H-1745.2 _______________________________________________
HOUSE BILL 2000
_______________________________________________
State of Washington 55th Legislature 1997 Regular Session
By Representative B. Thomas
Read first time 02/18/97. Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to the certificate of mastery; amending RCW 28A.230.090; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.630.885; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; repealing 1995 c 335 s 803 (uncodified); 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 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, 2002, 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 demonstrated, progressive 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, 2003, 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 2000-01 school year. The general certificate assessment shall be implemented in the 2001-02 school year, and the applied certificate assessment shall be implemented in the 2002-03 school year.
(4) Beginning in the 2002-03 school year, a student must achieve at least the applied certificate to graduate. The level of mastery shall be prominently indicated on the graduation diploma and the high school transcripts under RCW 28A.230.120. 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 1995 c 335 s 505 and 1995 c 209 s 1 are each reenacted and 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, to review current school district data reporting requirements and make recommendations on what data is necessary for the purposes of accountability and meeting state information needs, 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 1998-99 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) Review current school district data reporting requirements for the
purposes of accountability and meeting state information needs. The commission
on student learning shall report recommendations to the joint select committee
on education restructuring by September 15, 1996, on:
(i) What data is necessary to compare how school districts are performing before the essential academic learning requirements and the assessment system are implemented with how school districts are performing after the essential academic learning requirements and the assessment system are implemented; and
(ii) What data is necessary pertaining to school district reports under the accountability systems developed by the commission on student learning under this section;
(((i)))
(h) By June 30, 1999, 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)(((i))) (h) on September 1, 2000;
(((j)))
(i) 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
(((k)))
(j) 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.
(8) This section expires June 30, 1999.
Sec. 3. RCW 28A.230.090 and 1993 c 371 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
(1) The state board of education shall establish guidelines for high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students. Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements is encouraged to include information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.
(2)
In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish
and enforce minimum high school graduation ((requirements)) guidelines,
the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation ((requirements))
guidelines and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely
manner as determined by the state board.
(3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.
(4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:
(a) The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or
(b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.
(5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit. Subsection (4) of this section shall also apply to students enrolled in high school on April 11, 1990, who took the courses before attending high school.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. 1995 c 335 s 803 (uncodified) is repealed.
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