State education staff brief committee on 2024 standards, special education manual and proposed graduation requirement changes including a new digital literacy,\

The Senate Education Committee heard a detailed presentation from Greg Wilson, chief of staff at the Idaho State Department of Education, on several administrative dockets that update content standards, the Special Education Manual, and statewide high-school graduation requirements.

Wilson said the department used the state board of education’s process to review and recommend updates to the Idaho content standards reviewed in 2024, including arts and humanities, computer science, driver education, information and communication technology, and social studies. “The department's task is to review, is to facilitate the review process and make recommendations to the board,” Wilson told the committee.

He described a multi-stage review that began in 2023 with committees of educators and stakeholders, multiple drafts, regional outreach and State Board approval in June and November 2024. The temporary rules incorporate the approved standards by reference to ensure continuity for teachers while the formal rule-adoption process proceeds.

On special education, Wilson said the department revised its Special Education Manual after a December 2023 letter from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) found some…