BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to the certificate of mastery; amending RCW 28A.630.885; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The assessment system developed for high school pursuant to RCW 28A.630.885(3)(b)(i) shall include assessments for three different certificates of mastery: Academic, general, and applied.

(a) Achievement of the academic certificate requires advanced competency in and conceptual knowledge of the basics (reading, writing, communication, mathematics), plus extensive additional knowledge and competence in science, civics, history, geography, a foreign language, health, fitness, and the arts. Once implemented, achievement of the academic certificate shall be required for public school students graduating after June 30, 2000, to gain admission into a public four-year institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(b) Achievement of the general certificate requires advanced competency in the basics, plus knowledge and competency in science, civics, history, geography, health, fitness, and the arts. Once implemented, achievement of the general certificate shall be required for public school students graduating after June 30, 2001, to gain admission into a public community or technical college.

(c) Achievement of the applied certificate requires competency in the basics, plus a working general understanding of science, civics, history, geography, health, fitness, and the arts.

(2) The assessments leading to the three certificates in subsection (1) of this section shall be offered initially to students at about the age of sixteen. Students who are not successful in passing an assessment the first time, or who want to achieve a higher level certificate, may take the assessment up to twice a year. A student attending high school shall take the assessment in the district in which the student is attending. A student who is not attending school shall take the assessment in the school district in which the student resides.

(3) The assessment leading to the academic certificate shall be implemented beginning in the 1998-99 school year. The general certificate assessment shall be implemented in the 1999-2000 school year, and the applied certificate assessment shall be implemented in the 2000-01 school year.

(4) Beginning in the 2000-01 school year, a student must achieve at least the applied certificate to graduate. The level of mastery shall be prominently indicated on graduation diploma and transcripts. The state board of education shall assure that the applied certificate assessment is reliable and valid before it is required for graduation.

(5) Although a certificate of mastery shall be required for graduation, it shall not be the only requirement for graduation. The commission on student learning shall make recommendations to the state board of education regarding the relationship between the certificates of mastery and high school graduation requirements. The state board of education shall issue graduation guidelines for individual school districts to consider. Individual school districts shall establish graduation requirements.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.630.885 and 1994 c 245 s 13 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The Washington commission on student learning is hereby established. The primary purposes of the commission are to 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, to develop student assessment and school accountability systems, and to take other steps necessary to develop a performance-based education system. The commission shall include three members of the state board of education, three members appointed by the governor before July 1, 1992, and five members appointed no later than June 1, 1993, by the governor elected in the November 1992 election. The governor shall appoint a chair from the commission members, and fill any vacancies in gubernatorial appointments that may occur. The state board of education shall fill any vacancies of state board of education appointments that may occur. In making the appointments, educators, business leaders, and parents shall be represented, and nominations from state-wide education, business, and parent organizations shall be requested. Efforts shall be made to ensure that the commission reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the state's K-12 student population and that the major geographic regions in the state are represented. Appointees shall be qualified individuals who are supportive of educational restructuring, who have a positive record of service, and who will devote sufficient time to the responsibilities of the commission to ensure that the objectives of the commission are achieved.

(2) The commission shall establish advisory committees. Membership of the advisory committees shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, professionals from the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education, and other state and local educational practitioners and student assessment specialists.

(3) The commission, with the assistance of the advisory committees, shall:

(a) Develop essential academic learning requirements based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210. Essential academic learning requirements shall be developed, to the extent possible, for each of the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210. Goals one and two shall be considered primary. Essential academic learning requirements for RCW 28A.150.210(1), goal one, and the mathematics component of RCW 28A.150.210(2), goal two, shall be completed no later than March 1, 1995. Essential academic learning requirements that incorporate the remainder of RCW 28A.150.210 (2), (3), and (4), goals two, three, and four, shall be completed no later than March 1, 1996. To the maximum extent possible, the commission shall integrate goal four and the knowledge and skill areas in the other goals in the development of the essential academic learning requirements;

(b)(i) The commission shall present to the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction a state-wide academic assessment system 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 (a) of this subsection. The academic assessment system shall include a variety of assessment methods, including performance-based measures that are criterion-referenced. Performance standards for determining if a student has successfully completed an assessment shall be initially determined by the commission in consultation with the advisory committees required in subsection (2) of this section.

(ii) 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. In addition, the assessment system shall be used for issuing certificates of mastery pursuant to section 1 of this act.

(iii) Assessments measuring the essential academic learning requirements developed for RCW 28A.150.210(1), goal one, and the mathematics component of RCW 28A.150.210(2), goal two, shall be initially implemented in the elementary and middle grades by the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction no later than the 1996-97 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and essential academic learning requirements. Assessments measuring the essential academic learning requirements developed for RCW 28A.150.210 (2), (3), and (4), goals two, three, and four, shall be initially implemented in the elementary and middle grades by the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction no later than the 1997-98 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and essential academic learning requirements. Implementation of the assessment system in the high school grades shall be in accordance with section 1 of this act. To the maximum extent possible, the commission shall integrate knowledge and skill areas in development of the assessments.

(iv) ((Before the 2000-2001 school year, participation by school districts in the assessment system shall be optional. School districts that desire to participate before the 2000-2001 school year shall notify the superintendent of public instruction in a manner determined by the superintendent. Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, all school districts shall be required to participate in the assessment system.

~~(v)~~)) The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction may modify the essential academic learning requirements and academic assessment system, as needed, in subsequent school years.

((~~(vi)~~)) (v) The commission 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;

(c) ((After a determination is made by the state board of education that the high school assessment system has been implemented and that it is sufficiently reliable and valid, successful completion of the high school assessment shall lead to a certificate of mastery. The certificate of mastery shall be obtained by most students at about the age of sixteen, and is evidence that the student has successfully mastered the essential academic learning requirements during his or her educational career. The certificate of mastery shall be required for graduation but shall not be the only requirement for graduation. The commission shall make recommendations to the state board of education regarding the relationship between the certificate of mastery and high school graduation requirements. Upon achieving the certificate of mastery, schools shall provide students with the opportunity to continue to pursue career and educational objectives through educational pathways that emphasize integration of academic and vocational education. Educational pathways may include, but are not limited to, programs such as work-based learning, school-to-work transition, tech prep, vocational-technical education, running start, and preparation for technical college, community college, or university education;

~~(d)~~)) Consider methods to address the unique needs of special education students when developing the assessments in (b) ((~~and (c)~~)) of this subsection;

((~~(e)~~)) (d) Consider methods to address the unique needs of highly capable students when developing the assessments in (b) ((~~and (c)~~)) of this subsection;

((~~(f)~~)) (e) Develop recommendations on the time, support, and resources, including technical assistance, needed by schools and school districts to help students achieve the essential academic learning requirements. These recommendations shall include an estimate for the legislature, superintendent of public instruction, and governor on the expected cost of implementing the academic assessment system;

((~~(g)~~)) (f) Develop recommendations for consideration by the higher education coordinating board for adopting college and university entrance requirements for public school students that are consistent with the essential academic learning requirements and the certificate of mastery;

((~~(h)~~)) (g) By December 1, 1998, recommend to the legislature, governor, state board of education, and superintendent of public instruction:

(i) A state-wide accountability system to monitor and evaluate accurately and fairly the level of learning occurring in individual schools and school districts. The accountability system shall be designed to recognize the characteristics of the student population of schools and school districts such as gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors. The system shall include school-site, school district, and state-level accountability reports;

(ii) A school assistance program to help schools and school districts that are having difficulty helping students meet the essential academic learning requirements;

(iii) A system to intervene in schools and school districts in which significant numbers of students persistently fail to learn the essential academic learning requirements; and

(iv) An awards program to provide incentives to school staff to help their students learn the essential academic learning requirements, with each school being assessed individually against its own baseline. Incentives shall be based on the rate of percentage change of students achieving the essential academic learning requirements. School staff shall determine how the awards will be spent.

It is the intent of the legislature to begin implementation of programs in this subsection ((~~(3)(h)~~)) (3)(g) on September 1, 2000;

((~~(i)~~)) (h) Report annually by December 1st to the legislature, the governor, the superintendent of public instruction, and the state board of education on the progress, findings, and recommendations of the commission; and

((~~(j)~~)) (i) Make recommendations to the legislature and take other actions necessary or desirable to help students meet the student learning goals.

(4) The commission shall coordinate its activities with the state board of education and the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(5) The commission shall seek advice broadly from the public and all interested educational organizations in the conduct of its work, including holding periodic regional public hearings.

(6) The commission shall select an entity to provide staff support and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide administrative oversight and be the fiscal agent for the commission. The commission may direct the office of the superintendent of public instruction to enter into subcontracts, within the commission's resources, with school districts, teachers, higher education faculty, state agencies, business organizations, and other individuals and organizations to assist the commission in its deliberations.

(7) Members of the commission shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. Section 2 of this act shall expire September 1, 1998.