OSPI Reports to the Legislature

As part of the basic education requirements in Washington state, each school district must make a minimum of 180 school days available to students each school year. OSPI may grant certain school day waivers that would assist the school district in implementing a local plan to provide all students an effective education system designed to enhance the educational program for each student. Waiver examples include parent-teacher conference days, professional development days, student transition days, and alternative calendars for specific schools or districts. 

OSPI is required to report annually to the State Board of Education and to the education committees of the Legislature regarding the applications OSPI received for these waivers during the prior school year. 

This legislative report includes two projects: A Common Substitute Teacher Application Platform (ESSB5187, 2023) and Workforce Vacancy Tool Feasibility Study (ESSB5950, 2024). The 2023 Legislature directed OSPI to plan for the development and implementation of a Common Substitute Teacher Application Platform (CSTAP). The 2024 Legislature directed OSPI to conduct a feasibility study on the costs and timeline for developing a database and tool to identify real-time and future educator workforce shortages. The intent of these directives is to find and adapt a solution to reduce redundant job applications for substitute teachers and other educators as well as provide a streamlined, statewide Workforce Recruitment and Absence Management system (WRAM) for districts to effectively attract and recruit substitute teachers, educators, and classified staff in K–12 systems. 
 

The 2024–25 Educational Technology assessment survey collected data on the use of technology-based assessments across Washington school districts. This year’s results reflect continued growth in the use of teacher-developed assessments and technological tools across all grade levels. 

The legislature provided funds for OSPI to examine how free and reduced-price school meal data is used as a funding driver for programs such as the Learning Assistance Program and provide recommendations for metric or alternative metrics. This report outlines the process and outcomes for evaluating the existing low-income metric used as a funding and program driver, and identifies and recommends alternative metrics.

OSPI has formulated a comprehensive set of recommendations aimed at expanding the universal online High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP) platform in Washington state to engage students from the fifth grade onwards. Additionally, the report discusses future considerations regarding resource allocation, including the potential involvement of elementary school counselors in facilitating and supporting this expanded access. 

The 2025 Legislature established the K–12 Funding Equity Workgroup to analyze K–12 education funding formulas and revenue sources and explore options for revisions to the funding formula that are responsive to student needs, including economic, demographic, and geographic differences in student and community populations. This report provides a summary of the Workgroup’s progress through October 2025, and State Superintendent Chris Reykdal’s recommendations for the Legislature on actions for the 2026 Legislative Session.

The 2022 legislature passed House Bill 1664 (HB 1664), which increased allocations for specific types of personnel in the prototypical school funding model. This report analyzes the implementation of RCW 28A.150.260 (5)(b), related to physical, social, and emotional support staff.

This annual report examines statewide Running Start enrollment for school year (SY) 2023–24. Running Start enrollment slowed during and immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic, but has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The 30,959 Running Start students reported as enrolled by colleges in fall of 2023 compares favorably to the program’s high-water mark of 31,991 reflected in the OSPI Report Card for 2020–21. According to SBCTC’s Enrollment Data Dashboard, Running Start enrollment has steadily increased over the past three years in almost every college and term. 

OSPI is required to submit an annual report to the legislature on the statewide activities funded under RCW 28A.150.390(3). The 2025 and 2026 annual reports must include an update on the impact of removing the cap on the special education enrollment percentage, including the impact on safety net needs. 

This report provides an update on the statewide activities planned for the 2025-26 academic year and beyond. This report also describes the 2025-26 data collections that will be used to measure the impact of removing the special education enrollment cap. 

In accordance with legislative direction, OSPI conducted a feasibility study to evaluate the implementation of a statewide Individualized Education Program (IEP) system. The study explored the current state of IEP systems in Washington, identified challenges to delivering high-quality, equitable special education services, assessed potential vendors and costs, and a recommended path forward to improve outcomes for students with disabilities across the state.

OSPI through the Office of Native Education (ONE), successfully administered the Tribal School Opioid Education Pilot Project. This one-year pilot project distributed grant funding ranging from $90,000–$107,500 to five State Tribal Education Compact schools (STECs) and conducted comprehensive research into tribally-centered opioid and fentanyl prevention curricula. 

The pilot demonstrated that culturally-grounded prevention education, particularly the Healing of the Canoe curriculum, offers powerful approaches to substance use prevention that strengthen cultural identity while building resilience. 

The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is required by RCW 28A.250.040 to report annually on online learning. Public school districts and online school programs expressed concerns about the established multidistrict approval process, prompting OSPI to consider changes based on feedback from the Online Learning Advisory Committee (OLAC). OSPI is evaluating the impacts of current definitions and approval types on districts' ability to offer online school programs and is exploring ways to address the needs and recommendations of school districts.

This report summarizes activities undertaken by OSPI’s Reducing Restraint & Eliminating Isolation (RREI) project during fiscal year 2025, as mandated through 2023’s biennial operating budget and 2024’s supplemental operating budget. Demonstration projects incorporate “Pilot site” districts that strategically engage in the process of building systems of support, and “Demonstration site” districts that serve as learning communities to share their stories and highlight exemplary practices within these systems. Their outcomes have revealed promising practices and effective strategies for improving school safety and reducing the use of restraint and isolation. 71% of project sites decreased incidents of restraint and isolation in school year 2024-25, as compared to the previous school year. This decrease in incidents was statistically significant.  

The Washington Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee was established in 2019 through to address the growing body of evidence that shows the need for improving a student’s social and emotional competencies which are critical to every child’s development and learning. The Committee is required to submit a progress report to the legislature annually beginning June 1, 2021. The progress report must include accomplishments, state-level data regarding implementation of SEL, and the identification of systemic barriers and recommendations for policy changes necessary to promote and expand SEL. 

(OSPI) annually submits a report outlining the method used in determining the coefficients for each site characteristic used to establish the transportation allocation for the following year. The 2025–26 regression analysis for coefficients will use data elements from the previous school year. The coefficients are then used in the Student Transportation Allocation Reporting System (STARS) formula which will determine the 2025–26 school year allocation. 

Every year on January 16, Washington public schools participate in Temperance and Good Citizenship Day (TAGCD) in accordance with Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 28A.230.150. On this day, Washington social studies teachers must provide instructional time for high school seniors to register to vote. OSPI developed a set of recommendations to continue increasing youth voter registration. 

OSPI is required to report every three years on funding, services, and educational outcomes for students served under Washington’s ESSA Consolidated Plan (the Plan), Title I, Part D. This report covers schools and programs receiving Title I, Part D grants, including juvenile detention centers, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities1, Education Advocates (EAs), and other prevention, treatment, and medical programs. This report is to inform the Legislature of progress toward the goals established in the Plan and provide recommendations to ensure the education needs of youth and post-resident youth are met. It examines education outcomes for students enrolled in Title I, Part D programs during school years 2021–22, 2022–23, and 2023–24.