College & career readiness in Washington

Washington makes the High School and Beyond Plan a graduation requirement: every student starts one by 8th grade, revisits it annually, and uses it to pick a graduation pathway.

HSBP — High School and Beyond Plan

What Washington expects

The HSBP at a glance

The moving parts every Washington counseling team is tracking today — usually across spreadsheets, PDFs, and a filing cabinet.

Start the plan by the end of 8th grade, seeded with a career interest assessment
Update the plan every year and align course-taking to the student's goal
Identify a graduation pathway (dual credit, exam, CTE sequence, ASVAB, and more)
Include a resume or activity log by the end of high school
Personalize for IEP students in step with their transition plan
The landscape

Work-based learning & financial aid in Washington

Work-based learning

Career Connect Washington built a statewide network of career launch programs, registered youth apprenticeships, and career exploration experiences that plug directly into HSBP goals.

FAFSA & financial aid

No FAFSA graduation mandate; the state pushes completion through the Washington College Grant — one of the most generous state aid programs in the country.

How Atlara maps

Atlara ↔ HSBP

HSBP, digitized end-to-end

Atlara's Readiness Plan starts with the 8th-grade interest assessment, tracks annual updates, and keeps the plan tied to real course selections — the whole HSBP lifecycle in one place.

Graduation pathway evidence

Dual credit, assessments, CTE sequences, and ASVAB interest all live in the plan, so counselors can see each student's pathway case building.

The required resume, automatically

The senior-year resume requirement is a one-click export of the portfolio students have been building since 9th grade.

Family engagement in their language

HSBPs must be accessible to families — Atlara's family portal gives parents their own login to review and support the plan.

Policy details above are a planning summary, not legal guidance — confirm current requirements with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

See Atlara configured for Washington

See how the most tech-forward CCR platform helps every student find their path — and build the skills to walk it.