OSPI joins pilot study on graduate enlistment

OLYMPIA—Students in Washington have a variety of graduation pathways established by the state legislature in 2019. Among these is achieving a qualifying score on the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery.

Since 2019, an increasing percentage of graduates have completed the ASVAB. The Office of Superintendet of Public Instruction reported that over 5,400 graduates (7.2%) reported completing the ASVAB as a graduation pathway in 2025.

With more graduates completing the ASVAB each year, the OSPI has not had data to determine whether ASVAB completers go on to enlist in the military.

Since June 2024, the OSPI has been working with federal military leaders, the Council of Chief State School Officers, and state education leaders from Arkansas, Kansas, Ohio, and Tennessee to develop a plan for graduate and enlistment data be shared.

For this pilot, Washington and the other states will provide the DOD with a list of graduates from the Class of 2024. The DOD will identify which of those graduates enlisted in the military and share that data with the states. States will provide limited information; Washington will share only student names and birth dates.

“For decades, high schools across the country have helped connect colleges and universities to interested students in support of their college search process,” said State Superintendent Chris Reykdal. “Despite how many of our graduates enlist in the military and the fact that many of them have successful military careers, we have historically been unable to understand exactly how many Washington students join the military. Knowing this can help state leaders understand if we are providing the full breadth of high school offerings to empower multiple post-high school pathways.”

At the end of the pilot, the project team will decide whether any adjustments are needed to the data-sharing agreement or the data components. The team aims to make the data-sharing agreement available for other states to utilize starting in the 2026–27 school year.

For more information on Washington’s graduation pathways visit https://sbe.wa.gov/our-work/graduation-requirements.