Title: An act relating to development of an online mathematics curriculum.

Brief Description: Regarding an online mathematics curriculum.

Sponsors: House Committee on App Subcom Ed (originally sponsored by Representatives Sullivan, Ormsby, Haigh, Schual-Berke, Green and Simpson).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/08, 91-6.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/21/08, 2/25/08 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Tom, Vice Chair; King, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Hobbs, Holmquist, Kauffman, McDermott, Oemig, Rasmussen and Weinstein.

Staff: Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background: In 2007 the Legislature directed the State Board of Education (SBE) to review and recommend to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) revisions to Washington's Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRs) and Grade Level Expectations (GLEs) in mathematics. The OSPI was also required to revise the EALRs and the GLEs and present them to the SBE and the Legislature by January of 2008. Unless directed otherwise by the Legislature in the 2008 Session, the OSPI must adopt the revisions.

The SBE issued its report and recommendations in September of 2007. The OSPI posted its Review Draft of the new standards on January 21, 2008, and on January 31, 2008, the OSPI submitted the revised mathematics standards to the Legislature.

The OSPI was also directed to identify no more than three mathematics curricula each for elementary, middle, and high school grade spans that align with the new standards and present these to the SBE by May 15, 2008, for formal comment. The OSPI must make any changes based on the SBE's comments and recommendations and adopt the recommended curricula. Subject to funding and availability of curricula, at least one of the curricula in each grade span must be available online at no cost to schools and parents.

Summary of Bill (Recommended Amendments): The OSPI is directed to develop and issue a request for proposals (RFP) for private vendors or nonprofit organizations to adapt an existing mathematics curriculum to align it with Washington's EALRs and GLEs and make the curriculum available online at no cost to school districts. The online mathematics curriculum must cover course content in grades kindergarten through grade 12 and the state's college readiness standards.

Proposals submitted pursuant to the RFP must address cost and include timelines for development and implementation. The OSPI must review and analyze the responses and report the results of the RFP to the Governor and the education and fiscal committees of the Legislature by December 1, 2008.

The online curriculum will be one of the three curricula presented by the OSPI to the SBE following adoption of the mathematics standards. The timelines for presentation by the OSPI to the SBE, and for the SBE's comments and recommendations, are revised. The OSPI must present its recommendations to the SBE within six months after the standards are adopted, and the SBE then has two months to review and provide official comment.

The bill is null and void unless funded in the budget.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE (Recommended Amendments): The following changes are made:

• requires that the Request for Proposals address content for grades K-12, instead of K-10 and encouraging the proposals to address content for grades 11 and 12; and
• removes a requirement that the recommendations for mathematics curriculum include online curriculum. Maintains the language in current law that, "at least one of the curricula in each grade span and in each of mathematics and science shall be available to schools and parents online at no cost to the school or parent."

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Second Substitute Bill: PRO: There is a current effort underway to revise the state math standards. But once we have those new standards we will be back in the same place where we do not have a complete curriculum that is aligned to our standards and teachers will again have to find supplemental materials to cover all the standards. This bill will ensure that we have a curriculum that is complete and available on-line, which will let teachers and parents have access to it to help them help their student. The bill should be amended to require that the content cover K-12 and not just encourage coverage of eleventh and twelfth grade content.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Pat Sullivan, prime sponsor; Dr. Terry Bergeson, Superintendent of Public Instruction.