential changes, and a new set of graduation requirements could come as soon as 2031.
The task force is focused on aligning coursework requirements with what students actually need after they leave high school - whether that's attending college, enrolling in a career training program or joining the workforce. In addition to board members, the task force includes representatives from business, government and community-based organizations.
The state board will host two webinars this week to share its draft recommendations on new high school graduation requirements and collect public feedback. The webinars will be hosted on Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, July 8, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and on Thursday, July 9, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Both webinars will cover the same topics, and the board will provide a recording of each webinar to participants who register ahead of time. (You can register at st.news/stateboardwebinars.)
The board said it will likely formally act on a draft resolution during its mid-August meeting. Once the board approves and submits its final recommendations for the updated graduation guidelines, they will need to be approved by state lawmakers.
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