Title: An act relating to educational equity.

Brief Description: Adopting state policy on educational equity.

Sponsors: Senators McAuliffe, Schmidt, Kohl-Welles and Shin; by request of State Board of Education.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education: 2/25/05.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING, K-12 & HIGHER EDUCATION

Staff: Ingrid Mungia (786-7423)

Background: Under existing state laws, the majority of references to "equity" are of a financial nature (e.g., banking, real estate). Current law does not include a policy, on educational equity and its relation to the education of each student and the state's constitutional paramount duty under Article IX, Sections 1 and 2.

Summary of Bill: A statutory state policy on educational equity is established.

Educational equity includes instruction that responds to the diverse needs of students in order to maximize each student's opportunity to reach his or her potential to achieve success in school and life as expressed in the goal of basic education.

Educational equity results in continuous student growth. Learning and achievement is founded on meaningful relationships among students, staff, parents, guardians, and community members so that each student is nurtured, respected, and valued in school and through school-related learning opportunities.

The State Board of Education (SBE) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are encouraged to:

• collaboratively establish and align potential goals, objectives, and strategies in order to advance the state policy on educational equity; and
• report periodically to the Legislature on the status of adopted educational equity goals, objectives, and strategies to advance the state policy on educational equity.

SBE and OSPI are authorized to adopt rules to implement the state policy on educational equity.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 21, 2005.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Testimony For: This bill will help students learning style and rate of learning. Children will learn if they are treated equitably. Equitable education will help close the achievement gap. Not all children learn the same so there needs to be a variety of standards so children can express themselves.

Testimony Against: None.

Who Testified: PRO: Senator McAuliffe, prime sponsor; Warren Smith, SBE; Andrew Griffin, OSPI.