FINAL BILL REPORT
SHB 1987
C 494 L 05
Synopsis as Enacted
Brief Description: Regarding alternative assessments.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Priest, Ormsby, Curtis and Anderson).
House Committee on Education
Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Background:
By law, beginning with the class of 2008, most public school students will be required to
meet state standards in reading, writing, and mathematics in order to graduate. The students
may meet this requirement by either passing the high school Washington Assessment of
Student Learning (WASL) in those content areas or by successfully completing an alternative
assessment approved by the Legislature.
Summary:
By January 15, 2006, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) will
conduct a review of the course requirements and assessments that lead to industry
certification in two or more career and technical certification programs. The purpose of the
review is to determine the extent to which certification requirements are aligned with the high
school WASL. The review will also evaluate the statewide availability and utilization of the
certifications. Based on the review, the OSPI will determine if the certifications should be
used as alternatives to the WASL for the purposes of high school graduation. The OSPI will
also develop a process for evaluating other industry certification programs to determine
whether they can be used as assessment alternatives.
Votes on Final Passage:
House 95 0
Senate 46 0 (Senate amended)
House (House refused to concur)
Senate (Senate receded)
Senate 44 2
Effective: July 24, 2005