"NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     For each high school student who was not successful on any or all of the content areas of the high school Washington assessment of student learning, either initially or after subsequent retakes of the assessment:
     (1) The school district shall update the student learning plan required under RCW 28A.655.061;
     (2) The school district shall arrange a conference that is, when possible, led by the student, for the student, the student's parent or guardian, and a representative from the school or school district to discuss the remedial extended learning activities the district will provide under section 2 of this act and explain the student's opportunity to participate in courses, programs, and other steps that the student can take to assist the student in meeting the state academic standards and assist the student to graduate;
     (3) If the student is in out-of-home care as defined by RCW 13.34.030, the school district shall include the student's social worker assigned from the department of social and health services in the student-led conference.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     Moneys appropriated for the purpose of providing remediation for students who were not successful on any or all of the content areas of the high school Washington assessment of student learning shall be allocated to school districts by the superintendent of public instruction in accordance with the biennial appropriations act. School districts shall expend the funds on remedial extended learning activities as provided in this section.
     (1) Remedial extended learning activities may include summer school, before and after school programs, Saturday classes, skill seminars, assessment preparation, intensive courses during the school year, and in-school or out-of-school tutoring.
     (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall review available remedial extended learning activities and shall provide information to districts about these activities. Remedial extended learning activities may occur on the school campus, via the internet using the digital learning commons or other providers of online courses and materials, or at other locations and times that meet student needs.
     (3) Within available funds, any student who was not successful on any or all of the content areas of the high school Washington assessment of student learning may participate in remedial extended learning activities.
     (4) Funding shall be provided based on students served in remedial extended learning activities.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.230.195 and 2005 c 217 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) If students' scores on the test or assessments under RCW 28A.655.070 indicate that students need help in identified areas, the school district shall evaluate its instructional practices and make appropriate adjustments.
     (2) Each school district shall notify the parents or guardians of each student of their child's performance on the test and assessments conducted under this chapter. If a student is in out-of-home care as defined by RCW 13.34.030, the district shall also notify the assigned social worker from the department of social and health services.
     (3) Notification to the parent, guardian, or assigned social worker of the assessment results for a student who was not successful on any or all of the content areas of the high school Washington assessment of student learning shall include the following additional information:
     (a) A description of the skill areas in which the student needs improvement;
     (b) The student's opportunity to participate in courses, programs, and other steps that the student can take to demonstrate that he or she has gained the necessary skills and knowledge and assist the student to graduate;
     (c) The availability and importance of remedial extended learning activities and how to access these programs;
     (d) Information about the next available opportunity for the student to retake the assessment, possible alternative assessments, and other options for high school completion; and
     (e) Information about how the parent or guardian can view a copy of the assessment and compare it to the student's results.

Sec. 4   RCW 28A.655.070 and 2005 c 497 s 106 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop essential academic learning requirements that identify the knowledge and skills all public school students need to know and be able to do based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210, develop student assessments, and implement the accountability recommendations and requests regarding assistance, rewards, and recognition of the state board of education.
     (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall:
     (a) Periodically revise the essential academic learning requirements, as needed, based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210. Goals one and two shall be considered primary. To the maximum extent possible, the superintendent shall integrate goal four and the knowledge and skill areas in the other goals in the essential academic learning requirements; and
     (b) Review and prioritize the essential academic learning requirements and identify, with clear and concise descriptions, the grade level content expectations to be assessed on the Washington assessment of student learning and used for state or federal accountability purposes. The review, prioritization, and identification shall result in more focus and targeting with an emphasis on depth over breadth in the number of grade level content expectations assessed at each grade level. Grade level content expectations shall be articulated over the grades as a sequence of expectations and performances that are logical, build with increasing depth after foundational knowledge and skills are acquired, and reflect, where appropriate, the sequential nature of the discipline. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, within seven working days, shall post on its web site any grade level content expectations provided to an assessment vendor for use in constructing the Washington assessment of student learning.
     (3) In consultation with the state board of education, the superintendent of public instruction shall maintain and continue to develop and revise a statewide academic assessment system in the content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science for use in the elementary, middle, and high school years designed to determine if each student has mastered the essential academic learning requirements identified in subsection (1) of this section. School districts shall administer the assessments under guidelines adopted by the superintendent of public instruction. The academic assessment system shall include a variety of assessment methods, including criterion-referenced and performance-based measures.
     (4) If the superintendent proposes any modification to the essential academic learning requirements or the statewide assessments, then the superintendent shall, upon request, provide opportunities for the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate to review the assessments and proposed modifications to the essential academic learning requirements before the modifications are adopted.
     (5)(a) The assessment system shall be designed so that the results under the assessment system are used by educators as tools to evaluate instructional practices, and to initiate appropriate educational support for students who have not mastered the essential academic learning requirements at the appropriate periods in the student's educational development.
     (b) Assessments measuring the essential academic learning requirements in the content area of science shall be available for mandatory use in middle schools and high schools by the 2003-04 school year and for mandatory use in elementary schools by the 2004-05 school year unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment.
     (6) By September 2007, the results for reading and mathematics shall be reported in a format that will allow parents and teachers to determine the academic gain a student has acquired in those content areas from one school year to the next.
     (7) To assist parents and teachers in their efforts to provide educational support to individual students, the superintendent of public instruction shall provide as much individual student performance information as possible within the constraints of the assessment system's item bank. The superintendent shall also provide to school districts:
     (a) Information on classroom-based and other assessments that may provide additional achievement information for individual students; and
     (b) Review a collection of diagnostic tools that educators may use to evaluate the academic status of individual students particularly students who were not successful on one or more of the content areas of the high school Washington assessment of student learning. The superintendent shall identify diagnostic assessments that are available and distribute information to school districts on how to access the diagnostic assessments, including putting such information on the internet web site of the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The tools shall be designed to be inexpensive, easily administered, and quickly and easily scored, with results provided in a format that may be easily shared with parents and students.
     (8) To the maximum extent possible, the superintendent shall integrate knowledge and skill areas in development of the assessments.
     (9) Assessments for goals three and four of RCW 28A.150.210 shall be integrated in the essential academic learning requirements and assessments for goals one and two.
     (10) The superintendent shall develop assessments that are directly related to the essential academic learning requirements, and are not biased toward persons with different learning styles, racial or ethnic backgrounds, or on the basis of gender.
     (11) The superintendent shall consider methods to address the unique needs of special education students when developing the assessments under this section.
     (12) The superintendent shall consider methods to address the unique needs of highly capable students when developing the assessments under this section.
     (13) The superintendent shall post on the superintendent's web site lists of resources and model assessments in social studies, the arts, and health and fitness.

Sec. 5   RCW 28A.655.200 and 2005 c 217 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((The legislature finds that the mandatory norm-referenced student assessments eliminated under chapter 217, Laws of 2005 provide information that teachers and parents use to improve student learning.)) In the absence of mandatory, statewide, norm-referenced assessments, the legislature intends to permit school districts to offer norm-referenced assessments ((at the districts' own expense)) and make diagnostic tools available ((that provide information that is at least as valuable as the information eliminated under chapter 217, Laws of 2005)) if funding is provided for diagnostic assessments for early intervention before the high school Washington assessment of student learning.
     (2) In addition to the diagnostic assessments provided under subsection (5) of this section, school districts may, at their own expense, administer norm-referenced assessments to students.
     (3) By September 1, 2005, subject to available funds, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall post on its web site for voluntary use by school districts, a guide of diagnostic assessments. The assessments in the guide, to the extent possible, shall include the characteristics listed in subsection (4)(((a) through (e))) of this section.
     (4) ((By September 1, 2006, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose)) By September 1, 2007, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall ((make available to school districts)) have identified diagnostic assessments that help improve student learning and shall make information about how districts may access these assessments readily available via its web site. To the greatest extent possible, the assessments shall be:
     (a) Aligned to the state's grade level expectations;
     (b) Individualized to each student's performance level;
     (c) Administered efficiently to provide results either immediately or within two weeks;
     (d) Capable of measuring individual student growth over time and allowing student progress to be compared to other students across the country; ((and))
     (e) Readily available to parents; and
     (f) Cost-effective.
     (5) If funds are appropriated, the superintendent of public instruction shall reimburse school districts for administration of diagnostic assessments in grades nine and ten for the purpose of identifying academic weaknesses and developing targeted instructional strategies to assist students before the high school Washington assessment of student learning.
     (6) The office of the superintendent of public instruction is encouraged to offer at ((their)) statewide and regional staff development activities training opportunities that would assist practitioners in:
     (a) The interpretation of diagnostic assessments; and
     (b) Application of instructional strategies that will increase student learning based on diagnostic assessment data.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall negotiate statewide contracts with providers of online courses, materials, and diagnostic assessments to provide remedial extended learning activities and preremediation and postremediation assessments under section 2 of this act. The superintendent shall act as a broker between school districts that elect to use the courses, materials, or assessments offered by a provider and the provider in order to facilitate contract negotiations, ensure consistent and equitable contract terms, and reduce administrative burden on both parties. Nothing in this section prevents a school district from independently negotiating contracts with providers of online courses, materials, or diagnostic assessments.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   RCW 28A.230.195 is recodified as a new section in chapter 28A.655 RCW."