Washington State Board of Education

What Washington State Board of Education does

The Washington State Board of Education is a state-level regulatory and policy-making body for K-12 education, established by the Washington Legislature under RCW 28A.305 and headquartered at 600 Washington Street SE, Olympia. The Board comprises 16 members — 5 elected representatives, 7 Governor appointees, 1 private school representative, 2 student representatives, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction — supported by an agency of 215 staff. Its statutory mandates include setting graduation requirements for Washington's public schools (RCW 28A.230.090), annually approving private schools to operate in the state (RCW 28A.195.010), and developing education equity policy including Pro-Equity Anti-Racism (PEAR) initiatives under Executive Order 22-04.

Core deliverables are organized across three lines: (1) Private School oversight — annual approval, renewal, enrollment reporting, compliance, and the Educational Data System (EDS) access for private schools; (2) Graduation Requirements policy — the FutureReady modernization proposal targeted at the 2027 legislative session, the High School and Beyond Plan, Graduation Requirement Emergency Waiver Program (GREW), and the statewide Profile of a Graduate framework adopted in 2021; (3) Mastery-based Learning — the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) grant program launched in 2021 in partnership with OSPI and PESB, which expanded to Cohort 2 in December 2023 with combined state and federal biennial funding of $9,367,000, plus a legislatively chartered Mastery-based Learning Workgroup. Adjacent initiatives include the Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement and tribal relations engagement through a dedicated Tribal Liaison.

The Board is not a commercial entity and has no proprietary technology product. Its operating model is funded through Washington State government appropriations, with supplemental state and federal grants for specific programs. The agency executes its mandate through rulemaking, public board meetings, inter-agency partnerships (notably with OSPI, PESB, the Washington State Office of Equity, WSSDA, and tribal nations), and direct communication with districts, schools, families, and the public via an official website, email/GovDelivery newsletter, and active social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Name

Washington State Board of Education

Legal name

Washington State Board of Education

Website

https://sbe.wa.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Washington State Board of Education is a state regulatory body established under RCW 28A.305 that sets K-12 graduation requirements, annually approves private schools, and develops education policy for Washington State public schools, private schools, and students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy and Regulation

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (92311), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Elected School Boards & Governance Councils (EDADABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Governance & Board Administration (EDAJAHAG)

Keywords

• Education policy
• K-12 education oversight
• Graduation requirements
• Private school approval
• Educational equity

Headquarters

HQ city

Olympia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Washington State Board of Education is a state-level policy and regulatory body established under RCW 28A.305 that governs K-12 education in Washington State. It sets statewide high school graduation requirements, annually approves private schools to operate in the state under RCW 28A.195.010, develops educational equity and anti-racism policy, and administers programs such as the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative and the High School and Beyond Plan.

Product overview

The Washington State Board of Education operates as a policy and regulatory body overseeing K-12 education in Washington State, rather than offering a unified software product. Its core offerings include: (1) The Mastery-based Learning Collaborative (MBLC), a grant program supporting schools in implementing culturally responsive-sustaining mastery-based learning; (2) Private School Approval services including annual applications, renewals, and compliance oversight; (3) Graduation Requirements management including the FutureReady proposal for modernizing requirements, the High School and Beyond Plan, Emergency Waiver Programs, and the Profile of a Graduate initiative; (4) Various educational programs such as the MBL Workgroup and Ethnic Studies Graduation Requirement; and (5) Administrative tools including Enrollment Reporting, Educational Data System (EDS) Access, and Private School Bulletins. These services work together to fulfill SBE's statutory mandate of ensuring educational equity and quality across Washington's education system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mastery-based Learning Collaborative (MBLC) A grant program led by the State Board of Education in partnership with OSPI and PESB that provides professional learning and support to schools implementing culturally responsive-sustaining mastery-based learning, including two cohorts of grantee schools and Living Lab schools as exemplars.
• Private School Approval Annual approval process for private schools to operate in Washington State, including new school applications, renewal applications, certificate issuance, and compliance oversight per RCW 28A.195.
• FutureReady

Quantifiable outcome

• All private schools operating in Washington State must receive annual approval from the Board

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSPI is a key partner agency that works with the Board on shared educational initiatives including the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative, graduation requirements implementation, and private school oversight. The Board provides staff support to the Mastery-based Learning Work Group in coordination with OSPI.
• Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPESB is a partner in the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative initiative, collaborating on educator professional learning and standards development related to mastery-based and culturally responsive-sustaining education approaches.
• Washington State Office of EquitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Office of Equity leads the PEAR (Pro-Equity Anti-Racism) Plan and Playbook initiative. The Board implements Executive Order 22-04 and submits annual PEAR Performance Reports to the Office of Equity.
• Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWSSDA administers elections for five Board elected positions and manages the private school representative election process. The Board works with WSSDA on model policies for graduation requirements and mastery-based learning.
• Association of Washington Student LeaderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAWSL partners with the Board on student board member selection, conducting interviews through panels that include SBE representatives. AWSL also participates in the PEAR team as a partner agency representative.
• Tribal Nations and Native CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Board's Tribal Liaison and Community Engagement Coordinator regularly engages with Tribal Nations through listening sessions, site visits, student voice initiatives, and conference participation as part of the Board's commitment to educational equity and tribal relations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Oregon State Board of Education: Oregon's state-level education policy and governance body overseeing K-12 education in the neighboring state. Comparable mandate and structure (appointed board, graduation requirements, private school oversight) to Washington's SBE, with shared regional policy context.

Others

• Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI): Washington's operational state education agency responsible for implementing SBE-set policies, administering federal and state education funds, and overseeing school district compliance. A close institutional partner that operationalizes SBE's regulatory authority within Washington State.
• Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO): National nonpartisan association of state education chiefs that convenes leaders from state agencies and boards on K-12 policy. Comparable as an ecosystem organization whose members include entities like Washington's SBE and OSPI, relevant for benchmarking governance best practices.
• Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB): Washington's state-level body for educator certification, standards, and professional learning. Partners directly with SBE on the Mastery-based Learning Collaborative and educator policy, comparable as a parallel state education governance body in the same jurisdiction.
• National Association of State Boards of Education (NASBE): Membership association that supports state boards of education across the U.S., providing policy research, training, and convening. Directly relevant as a peer ecosystem organization that Washington's SBE participates in, comparable in mission focus on state-level education governance.

Direct peers

• Ohio State Board of Education: Ohio's state-level K-12 education governance body with authority over graduation requirements, standards, and education policy. Comparable in statutory scope, appointed/elected board composition, and statewide regulatory role to Washington's SBE.
• California State Board of Education: California's statewide K-12 governance body with statutory authority over graduation requirements, private school approval, and education policy. Directly comparable in mandate, structure (elected/appointed members), and scope to Washington's SBE, though it serves a much larger student population.
• New York State Board of Regents: New York's statewide education governance body with authority over graduation requirements, charter school approval, and education policy. Functions as a constitutional governing body for education, comparable in statutory scope and regulatory role to Washington's SBE.
• Texas State Board of Education: Texas's elected state-level board governing K-12 education policy, curriculum standards, and graduation requirements. Shares the elected-member governance model and broad statutory authority over K-12 policy similar to Washington's SBE.

Broad incumbents

• Florida Department of Education: Florida's state education agency with authority over graduation requirements, school approval, and statewide K-12 policy. Combines governance and operational functions, comparable in scope to Washington's SBE though structured as a single integrated department rather than a separate board.

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/sbeweb
• Facebookfacebook.com/WashingtonSBE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/washington-state-board-of-education
• Instagraminstagram.com/washington_sbe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Washington State Board of Education