BILL REQ. #:  H-5027.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/05/08.   

     AN ACT Relating to development of an online mathematics curriculum; amending RCW 28A.305.215; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and issue a request for proposals for private vendors or nonprofit organizations to develop a mathematics curriculum that is aligned with Washington's essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations and would be made available online at no cost to school districts. At a minimum, the proposed curriculum shall cover course content in grades kindergarten through ten. Proposals are encouraged to cover content in grades eleven and twelve that aligns with the state's college readiness standards. Proposals shall address cost and timelines for development and implementation of the curriculum. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall review the responses, including an analysis of the qualifications of the respondents, and report the results of the request for proposals under this section to the governor and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.305.215 and 2007 c 396 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The activities in this section revise and strengthen the state learning standards that implement the goals of RCW 28A.150.210, known as the essential academic learning requirements, and improve alignment of school district curriculum to the standards.
     (2) The state board of education shall be assisted in its work under subsections (3) and (5) of this section by: (a) An expert national consultant in each of mathematics and science retained by the state board; and (b) the mathematics and science advisory panels created under RCW 28A.305.219, as appropriate, which shall provide review and formal comment on proposed recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education on new revised standards and curricula.
     (3) By September 30, 2007, the state board of education shall recommend to the superintendent of public instruction revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations in mathematics. The recommendations shall be based on:
     (a) Considerations of clarity, rigor, content, depth, coherence from grade to grade, specificity, accessibility, and measurability;
     (b) Study of:
     (i) Standards used in countries whose students demonstrate high performance on the trends in international mathematics and science study and the programme for international student assessment;
     (ii) College readiness standards;
     (iii) The national council of teachers of mathematics focal points and the national assessment of educational progress content frameworks; and
     (iv) Standards used by three to five other states, including California, and the nation of Singapore; and
     (c) Consideration of information presented during public comment periods.
     (4) By January 31, 2008, the superintendent of public instruction shall revise the essential academic learning requirements and the grade level expectations for mathematics and present the revised standards to the state board of education and the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives as required by RCW 28A.655.070(4). The superintendent shall adopt the revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations unless otherwise directed by the legislature during the 2008 legislative session.
     (5) By June 30, 2008, the state board of education shall recommend to the superintendent of public instruction revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations in science. The recommendations shall be based on:
     (a) Considerations of clarity, rigor, content, depth, coherence from grade to grade, specificity, accessibility, and measurability;
     (b) Study of standards used by three to five other states and in countries whose students demonstrate high performance on the trends in international mathematics and science study and the programme for international student assessment; and
     (c) Consideration of information presented during public comment periods.
     (6) By December 1, 2008, the superintendent of public instruction shall revise the essential academic learning requirements and the grade level expectations for science and present the revised standards to the state board of education and the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives as required by RCW 28A.655.070(4). The superintendent shall adopt the revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations unless otherwise directed by the legislature during the 2009 legislative session.
     (7)(a) By ((May 15)) July 31, 2008, or within four months after the standards under subsection (4) of this section are adopted, whichever is later, the superintendent of public instruction ((shall present to the state board of education recommendations for no more than three basic mathematics curricula each for elementary, middle, and high school grade spans.
     (b) By June 30, 2008, the state board of education shall provide official comment and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the recommended mathematics curricula. The superintendent of public instruction shall make any changes based on the comment and recommendations from the state board of education and adopt the recommended curricula)), in collaboration with school district curriculum directors, teachers, and other curriculum specialists, shall complete an analysis of the mathematics textbooks, curricula, and other instructional materials commonly used in elementary, middle, and high schools in the state to determine where and to what extent the revised standards are included therein. Based on the analysis, the superintendent shall develop and publish online mathematics curriculum alignment guides that school districts and teachers can use to determine the scope and sequence of the mathematics content to be taught at each grade level. Where commonly used textbooks or curricula do not adequately address the revised standards, the superintendent shall identify sources of supplemental instructional materials that school districts and teachers can use and shall publish this information online.
     (b) By September 31, 2008, or within six months after the standards in subsection (4) of this section are adopted, whichever is later, the superintendent shall develop a concise online guide for mathematics curriculum to assist school districts and boards of directors in making decisions regarding the future purchase of mathematics textbooks, curriculum, and instructional materials.
     (c) By May 15, 2009, the superintendent of public instruction shall present to the state board of education recommendations for no more than three basic science curricula each for elementary, middle, and high school grade spans.
     (d) By June 30, 2009, the state board of education shall provide official comment and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the recommended science curricula. The superintendent of public instruction shall make any changes based on the comment and recommendations from the state board of education and adopt the recommended curricula.
     (e) In selecting the recommended curricula under this subsection (7), the superintendent of public instruction shall provide information to the mathematics and science advisory panels created under RCW 28A.305.219, as appropriate, and seek the advice of the appropriate panel regarding the curricula that shall be included in the recommendations.
     (f) The recommended curricula under this subsection (7) shall align with the revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations. In addition to the recommended basic curricula, appropriate diagnostic and supplemental materials shall be identified as necessary to support each curricula.
     (g) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose and availability of the curricula, 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.
     (8) By December 1, 2007, the state board of education shall revise the high school graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.090 to include a minimum of three credits of mathematics, one of which may be a career and technical course equivalent in mathematics, and prescribe the mathematics content in the three required credits.
     (9) Nothing in this section requires a school district to use one of the recommended curricula under subsection (7) of this section. However, the statewide accountability plan adopted by the state board of education under RCW 28A.305.130 shall recommend conditions under which school districts should be required to use one of the recommended curricula. The plan shall also describe the conditions for exception to the curriculum requirement, such as the use of integrated academic and career and technical education curriculum. Required use of the recommended curricula as an intervention strategy must be authorized by the legislature as required by RCW 28A.305.130(4)(e) before implementation.