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Committee advances competency-based education bill after amendment fails
Summary
Substitute Senate Bill 5,189, defining competency-based education and directing OSPI and the State Board of Education to implement related rules and transcripts, was reported out of committee (14-4, 1 excused) after a sponsor amendment to narrow the statutory definition failed on the floor of the committee.
The House Education Committee voted to report Substitute Senate Bill 5,189 with a do-pass recommendation by roll call (14 ayes, 4 nays, 1 excused). The bill defines competency-based education (CBE), directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to adopt rules to authorize full-time funding for qualifying CBE programs and asks the State Board of Education (SBE) to recommend processes for identifying and designating schools and districts implementing CBE.
Staff briefed that an amendment identified as MOET 4 35 would replace the statutory language with a definition focused on student demonstration of mastery rather than seat time and would remove a requirement that the SBE consider a school’s implementation against a previously listed seven-element definition. Representative Couture sponsored MOET 4 35, arguing the change would avoid overly tight language that could impede innovation. Representative Couture said the amendment “tries to drive at the 7 elements as defined for competency based education within the bill” and emphasized flexibility for local implementation.
Committee leadership urged members to reject the amendment, arguing the bill’s underlying characteristics reflect nationally accepted elements of competency-based systems and that removing the cross-reference would weaken the designation process. The amendment was not adopted and the bill advanced.
Ethan, staff member, summarized the bill: “Senate Bill 5,189 defines competency based education and directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction to adopt rules authorizing full time enrollment funding for students in qualifying competency based education programs.”
Representative McIntyre and others spoke in favor of the bill as a tool to increase student engagement and personalization; Representative McIntyre described personal experience with competency-based graduate programs and urged careful guardrails for implementation and transcript portability.
Ending: Committee record shows the measure reported 14 ayes, 4 nays and 1 excused; MOET 4 35 failed to pass.
