Committee hears support for HB 2007 to add competency‑based assessments as graduation pathway options

House Bill 2007 would add competency‑based assessments to the list of options students may use to satisfy certain high‑school graduation pathways. Committee counsel Megan Wargacki explained the bill would allow competency‑based assessments to serve as high-school transition courses and to meet AP/IB/Cambridge pathway requirements by rule, directing the State Board of Education (SBE) to establish criteria.

Representative Monica Stonier, sponsor, said the bill reflects a shift toward competency‑based and standards‑based instruction and aims to expand equitable graduation options without statutorily naming specific vendor programs. Student testifiers described real examples where competency assessments freed up schedule space and provided alternative means to earn credit; one student said testing out of language requirements allowed time for other studies.

Randy Spalding of the State Board of Education said SBE supports expanded competency‑based options in principle but noted SBE is already engaged in 'future ready' work to update graduation requirements and recommended either naming a specific program to simplify rulemaking or aligning changes with SBE’s upcoming recommendations to avoid duplicative work.

No committee action or vote was recorded in the transcript; testimony emphasized access and equity benefits while noting the SBE’s workload implications and need for clear rules.