SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5067

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As of January 24, 2019

Title: An act relating to modifying certain common school provisions.

Brief Description: Modifying certain common school provisions.

Sponsors: Senator Zeiger; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 1/18/19.

Brief Summary of Bill

Changes requirements for the Building Bridges Program.
Allows civics content and instruction to be embedded in career and technical education equivalency courses.
Modifies provisions for second grade reading assessment and removes requirement that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction provide the passages used.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Staff: Benjamin Omdal (786-7442)

Background: Building Bridges Program. The Building Bridges Program was established in 2007 by the Legislature to award grants to local partnerships of schools, families and communities, with the goal of beginning the phase-in of a statewide comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval system. The workgroup formed as part of the program makes annual recommendations to the Legislature and Governor on best practices and needs in these areas. For purposes of the program, state law requires partners in the program to provide all of the following:

a system that identifies individual middle or high school students at risk of dropping out and provides timely interventions for these students;
coaches or mentors as necessary;
staff responsible for coordination of community partners;
retrieval or reentry activities; and
alternative educational programming.

The Building Bridges workgroup is currently operating as a steering committee as part of the Graduation A Team Effort (GATE) Initiative under the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Civics Requirement. Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, all school districts with a high school must provide a mandatory one-half credit stand-alone civics course. Civics content and instruction cannot be embedded in other social studies courses unless the course offers students the opportunity to earn both high school and postsecondary credit.

Career and Technical Education. As defined in statute, career and technical education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with an exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. Each high school or school board in Washington is required to adopt course equivalencies for CTE high school courses. Each school board must develop a course equivalency approval procedure, and must, at a minimum, grant academic course equivalency in mathematics or science for a CTE course from a list approved by OSPI.

Second Grade Reading Assessments. Current law requires that school districts in Washington administer a reading assessment to the students in the fall of their second grade year to provide information on the level of acquisition of oral reading accuracy and fluency skills of each student. Districts are mandated to select a reading passage for assessment from a collection which has been approved by OSPI. OSPI is also required to develop a per-pupil cost estimate for the assessments and pay for their administration and scoring, to the extent funds are appropriated.

Summary of Bill: Building Bridges Program. A partnership must provide at least one of the activities required by statute, as opposed to all activities.

Civics Requirement. The one-half credit stand-alone civics course required under state law may be embedded in career and technical education high school equivalency courses.

Second Grade Reading Assessments. Passages used by districts for the second grade reading assessment must meet current standards, provide a valid measure of a student's reading comprehension, and be administered according to the publishers' guidelines. OSPI may provide an estimated per-pupil cost for assessments aligned to state learning standards, and shall provide districts with funds to purchase assessment materials and professional learning, to the extent funds are appropriated.

Appropriation: The bill contains a section or sections to limit implementation to the availability of amounts appropriated for that specific purpose.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: Embedding civics content provides students easier access both CTE and civics instruction. The changes to the Building Bridges Program provides more flexibility at the local level. Modifications to second-grade reading requirements codify what are current practices.

OTHER: The broad goal of civics education by the Legislature is commendable.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Hans Zeiger, Prime Sponsor; Marissa Rathbone, OSPI; Simone Boe, Washington Education Association. OTHER: Kaaren Heikes, Director of Policy and Partnerships, Washington State Board of Education.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.