State education staff outline revisions to standards, special education manual and graduation rules; committee hears concerns and adopts two dockets

Greg Wilson, chief of staff at the Idaho State Department of Education, briefed the Senate Education Committee on a package of administrative rule updates adopted by the State Board of Education in 2024 and submitted to the Legislature for review.

Wilson said the package includes (1) incorporation by reference of the 2024 Idaho content standards across multiple subject areas; (2) a revised Idaho Special Education Manual required to address findings from the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP); and (3) updates to high‑school graduation requirements intended to add flexibility, include digital literacy, establish localized pathways and replace the traditional senior project with a “future readiness” project.

On content standards, Wilson said the 10 distinct Idaho content areas total about 727 pages and that the State Board approved the updated standards during its June 2024 meeting after a multi‑stage review process with educator committees and public comment.

Regarding special education, Wilson said the department received a December 2023 letter from OSEP identifying portions of the special…