Washington State is a strong national leader in our work around ACEs and public awareness. We see trauma informed practice in our social agencies within our communities. However, our state legislators with the support of the state board of education and the state superintendent of instruction, passed the most punitive graduation policy in the nation. When I confronted the issue in 2013, the legislators would not confirm the ACE Study. To date, Washington State has forced over 8,000 students...

On June 15, 2011,Washington State enacted HB 1965 . The law established a statutory definition of adverse childhood experiences that is consistent with the ACE study and codified the state’s commitment to addressing ACEs in state policy. It also...