Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee

HB 2237

Brief Description:  Modifying the essential academic learning requirements assessment schedule.

Sponsors:  Representatives H. Sommers and Sehlin.

Brief Summary of Bill

$The timelines for the voluntary and required administration of the Washington Assessment of Student Learning are changed.

Hearing Date:  4/10/01

Staff:  Denise Graham (786‑7137).

Background: 

By law, Washington's public school students must take standardized tests in a number of different subjects at various points in the students' educational careers.  During elementary, middle school, and high school, the students are tested to determine whether they are meeting the state's learning standards for students at those grade levels.  Tests in reading, writing, mathematics, and listening have already been developed and administered on either a voluntary or required basis for students in the fourth, seventh and 10th grades.  By this spring, most students in those three grades must be tested in those subjects.  In the future, students in elementary, middle school, and high school will also be tested in science, social studies, the arts, and health and fitness.

The timelines for the voluntary and required administration of all the tests are determined by law.  The tests will be used to ascertain whether the schools that the students attend are helping the students to meet the state's learning standards, also called the essential academic learning requirements.  The tests will also be used to determine whether students are allowed to graduate from a public high school.

Summary of Bill: 

The statutory timelines are revised for the voluntary and required administration of the science, social studies, arts, and health and fitness assessments of student learning.  

The voluntary administration of the science assessment in middle and high school is delayed for two years and the required administration is delayed for three years.  The assessment must be available for voluntary use in the 2001-02 school year and for required use in the 2003-04 school year.  The voluntary use of the elementary school science assessment is delayed by two school years to 2003-04.  The first required administration of the elementary school science assessment is delayed by one school year from 2004-05 to 2005-06. 

The timelines for the administration of the social studies assessment are dealt with as follows: The voluntary administration of the high school assessment is unchanged at the 2002-03 school year, but the required administration is moved up one year from the 2005-06 school year to the 2004-05 school year; the voluntary use of the middle school assessment is delayed one school year from 2002-03 to 2003-04, while the required use remains unchanged at the 2005-06 school year; and the voluntary use of the elementary assessment is delayed two school years from 2002-03 to 2004-05, while the required use is delayed one school year from 2005-06 to 2006-07.

The voluntary administration of the high school arts assessment remains unchanged from the 2003-04 school year, but the required administration in high school is moved up one year, from 2006-07 to 2005-06.  The voluntary administration of the middle school arts assessment is delayed one school year from 2003-04 to 2004-05 and the required administration remains at 2006-07.  The voluntary administration of the elementary school arts assessment is delayed two school years from 2003-04 to 2005-06 and the required administration remains the same at 2007-08.

The timelines for the administration of the health and fitness assessments are dealt with as follows: The voluntary administration of the high school assessment remains unchanged at the 2003-04 school year, but the required administration is moved up one school year from 2006-07 to 2005-06; the voluntary administration of the middle school assessment is delayed one school year from 2003-04 to 2004-05 while the required administration remains at 2006-07; and the voluntary administration of the elementary assessment is delayed by two school years from 2003-04 to 2005-06 while the required administration remains unchanged at 2007-08.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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