SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 2115

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.

Background: It is the responsibility of the State Board of Education (SBE) to identify the scores that students must achieve on the statewide student assessments in order to meet the state standard of performance for purposes of school accountability and, in the case of high school students, for graduation. The SBE sets these performance standards in consultation with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and considers recommendations of technical and advisory groups.

Under current law the initial performance standards for the high school assessment and any changes to them must be presented to the education committees of the Legislature by November 30 of the school year that the changes take effect, and the Legislature must be permitted to take statutory action if desired before the changes are implemented. For the elementary and middle school assessments, the Legislature must merely be advised of the

initial performance standards and any changes.

In the spring of 2011, the OSPI is administering two new mathematics end-of-course assessments as required by statute. In the case of a newly developed assessment, it is not technically possible to set the performance standards until the actual range of student scores is known, which will not occur until late spring of the 2010-11 school year.

Summary of Bill: Rather than requiring the SBE to submit initial high school performance standards to the education committees by November 30 of the school year in which they take effect, the Legislature must be advised of the initial performance standards.

For all grade levels of the statewide student assessment, the SBE must provide an explanation and rationale for initial performance standards and any changes. If the SBE changes any performance standards, the OSPI must recalculate the results from the previous ten years of administering that assessment and post a comparison of the original and recalculated results on the agency website.