SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 2337

 

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Education, February 27, 2002

 

Title:  An act relating to authorizing the academic achievement and accountability commission to set performance improvement goals for certain disaggregated groups of students and dropout goals.

 

Brief Description:  Authorizing the academic achievement and accountability commission to set performance improvement goals for certain disaggregated groups of students and dropout goals.

 

Sponsors:  House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Santos, Talcott, Kessler, Schmidt, Berkey, Jackley, Upthegrove, Schual‑Berke, Wood, Kagi and Ogden; by request of Governor Locke, State Board of Education, Washington State School Directors Association, A+ Commission and Superintendent of Public Instruction).

 

Brief History: 

Committee Activity:  Education:  2/21/02, 2/27/02 [DPA, DNPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

 

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Carlson, Kohl‑Welles, Prentice, Rasmussen and Regala.

 

Minority Report:  Do not pass as amended.

Signed by Senators Finkbeiner, Hochstatter and Johnson.

 

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786‑7422)

 

Background:  In 1999, the Legislature gave the Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission the authority to adopt, in rule, school and school district student performance improvement goals in reading, mathematics, writing and science.  Prior to implementing any new goal, the commission must present the goal to the Legislature for review and comment.

 

Summary of Amended Bill:  Student performance improvement goals adopted by the commission must not conflict with the 2002 re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.  The goals may be established for all students, for economically disadvantaged students, limited English proficient students, students with disabilities, and students from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are disproportionately underachieving academically.  The results of schools and districts that test fewer than ten students in a grade level are not reported to protect the privacy of the students.

 

The commission may also establish school and school district goals addressing high school graduation rates and dropout reduction goals for students in grades seven through 12.

 

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  A technical amendment moves the placement of the phrase "school and school districts," which makes the bill exactly like the Senate companion bill.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

 

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

 

Testimony For:  Statistics show that there is a large gap between the school achievement level of poor children and children of races other than white in public schools in Washington State.  The intent of this bill is to provide motivation, data, and best practices to close the achievement gap.  The graduation and dropout rate goals are also important because we don't want to lose students by letting them avoid meeting state standards by dropping out of school.  Concerns:  While the bill provides that the state goals will not conflict with the recently passed federal law, there are some concerns that the goals could be different but not in conflict.  The commission should delay setting the state goals until the Department of Education provides guidelines for meeting the requirements of the federal law.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Representative Santos, prime sponsor; Jose Gaitan, Chair, A+ Commission; Ellen O'Brien Saunders, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Laura Kohn, Governor's Office; Linda Lamb, State Board of Education; Karen Davis, WEA (concerns); Steve Mullin, Business Round Table; Lynn Nixon, Agilent Technologies/AeA; Rainer Houser, AWSP; Terry Bergeson, OSPI.