Requires that, under RCW 28A.655.061, beginning in the 2006-07 school year, the superintendent of public instruction shall implement objective alternative assessment methods for students to demonstrate achievement of the state standards in content areas in which the student did not meet the standard on the high school Washington assessment of student learning.

Declares that one alternative assessment method shall be a combination of the applicant's grades in applicable courses and the applicant's highest score on the high school Washington assessment of student learning, as provided in this act. The superintendent of public instruction shall determine which high school courses are applicable to the alternative assessment method and shall issue guidelines to school districts.

Requires that using guidelines prepared by the superintendent of public instruction, a school district shall identify the group of students in the same school as the applicant who took the same high school courses as the applicant in the applicable content area. From the group of students identified in this manner, the district shall select the comparison cohort that shall be those students who met or slightly exceeded the state standard on the Washington assessment of student learning.

Directs the district to compare the applicant's grades in high school courses in the applicable content area to the grades of students in the comparison cohort for the same high school courses. If the applicant's grades are equal to or above the mean grades of the comparison cohort, the applicant shall be deemed to have met the state standard on the alternative assessment.

Requires the superintendent of public instruction to develop an alternative assessment method that shall be an evaluation of a collection of work samples prepared and submitted by the applicant, as provided in this act and, for career and technical applicants, the additional requirements of this act.

Provides that, by September of 2006, the superintendent of public instruction shall develop informational materials for parents, teachers, and students regarding the collection of work samples and the status of its development as an alternative assessment method. The materials shall provide specific guidance regarding the type and number of work samples likely to be required, include examples of work that meets the state learning standards, and describe the scoring criteria and process for the collection. The materials shall also encourage students in the graduating class of 2008 to begin creating a collection if they believe they may seek to use the collection once it is implemented as an alternative assessment.

Provides that, for students enrolled in a career and technical education program approved under this act, the superintendent of public instruction shall develop additional guidelines for a collection of work samples.

Directs the superintendent of public instruction to study the feasibility of using existing mathematics assessments in languages other than English as an additional alternative assessment option. The study shall include an estimation of the cost of translating the tenth grade mathematics assessment into other languages and scoring the assessments should they be implemented.

Provides that the superintendent of public instruction shall implement: (1) By June 1, 2006, a process for students to appeal the score they received on the high school assessments; and

(2) By January 1, 2007, guidelines and appeal processes for waiving specific requirements in RCW 28A.655.061 pertaining to the certificate of academic achievement and to the certificate of individual achievement for students who: (a) Transfer to a Washington public school in their junior or senior year with the intent of obtaining a public high school diploma, or (b) have special, unavoidable circumstances.

Provides that, by September 10, 2006, the superintendent of public instruction shall report the following, in detail, to the education committees of the legislature: (1) Results of the pilot testing of the alternative assessments authorized under this act, particularly the pilot testing of the collection of work samples or collection of evidence;

(2) The proposed guidelines, protocols, and procedures to be used by the superintendent in implementing the alternative assessments, particularly the collection of evidence;

(3) The proposed criteria, rubrics, and methodology for scoring the collection of evidence;

(4) A description of the training to be provided for school districts, educators serving on scoring panels, and teachers assisting students with collections of evidence;

(5) Preliminary results of the feasibility study in this act; and

(6) Updated estimates of the number of students likely to be eligible or apply for an alternative assessment method.

Provides that, by December 1, 2006, and again by February 1, 2007, the superintendent of public instruction shall provide the education committees of the legislature with an update on the number of students eligible for or participating in an alternative assessment method.

Directs the Washington state institute for public policy to conduct an independent and objective evaluation of the reliability, validity, and rigor of the alternative assessment methods authorized under this act, including an examination of a representative sample of the collections of work samples submitted by the graduating classes of 2008 and 2009. The institute shall submit its findings to the education committees of the legislature by September 1, 2009, to enable the legislature to develop and consider statutory changes to the alternative assessment during the 2010 legislative session.

Provides that a student's score on the mathematics portion of the preliminary scholastic assessment test (PSAT), the scholastic assessment test (SAT), or the American college test (ACT) may be used as an objective alternative assessment under this act for demonstrating that a student has met or exceeded the mathematics standards for the certificate of academic achievement. The state board of education shall identify the scores students must achieve on the mathematics portion of the PSAT, SAT, or ACT to meet or exceed the state standard for mathematics. The state board of education shall identify the first scores by December 1, 2006, and thereafter may increase but not decrease the scores required for students to meet or exceed the state standard for mathematics.

Provides that the act shall be null and void if appropriations are not approved.