Washington State Learning Standards Review
Contact Information
For questions please email Standards Review.
Learning standards define what all students need to know and be able to do at each grade level. As required by state law (RCW 28A.655.070), OSPI develops the state’s learning standards and periodically revises them based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210.
Update to the Learning Standards Review Project: January 2025: Bulletin No. 003-25.
Standards Review Project
OSPI has launched the Washington State Learning Standards Review project to:
- Establish a process to periodically review the state learning standards, and how those standards are used at a classroom, school, and district level to support student learning.
- Refine and prioritize the learning standards with a lens of clarification, integration, and understandability.
- Develop wrap-around guidance that clarifies for educators the opportunities within the learning standards for cultural responsiveness, inclusionary practices, universal design, support for multilingual learners, social-emotional learning, cross-content integration, and standards-based assessment practices.
- Develop an implementation plan for the following two to five years to help educators learn about and use the new resources and tools.
- Updated January 2025 State Learning Standards Review and Revision Cycle Timeline.
English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics
Learning standards for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics are now being reviewed. Please see the updated timeline: January 2025: ELA and Mathematics Revision Cycle.
- Phase 1: Reflection
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- 12/1/22 Consultation with Dual Language Steering Committee
- 12/9/22 Consultation with Multilingual Education Advisory Committee
- 2/8/23–2/22/23 Teachers surveyed about ELA, SLA, math, and science standards
- Late February 2023, District curriculum directors surveyed about ELA, SLA, math, and science standards.
- Phase 2: Review Standards
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Phase 2 is a review of ELA, SLA, Math, and Science Standards (March 2023–July 2024).
- OSPI teams determine “take-aways” from the teacher and district administrator surveys.
- With these in mind, content teams clarify and streamline the standards.
- Using expertise from other programs/divisions at OSPI, content teams develop resources that integrate other content areas (social studies, arts, health and fitness, media literacy and digital citizenship, financial education, social-emotional learning) and provide on-ramps for inclusionary and culturally/linguistically responsive instruction.
- OSPI Learning Standards Review: Mathematics Update (9.26.23)
- OSPI Learning Standards Review: Science Update (9.26.23)
- OSPI Learning Standards Review: ELA Update (01.15.24)
- OSPI consults with educators on draft documents.
- March 2024 Teacher Focus Group: OSPI Presentation Slides
- March 2024 Teacher Focus Group: OSPI Presentation Slides
- April 2024 Teacher Focus Group
- May 2024 Teacher Focus Group
- June 2024 Teacher Focus Group
- OSPI has engaged with multiple partners and stakeholders in the learning standards review and revision process: Washington Learning Standards Review and Revision Engagement.
OSPI teams develop a professional learning plan to share the resources developed.
- Phase 3: Adoption
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Phase 3 ends with formal adoption of the learning standards by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
- August 16-September 27, 2004: Standards were available for six weeks of public comment. Materials from two hosted webinars are available, and comments were submitted via survey.
- September–October 2024: Final revisions made by OSPI subject matter experts, including editorial, translation, and accessibility reviews.
- November–December 2024: Final drafts given to the Superintendent for review and formal adoption.
World Languages, Health Education, Physical Education, Financial Education, Science, and Social Studies
Washington adopted learning standards for World Languages in 2015, for Health Education and Physical Education in 2016, for Financial Education in 2016, for Science in 2013, and for Social Studies in 2018 are now being reviewed. The Group 2 Expanded Timeline provides details on the review phases.
- Phase 1: Reflection
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Phase 1 is a review of the previously adopted standards and how they are working in schools (February 2024–July 2024).
• May 2024, Teachers of World Languages, Health, PE, and Financial Education surveyed about the learning standards.
- Previous Webinar Materials
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- August 22 & 29: Informational Standards Review Webinars Slides | Recording
- April 18: Learning Standards Review Project Update Presentation Slides | Recording | Webinar Q & A
- January 31: Standards Review Informational Presentation Slides | Recording | Webinar Q & A
- December 14: Standards Review Informational Presentation Slides | Recording | Webinar Q & A
- October 11: Standards Review Open Office Hour Presentation Slides | Recording
Updates and materials will be posted as the project progresses.