Tumwater School District early adopter of High School and Beyond Plan

The Tumwater School District (TSD) is an early adopter of SchoolLinks, the new universal platform for the state-required High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP),  focused on making students outline their studies and careers. 

“The High School and Beyond Plan is a Washington state graduation requirement. It is not waivable," said TSD Career Connected Learning Coordinator Marcy Proctor.   "It is one of many graduation requirements in Washington state, including core and subject area requirements, credit requirements, and our graduation pathway option,” 

The new statewide universal software for HSBP, SchoolLinks, tracks every student's progress in their school and career planning journey. 

“Launching SchooLinks this year provides Tumwater School District students, staff, and families with an upgrade in technology for postsecondary learning and research. With this new software, we have the infrastructure in place to begin to incorporate the High School and Beyond Plan into several instances of a student’s educational experience, making it a truly iterative process rather than just a ‘box check,’” stated the memorandum from Proctor and Assistant Superintendent Meagan Dawson.  

SchooLinks will be utilized by all school districts by the fall of 2027 after a two-year phased implementation. 

The Engrossed Second Substitute Bill (ESSB) 5243, which encloses the HSBP, was passed and signed into law during the 2023 legislative session.  

The bill required the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to facilitate the transition to a statewide universal online HSBP platform, and the process to make every public school district in Washington use the same software is underway.  

Required deliverables 

Proctor said that the HSBP is a process, and the guiding questions behind the plan are: "Who am I?" "What can I become?" and "How do I become that?"

The HSBP has various legislative requirements for students, including how they must conduct career research, take an interest and skills inventory, set goals, plan for their pathways inside and outside of high school, receive information about financial aid, plan some courses, build a resume, and have their families engaged in that process. 

School districts engage students through the technology platform SchoolLinks through activities. 

In TSD’s high school setting, homeroom lessons are delivered during homeroom or students’ advisory period. Throughout the year, teachers are provided with lessons that guide students through activities they need to do on the platform. 

The HSBP is completed annually, and students can revise it within the time frame whenever they want to. Each school has a different due date for tasks, which students can see on the system. 

A completed HSBP will be presented during a student’s Senior Culminating Project, a local graduation requirement. 

“The High School and Beyond Plan timeline begins in 7th grade. As we get to 8th grade, students and counselors should be looking at student goal information—whether it's academic or career goal information—and using that to make course selections in high school,” Proctor said 

The transition period set on 8th to 9th grade involves skills assessment, setting goals, and investigating options.  

During freshman year, students would map out their personal strengths and interests, explore careers, research pathway options, and join clubs and volunteerism. 

During sophomore year, students will explore pathways for careers of interest, log experiences, solidify scheduling for post-high school, Map out their timeline, and engage in job shadowing & summer experiences. 

Junior year is when students finalize pathway plans, map out their timeline, develop a list of scholarships, and engage in summer supplements such as jobs or internships. 

The final year, senior year, would allow the student to follow a timeline, apply for Financial Aid, complete application materials, apply for scholarships, prepare for Post-High School, and celebrate graduation.