Education department outlines content‑standards, special‑education manual and graduation rule updates

Department of Education staff told the House Education Committee they are moving several administrative rules forward, including updated content standards, a revised special‑education manual and proposed changes to high‑school graduation requirements.

Greg Wilson of the Department of Education told the committee the department adopted revised content standards in several subject areas — including driver education, arts and humanities, world language, social studies and computer science — which were finalized by the State Board of Education on June 12, 2024. "Content standards are reviewed at least every six years by teams of educators and stakeholders," Wilson said, describing a multi‑stage process of committee drafting and public comment.

Wilson also said the department revised the Idaho Special Education Manual after a December 2023 letter from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs identified portions of the manual out of compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The updated manual was approved by the State Board on Nov. 21, 2024, and the department said it conducted field review and stakeholder outreach during the revision.

On graduation requirements, the department proposed updates while maintaining the statewide minimum of 46 credits (29 core academic credits and 17 electives). Wilson said the proposals would add digital literacy as a core academic component, replace "technical competency credits" with micro‑credentials, introduce "localized pathways" to reflect regional workforce and postsecondary options, and replace the traditional senior project with a "future readiness project" tied to work‑based learning.

Wilson said most districts already require more credits than the state minimum and provided examples: Twin Falls School District requires 52 total credits, West Bonner 57, Compass Public Charter 54 and Xavier Charter 52. He described broad outreach to superintendents, counselors, parents and industry partners: an internal agency group began work in October 2023, a stakeholder work group met through July 2024, and negotiated rulemaking and regional outreach took place in fall 2024.

Committee members asked for alignment between updated standards, graduation requirements and state assessments; Wilson said assessment alignment would follow adoption and occur in the months after the standards are finalized. No votes were taken; the presentation was informational and committee members said they expect a more detailed walkthrough of the specific graduation‑rule language at a later meeting.