The Washington State Board of Education is getting ready to take the next step toward opening Washington's first charter schools.

The board will talk about draft rules for authorizing and establishing charter schools during its meeting in Tumwater on Wednesday.

The rules will establish an annual application and approval process and timelines for local school boards that want to authorize charter schools.

The rules also will set criteria for evaluating groups that want to open charter schools and tracking their progress once they open.

In November, voters approved adding charter schools to the mix of public schools in Washington. The state board has been given some oversight over the system. The charter initiative also established a Charter School Commission to manage other parts of the process.