BILL REQ. #:  H-4587.2 

Read first time 01/21/08.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to providing glossaries for 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   In the 2006-07 school year, more than eighty thousand students in grades kindergarten through twelve were English language learners in the transitional bilingual program. An unknown number of these students understand the academic content of mathematics and science at their grade level, but struggle with the language and vocabulary, and consequently are not able to demonstrate their knowledge on the Washington assessment of student learning. Other students simply struggle with some of the language on reading and writing assessments, even though they have learned the necessary academic aspects of these subjects. The 2006 legislature directed the office of the superintendent of public instruction to examine the feasibility of translating the mathematics assessment into other languages. As a result, the legislature finds that steps are needed to make the state's academic assessments more accessible for English language learner students. More than twenty-six other states provide test-specific glossaries with their assessments to assist these students. Research has found that, when properly constructed, glossaries do not affect the validity of the assessment. The report from the office of the superintendent of public instruction recommends development of appropriate glossaries for 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 office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop customized English language glossaries for the reading, writing, mathematics, and science content areas of the Washington assessment of student learning for each grade level in which the assessment is administered and update the glossaries each year as necessary. The purpose of the glossaries is to provide assistance to English language learners and other students in understanding nonacademic terms in the assessment without affecting the validity of the assessment as a measure of a student's understanding of the academic content. The office shall make any glossaries that are developed available to schools, school districts, individuals, and community groups by posting the glossaries on its web site.
     (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall accept and review bilingual translations of any glossaries developed under this section from community-based organizations or individuals with expertise in the language of translation. The office may edit the translations as necessary to ensure accuracy and preserve the validity of the assessment. The office shall make any accepted translated glossaries available to schools and school districts by posting the translated glossaries on its web site.