[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_25":26},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_27":28,"_29":30},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[31,75,87],{"_32":33,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":39,"_40":41,"_42":43,"_44":45,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6279833,"mediaKeyId","2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd","parentId",2618435,"title","Committee holds public hearing on bill requiring tribal history curriculum and reporting","audioSeconds",304,"startMs",3265000,"endMs",3569000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd&start=3265&end=3569","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd/thumbnail_3265000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6279833/Washington/Committee-holds-public-hearing-on-bill-requiring-tribal-history-curriculum-and-reporting","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279833-7ee499a9d431664c0c3fd50c5b100b13/orig.mp4?Expires=1770238610&Signature=V1m3ID8lhFRrbjR2FXH8EZahCJ7MTlqGwtHpsa~msa88KbmKL3uLVJ-NDVmcygKBIS3drC0xRH5eWKGITQ6O1oyeAC4EP7lphiX3i6fBNtJf2RdYKbjEu8pXjtuz5JGvX34f8RX9HhwayBvyNEAzkAwVX7qiBXqFVxRK-ZgPY30EylJPNmBVUHSK~FIAtg7TfFza3lHPjMrelqTWn7lpjLDKNvHfK-Mgr2lBA-ixuORpAoMNGw0M9u1k-a9rPIiEUqG625KzlJdUqnYiqxqUq~RAwREBFG46b~aJZOCzX7cx9n6MU6aRl3nm5W7X9DOLx7mZeIhxJtDTq0msLG7fhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Education","date","2025-03-13T00:00:00Z","article","The House Education Committee opened a public hearing March 13 on Substitute Senate Bill 5570, sponsored in the Senate by Senator Claudia Kauffman. The bill would require school districts to incorporate the John McCoy “Since Time Immemorial” (STI) curriculum into social studies curricula by Sept. 1, 2026, strengthen tribal consultation requirements, and establish a monitoring and reporting schedule for district compliance.

Sen. Claudia Kauffman, prime sponsor, told the committee the proposal codifies an existing curriculum requirement and adds a timeline and supports for districts that have not implemented it. “We simply just put a date on it and provide additional supports for the public school system,” Kauffman said. She said the bill’s intent is to support districts and tribes in partnering to deliver accurate, regionally specific materials about tribal history and government.

Ethan Moreno, nonpartisan committee staff, summarized the bill’s key elements: by Sept. 1, 2026, districts must incorporate the STI curriculum; districts must consult with federally recognized tribes within and adjacent to their boundaries when revising social studies materials; the Office of Native Education (a division within OSPI) will play an expanded role in providing assistance and will help identify district implementation challenges; and the State Board of Education will implement an annual monitoring and evaluation system for district compliance between the 2026–27 and 2028–29 school years, with annual reports to the Legislature.

Tribal and district witnesses urged passage. Henry Strom, assistant superintendent for the Office of Native Education and a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation, said the curriculum helps Native students “be seen” and described students who used song and drum in school morning circles to center themselves and persist in learning. “Let the children sing,” Strom said, recounting classroom examples of cultural practices helping student engagement.

Bernard [last name redacted], executive director of teaching and learning for Highline Public Schools, said the bill’s accountability provisions are important: he said his district has begun requiring principals and teachers to report when they teach tribal history and urged the committee to hold districts to the same reporting standards used elsewhere in K–12 oversight. Witnesses from several tribes and districts — including Kirsten Jensen, an instructional coach in Bellingham, and Alyce Washines, an original curricular writer for the STI materials — described local partnerships that produce place-based curriculum and asked the Legislature to ensure compensation for tribal knowledge and to provide implementation supports.

Testimony also raised practical questions. Representative McIntyre asked whether the bill could include non-federally recognized tribes; Kauffman said the bill focuses on federally recognized tribes but could be amended later. Representative Esselick asked how many districts had not yet implemented the STI curriculum; staff and witnesses said that data are not currently available and one purpose of the bill is to create a reporting and monitoring mechanism so the state can identify which districts need support.

Committee members limited oral testimony because of the day’s long agenda and asked witnesses to keep remarks succinct; the committee recorded 732 total sign-ins for this bill’s hearing (94 pro, 638 con, 0 other per committee clerk’s readout) though multiple speakers in the room and online testified in support. The bill briefing materials and testimony referenced the Office of Native Education, OSPI’s STI curriculum guidance, and the State Board’s proposed monitoring schedule. No vote was taken; the hearing was for testimony only.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Education - 3/13/2025 10:30 AM","oneSentenceSummary","The House Education Committee held a public hearing March 13 on Substitute Senate Bill 5570, which would require Washington public school districts to incorporate the John McCoy 'Since Time Immemorial' curriculum by Sept. 1, 2026, expand tribal consultation duties and set up statewide monitoring of compliance.","taxTitle","Education, House of Representatives, Legislative Sessions, Washington","taxId",20259,"location","Washington","headline","","shortSummary",{"_32":76,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":77,"_40":78,"_42":79,"_44":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279839,"State board and partner schools describe early gains, hurdles of mastery-based learning",723,50000,773000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd&start=50&end=773","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd/thumbnail_50000.jpg","/articles/6279839/Washington/State-board-and-partner-schools-describe-early-gains-hurdles-of-mastery-based-learning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279839-d19c4845967c6ae13fb8b8fa33553fbf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770238610&Signature=o-bXxpPFjHx732FcnDqoCyVm6QzJXNLAvQok44mpkzJp~cWBj45PEzYrN3DGRNnp~KoKqb9JAaDQWVYRs7Dr9p4DViitVSPkdKCfXNKMzyk4CRkEY3hGzuLVCVg8NNH6QGUWG~nHiN3j-rJpTcCTDMRkwXWecTJqB2kao1Sq6k9HU9X5XuQHc0mcguUa~Dcy7VM1g4FsjNYT0YzIUt9wgwuIG3tdoHTQnd493A9lVFjw4XxrDHiWFkeYoTjGXxLEhW1tAG89EELvwsMd8CpNiMaUmfrrdYQnVIloH6nQ-1j8mDahlTfdsmiM-S0Sg-pBg0L~X8QTNgN9bLNeO1UOZw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A work session of the Washington State House Education Committee on March 13 focused on mastery-based learning, a competency-based approach that lets students advance when they demonstrate mastery of state standards rather than by seat time. Alyssa Muller, director of policy at the State Board of Education, told the committee the state defines mastery as “meeting state standards at a student's grade level and subject area.”

The State Board oversees a mastery-based learning collaborative of 47 schools intended to help buildings implement culturally responsive competency systems, give them dedicated coaching and professional learning, and surface policies that would allow the model to scale. Muller said the program’s independent evaluator, the Aurora Institute, is identifying both promising practices and structural barriers, particularly around reporting and funding.

“Mastery-based learning ensures students fully understand key concepts before moving forward,” Muller said. She told members the collaborative’s goal is to increase student agency and deeper learning by making standards and success indicators more transparent to students, families and teachers.

District and school leaders described how implementation looks locally. Beth Clothier, Director of Teaching and Learning at La Conner School District, said La Conner began piloting mastery-based approaches in 2022 and expanded them through grades 6–12. She said teachers shifted grading to report students’ progress on discrete standards and competencies, and that students can revise and resubmit work to demonstrate improved mastery. Clothier said the district also is developing culturally based credit pathways in partnership with the Swinomish Tribe; students who participate in events such as canoe journeys will work with certified teachers and tribal elders to align that learning to district standards and earn credit.

Clothier asked the committee for help with a practical barrier: the absence of a state-approved mastery-based transcript. “We need a transcript that communicates effectively which standards a student has met and what learning that student has demonstrated,” Clothier said, noting current letter-grade transcripts can obscure what a student actually knows.

Edgemont Junior High in the Puyallup School District described another path to competency-based practices: the school’s principal, Dr. Mark Knight, said staff began with project-based learning and staff professional learning to create transparent “conditions for success.” Knight said the work has shifted staff from compliance-driven instruction toward student engagement and that the school is now building competency rubrics and aligned units to make learning expectations explicit.

Representatives from Quincy Innovation Academy, a Big Picture program, and its students described project- and internship-based competency examples — from building an arcade cabinet while applying math skills to public speaking growth through community engagement. Matthew Brewer, Quincy Innovation Academy, told the committee competency transcripts would ease student transitions between districts and postsecondary institutions because the current translation of competency work into traditional transcripts requires extensive, individualized explanation.

Committee members asked practical questions about staffing, class size and teacher collaboration. Clothier said La Conner has not found competency-based models necessarily require smaller class sizes, though she stressed the work depends on professional learning and time for teacher collaboration. Dr. Knight acknowledged Edgemont is “still in our infancy” on vertical alignment of competencies but said the collaborative and outside partners such as the Great Schools Partnership and PBL Works have helped accelerate staff preparation.

Muller said prior legislative funding supported two cohorts in the collaborative; the first cohort is completing its fourth year and the second its second year. She said the State Board will submit a legislative report with additional findings and recommendations from the Mastery Based Learning Collaborative by the end of the year, and that prior evaluation reports are available on the State Board’s website.

The work session combined local examples with statewide policy needs: coaches and professional learning were cited as critical supports, while divergent district reporting and funding rules were identified as obstacles to scaling. Several presenters urged the Legislature to address transcripts, funding for non-seat-time learning, and formal mechanisms to compensate tribal partners for curriculum work that local tribes currently provide without sustained funding.

Committee members asked the presenters to return for follow-up questions and flagged potential future work sessions on standardized competency transcripts and funding mechanisms.","State Board of Education staff and participating schools described mastery-based (competency-based) learning models, early outcomes from a 47-school collaborative, and implementation barriers including funding, reporting and the lack of a state-approved mastery transcript.",{"_32":88,"_34":35,"_36":37,"_38":89,"_40":90,"_42":91,"_44":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6279827,"Public testimony splits as committee hears bill to expand competency-based funding and update transcripts",185,5890000,6075000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd&start=5890&end=6075","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2618435-ce14b8f8013c984f38fc2cd50b1505cd/thumbnail_5890000.jpg","/articles/6279827/Washington/Public-testimony-splits-as-committee-hears-bill-to-expand-competency-based-funding-and-update-transcripts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6279827-f195ea210771251d23a3c3a47805694a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770238610&Signature=GKfrDRcvAib9v556jN4gYE76hqXXcC151RncOoOI~OflAEKX-8hTcLeqOiX1UOxVrznlKDUjSf1dclGI5uh~HnGYE-S6zW6tU-izFgOvZAQ9sjhnX7Pxcz5SmVZG8zGWZwxc14m8tyJDn4tTKbmE3ZOzkPY-wO8EQARYjcUDzynb1LrhsvWdEDqx1ipy8kGnSya1qP9Nsb5Ftwad13~pGjXboHo-wNZX-lpDdpu~jw8NFAdd87juUXSjzI~LvqD0~843UYjhMtGIEjJF8mVF3rWcb4jsPJP1nGlcgWvaOeIYFeLh3fxLkDXK5IObPtNUVvCY0q-LiVYZPUc5ksR9hA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Education Committee held a public hearing March 13 on Senate Bill 5189, a measure that would update Washington education law to recognize competency-based (mastery-based) education for funding and transcripts.

Ethan Moreno, nonpartisan committee staff, summarized the bill and said it would require OSPI to adopt rules by Sept. 1, 2025, permitting districts to report full-time-equivalent (FTE) enrollment for students in competency-based programs that meet State Board–approved criteria. The bill also directs the State Board of Education to design a recommended process for identifying and designating schools and districts implementing competency-based education, and it directs the Superintendent to update the standardized high school transcript to offer a competency-based format.

Supporters included the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, which said expanded competency-based transcripts would support adult high school completion and the High School Plus program; Troy Grama of SBCTC said the bill will “improve the quality of Washington high school students' educational records.” State Board of Education staff reiterated their support and said the bill aligns with strong interest from districts and the Mastery Based Learning Collaborative.

District leaders and school principals with experience operating competency-based schools described benefits and implementation challenges. Tanya Bridal, principal of Gibson Neck High School (Issaquah School District), said competency-based programs “allow students to engage in meaningful community problem solving while developing core academic knowledge” and that prototypical funding would help sustain partnerships and internships. Julia Bamba, who led Gibson Neck's launch, called the model “student centered” and said projects and internships often exceed what traditional assessments measure. Teachers from small districts (for example La Conner) said current funding rules force them to convert mastery-based grades into traditional scales for eligibility checks and athletics, creating administrative burdens.

Several students from competency-based programs testified in favor, giving examples of internships, project work and improved engagement. Matthew Brewer of Quincy Innovation Academy said a standard competency transcript would reduce friction for mobile students moving between districts and postsecondary programs.

Opponents urged caution. Sarah Garriott, a parent, cited external evaluations and an Aurora Institute summary indicating mixed evidence for large-scale, transformative academic gains and argued that many parents and administrators question the approach. Gabriel Jacobs, a parent and former foster parent, said competency-based models can vary widely and warned against scaling programs without consistent statewide standards. Linda Wojciechowski testified she opposes the bill on ideological grounds, saying the approach embeds DEI principles into instruction; her remarks were cut short by the committee's timed testimony rules.

The committee clerk read a sign-in tally for the hearing that the vice chair later summarized as 95 pro, 2,125 con, and 5 other (this figure reflects sign-in counts the committee clerk reported in the hearing). Committee members said they would hold detailed questions to allow many witnesses to speak; no vote was taken during the hearing.

The bill raises several operational questions that committee members and speakers flagged: how to define eligibility criteria for FTE reporting, how to ensure consistent competency rubrics across classrooms and districts, how to protect extracurricular eligibility rules (for example WIAA) when districts use nontraditional grading scales, and whether additional funding is needed to sustain partnerships, coaches and professional learning. Supporters urged that designated competency programs help prepare students for college, careers and civic life; opponents asked for more rigorous, scalable evidence before the state changes funding and accountability rules.","House Education Committee heard testimony for and against Senate Bill 5189, which would allow competency-based programs to report FTE under OSPI rules, direct the State Board to recommend designation processes and require updates to the standardized high school transcript to accommodate competency-based records.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee holds public hearing on bill requiring tribal history curriculum and reporting

State board and partner schools describe early gains, hurdles of mastery-based learning

Public testimony splits as committee hears bill to expand competency-based funding and update transcripts