BILL REQ. #:  H-3496.3 

Prefiled 1/4/2006. Read first time 01/09/2006.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to requiring an independent review of the Washington assessment of student learning; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature continues to support high academic standards for Washington public school students and recognizes that the Washington assessment of student learning is an assessment tool and not the standard. The legislature finds that Washington's academic assessment system, including the essential academic learning requirements, grade level expectations, and Washington assessment of student learning, has been continuously under development since the enactment of the state's education reform law in 1993. Since the passage of the federal no child left behind act in 2001, there has been rapid implementation of additional components to the state assessment system. As a result, a comprehensive analysis of Washington's assessment system following the implementation of the no child left behind act of 2001 has not been conducted. There has also not been adequate attention paid to how the system affects the authority and control of locally elected school directors. Therefore, the legislature intends to commission a comprehensive review of Washington's academic assessment system and ensure additional local flexibility within that system.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The joint legislative audit and review committee shall design and conduct a request for proposal for a comprehensive and independent review of the Washington assessment of student learning. The review shall cover the content areas of reading, mathematics, writing, and science, at all grade levels.
     (2) The review shall address the following topics:
     (a) A description of the full cost to the state and local school districts of developing, maintaining, scoring, test storage, appeal processing, parent review, and other tasks associated with administering the Washington assessment of student learning;
     (b) A comparison of the costs of the Washington assessment of student learning and the costs of assessment systems in other states;
     (c) An analysis of the ability of the Washington assessment of student learning to provide teachers and parents with real-time diagnostic information about individual students' academic performance so that instructional support and intervention strategies can immediately focus on specific knowledge and skills needing improvement;
     (d) An analysis of whether and to what extent test questions on the Washington assessment of student learning disproportionately favor or disadvantage any specific group of students, including students with different learning styles, racial or ethnic backgrounds, or gender; and
     (e) An evaluation of alternative assessment tools to the Washington assessment of student learning, a comparison of their costs, and the extent to which the alternatives meet, or could be made to meet, the following criteria:
     (i) Measure student performance and achievement of the Washington essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations;
     (ii) Provide teachers and parents with real-time diagnostic information about individual students' academic performance so that instructional support and intervention strategies can immediately focus on specific knowledge and skills needing improvement; and
     (iii) Meet federal requirements for assessments used to determine adequate yearly progress under P.L. 107-110, the no child left behind act of 2001.
     (3) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide all available data necessary for the joint legislative audit and review committee and its contractor to conduct the review under this section. The contractor shall submit study protocols for approval by the committee to ensure adequate confidentiality and security of student scores and other data and information pertaining to the Washington assessment of student learning.
     (4) The joint legislative audit and review committee and its contractor shall submit a report containing the results of the review of the alternative assessment tools to the Washington assessment of student learning by September 30, 2006, and a final report covering the other subjects reviewed under this section to the education committees of the legislature by December 1, 2007.