Education Reform Timeline

1993: Washington State Legislature passes the Education Reform Act (House Bill 1209), calling for the creation of common learning goals for all students, an assessment system to measure student progress in meeting the state standards and accountability for continuous improvement in student learning.

1993-96: Academic standards are developed in reading, writing, math, social studies, science, arts, and health and fitness.

1996-01: The Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), which tests reading, writing and math, is phased in as a requirement for grades 4, 7 and 10. Teachers and community members oversee development of WASL.

2000: State Board of Education determines that the class of 2008 will be the first to meet new statewide graduation requirements: pass 10th-grade WASL, complete culminating project, create High School and Beyond Plan and earn minimum class credits.

2001: No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires annual testing in grades 3-8 and once in high school in reading and math. NCLB also requires every classroom to have a "highly qualified" teacher.

2004: State Legislature recommits to education reform efforts by putting into law the graduation requirements. The state provides students five opportunities to take the 10th-grade WASL and earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement. It also calls for struggling students to receive individualized academic help and an alternative for students that struggle to demonstrate their skills on the high school WASL. The Certificate of Individual Achievement is created for special education students that are unable to take the WASL.

2006: Students in the class of 2008 take the WASL as sophomores. Students who do not pass the exam the first time have two more years to get help, retake the exam or access an alternative to the test.

2008: First class to meet new statewide graduation requirements, including passing the reading and writing WASLs.

2013: Passing the high school math and science WASLs added to the graduation requirements.