H-1664.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2087

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Santos, Talcott, Quall, Kenney and Schual‑Berke

Read first time 02/14/2001.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Authorizing advisory committees to evaluate the developmental appropriateness of the various WASL tests.

    AN ACT Relating to the Washington assessment of student learning; adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that the success of the state's education reform efforts are dependent on the level of trust that parents, educators, community members, employers, and students have in the components of the state's reform efforts.  The legislature also finds that teachers and parents must have confidence that the essential academic learning requirements and the Washington assessment of student learning are developmentally appropriate by grade level and that students can, with skilled instruction and sufficient time on task, achieve the state's learning standards for students of that grade.  The legislature further finds that parents and teachers must have confidence that student results on the Washington assessment of student learning have been determined objectively and accurately.

    Therefore, the legislature intends to direct the superintendent of public instruction to institute a process designed to strengthen the level of confidence that parents, teachers, community members, students, and other interested parties have in the essential academic learning requirements and the Washington assessment of student learning.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall create a separate advisory committee for each Washington assessment of student learning in reading, mathematics, writing, and when available, science.  Each advisory committee shall review its assessment to determine the assessment's developmental appropriateness for students at that grade level, and shall report to the superintendent of public instruction on any revisions to the assessment that need to occur to ensure that well-taught students who have devoted enough time on task are able to meet state academic standards as measured by that assessment.  Each advisory committee shall include, but need not be limited to teachers and other educators, experts in child development, parents, and other interested parties.  Teachers shall comprise a majority of advisory committee membership.  Each advisory committee shall periodically report to the superintendent of public instruction with its findings and recommendations.  The superintendent shall share those reports, and any resultant changes to the assessment, with the governor, the education committees of the legislature, the academic achievement and accountability commission, the state board of education, and other interested parties.

    (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall use a portion of its summer institutes and other professional development opportunities to help educators learn to score the Washington assessment of student learning.  School districts are encouraged to provide ample opportunities for teachers and other educators to learn to use and understand the scoring rubrics used to evaluate student results on the Washington assessment of student learning.

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