SEATTLE — Today the Senate passed legislation directing the state’s mastery-based learning work group to build a profile of skills a student must have at the time of graduation. This profile goes beyond the traditional subject matter such as reading and writing to include the attributes necessary to succeed in a 21st century workplace.

SB 5249, sponsored by Sen. Lisa Wellman (D-Mercer Island), requires that the work group consult with students, families and educators who have been underserved by the education system.

“Children learn different modalities, and we need to give our students the resources they need,” Wellman said. “While there are many students who are doing fine under the current model, we have a significant number of students who are not graduating. We want to make sure every child has a path to succeed. At its core, mastery-based learning is personalized learning.”

Mastery-based learning is a model in which students advance by mastering content. Under this model, students receive learning based on their individual needs and assessments are a positive learning experience for students. The Legislature established a mastery-based learning work group in 2019 to inform the governor, the Legislature and the public of barriers to mastery-based learning. This legislation builds on that work and requires the work group submit a final report on a profile of a graduate and related recommendations for implementation by Dec. 10, 2021.

The bill passed unanimously by the Senate and will now be considered by the House.