SENATE BILL REPORT

                  ESB 6418

              As Passed Senate, February 12, 2000

Title:  An act relating to establishing a process and a date for determining when the high school assessment is valid and reliable and shall lead to a certificate of mastery.

Brief Description:  Establishing a process to determine when the high school assessment is valid and reliable.

Sponsors:  Senators McAuliffe, Eide, Brown, Rasmussen, Bauer, Goings, Costa, Kohl‑Welles and Wojahn.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  1/19/2000, 2/2/2000 [DP].

Passed Senate, 2/12/2000, 45-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Bauer, Brown, Goings, Hochstatter, Rasmussen and Zarelli.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  Under current law, after the State Board of Education (SBE) determines that the high school assessment system required to be developed under the 1993 Education Reform Act (Chapter 336, Laws of 1993) is reliable and valid, successful completion of the assessment will lead to a Certificate of Mastery (COM).  The COM will be a high school graduation requirement, but not the only requirement.

Summary of Bill:  A process and timeline are established for the SBE to determine that the high school assessment is reliable and valid.

By September 2010, the SBE must determine whether the high school assessment of the Washington assessment of student learning is sufficiently reliable and valid based on findings addressing specified educational issues, legal issues and testing mechanics issues.

The SBE must consult with the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, higher education representatives, educators, school directors, students, parents, and interested citizens when preparing its findings.

The SBE must adopt rules that ensure that:  (1) approved private school students, home-based instruction students, and students who come from out of state shall not be denied any benefits provided by meeting the high school assessment standards and achieving the certificate of mastery; and (2) a certificate of mastery will not be required to enter into a Running Start program.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 14, 2000.

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

Testimony For:  Social studies, arts, and health and fitness assessments should be included in the Certificate of Mastery.  The intent of HB 1209, which passed in 1993, was to include all of the subjects in the Certificate of Mastery.  People say these subjects are not the basics but they could not be more basic because everyone has experiences and makes decisions in these areas every day of their life.  The danger of not including these subjects in the Certificate of Mastery is that schools may stop teaching them.  If that happens, it will adversely affect the quality of the education that our children receive and the life that they will live.

Testimony (Concerns):  There is not consensus in the field on what the Certificate of Mastery should include and when it should be required.  There are also concerns about using only one measurement, the tenth grade test.  The discussion of these issues should continue.

Testified:  PRO: Julie Peterson, CHEF; Jerry Warren, CHEF; Lori Dunn, Washington Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Dance; Tom Wells, Washington Coalition for the Promotion of Physical Activity; Gretchen Johnston, Washington State Arts Alliance; CONCERNS:  Barbara Mertens, WASA; Gary King, WEA.