READ FIRST TIME 02/13/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to statewide assessments and curricula; amending RCW 28A.655.066; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.305.215; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that a statewide student assessment system should improve and inform classroom instruction, support accountability, and provide useful information to all levels of the educational system, including students, parents, teachers, schools, school districts, and the state. The legislature intends to redesign the current statewide system, in accordance with the recommendations of the Washington assessment of student learning legislative work group, to:
     (a) Include multiple assessment formats, including both formative and summative, as necessary to provide information to help improve instruction and inform accountability;
     (b) Enable collection of data that allows both statewide and nationwide comparisons of student learning and achievement; and
     (c) Be balanced so that the information used to make significant decisions that affect school accountability or student educational progress includes many data points and does not rely on solely the results of a single assessment.
     (2) The legislature further finds that one component of the assessment system should be instructionally supportive formative assessments. The key design elements or characteristics of an instructionally supportive assessment must:
     (a) Be aligned to state standards in areas that are being assessed;
     (b) Measure student growth and competency at multiple points throughout the year in a manner that allows instructors to monitor student progress and have the necessary trend data with which to improve instruction;
     (c) Provide rapid feedback;
     (d) Link student growth with instructional elements in order to gauge the effectiveness of educators and curricula;
     (e) Provide tests that are appropriate to the skill level of the student;
     (f) Support instruction for students of all abilities, including highly capable students and students with learning disabilities;
     (g) Be culturally, linguistically, and cognitively relevant, appropriate, and understandable to each student taking the assessment;
     (h) Inform parents and draw parents into greater participation of the student's study plan;
     (i) Provide a way to analyze the assessment results relative to characteristics of the student such as, but not limited to, English language learners, gender, ethnicity, poverty, age, and disabilities;
     (j) Strive to be computer-based and adaptive; and
     (k) Engage students in their learning.
     (3) The legislature further finds that a second component of the assessment system should be a state-administered summative achievement assessment that can be used as a check on the educational system in order to guide state expectations for the instruction of children and satisfy legislative demands for accountability. The key design elements or characteristics of the state administered achievement assessment must:
     (a) Be aligned to state standards in areas that are being assessed;
     (b) Maintain and increase academic rigor;
     (c) Measure student learning growth over years; and
     (d) Strengthen curriculum.
     (4) The legislature further finds that a third component of the assessment system should include classroom-based assessments, which may be formative, summative, or both. Depending on their use, classroom-based assessments should have the same design elements and characteristics described in this section for formative and summative assessments.
     (5) The legislature further finds that to sustain a strong and viable assessment system, preservice and ongoing training should be provided for teachers and administrators on the effective use of different types of assessments.
     (6) The legislature further finds that as the statewide data system is developed, data should be collected for all state-required statewide assessments to be used for accountability and to monitor overall student achievement.
     (7) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education, shall begin design and development of an overall assessment system that meets the principles and characteristics described in this section. In designing formative and summative assessments, the superintendent shall solicit bids for the use of computerized adaptive testing methodologies.
     (8) Beginning December 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, the superintendent and state board shall jointly report to the legislature regarding the assessment system, including a cost analysis of any changes and costs to expand availability and use of instructionally supportive formative assessments.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The superintendent of public instruction shall:
     (1) Revise the number of open-ended questions and extended responses in the statewide achievement assessment in grades three through eight and ten to reduce the cost and time of administering the assessment while retaining validity and reliability of the assessment and retaining assessment of critical thinking skills. By December 1, 2009, the superintendent shall report to the legislature regarding the changes, including a cost analysis of the changes; and
     (2) Revisit the alternative assessments, the appeals process, including considering authorizing local school districts to determine the outcome of an appeal by a student to demonstrate that he or she has the level of understanding of a content area assessed on the Washington assessment of student learning necessary to meet the state standard but was unable to demonstrate that understanding on the assessment or an alternative assessment, and the Washington alternative assessment system portfolios for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. By December 1, 2009, the superintendent shall make recommendations to the legislature for improvements.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.655.066 and 2008 c 163 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(a) In consultation with the state board of education, the superintendent of public instruction shall develop statewide end-of-course assessments for high school mathematics that measure student achievement of the state mathematics standards. The superintendent shall take steps to ensure that the language of the assessments is responsive to a diverse student population. The assessments shall be implemented statewide in the 2010-11 school year.
     (b) The superintendent shall develop end-of-course assessments ((in algebra I, geometry, integrated mathematics I, and integrated mathematics II. The superintendent shall make the algebra I and integrated mathematics I end-of-course assessments available to school districts on an optional basis in the 2009-10 school year. The end-of-course assessments in algebra I, geometry, integrated mathematics I, and integrated mathematics II shall be implemented statewide in the 2010-11 school year)) for the first year of high school mathematics that include the standards common to algebra I and integrated mathematics I and for the second year of high school mathematics that include the standards common to geometry and integrated mathematics II. The assessments under this subsection (1)(b) shall be used to demonstrate that a student meets the state standard on the mathematics content area of the high school Washington assessment of student learning for purposes of RCW 28A.655.061.
     (c) The superintendent of public instruction shall also develop subtests for the end-of-course assessments that measure standards for the first two years of high school mathematics that are unique to algebra I, integrated mathematics I, geometry, and integrated mathematics II. The results of the subtests shall be reported at the student, teacher, school, and district level.
     (2) For the graduating ((class of 2013)) classes of 2013 and 2014 and for purposes of the certificate of academic achievement under RCW 28A.655.061, a student may use: (a) Results from the ((algebra I end-of- course assessment plus the geometry end-of-course assessment or results from the integrated mathematics I end-of-course assessment plus the integrated mathematics II end-of-course assessment may be used)) end-of-course assessment for the first year of high school mathematics plus the results from the end-of-course assessment for the second year of high school mathematics; or (b) results from the comprehensive mathematics assessment to demonstrate that a student meets the state standard on the mathematics content area of the high school Washington assessment of student learning.
     (3) Beginning with the graduating class of ((2014)) 2015 and for purposes of the certificate of academic achievement under RCW 28A.655.061, the mathematics content area of the Washington assessment of student learning shall be assessed using ((either the algebra I end-of-course assessment plus the geometry end-of-course assessment or the integrated mathematics I end-of-course assessment plus the integrated mathematics II end-of-course assessment)) the end-of-course assessment for the first year of high school mathematics plus the end-of-course assessment for the second year of high school mathematics. All of the objective alternative assessments available to students under RCW 28A.655.061 and 28A.655.065 shall be available to any student who has taken the sequence of end-of-course assessments once but does not meet the state mathematics standard on the sequence of end-of-course assessments.
     (4) The superintendent of public instruction shall report at least annually or more often if necessary to keep the education committees of the legislature informed on each step of the development and implementation process under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education and the professional educator standards board, shall develop an implementation plan and strategies to ensure that all students have the opportunity to learn the new science and mathematics standards. The plan must include the following components:
     (a) Strategies to help districts improve their alignment of curriculum and teacher instruction to the new standards;
     (b) Identification of effective intervention programs and strategies for struggling students; and
     (c) An assessment of the feasibility of implementing the current timelines for students to demonstrate that they have met state mathematics and science standards on the statewide high school assessments.
     (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education, shall also recommend whether to use a comprehensive assessment or end-of-course assessments, including the costs for developing and implementing these assessments, for the high school assessment for students to demonstrate that they have achieved proficiency on the state's science standards.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall report to the governor and legislature by December 1, 2009, on the implementation plan and the recommended method of assessment for science.

Sec. 5   RCW 28A.305.215 and 2008 c 274 s 2 and 2008 c 172 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) The activities in this section revise and strengthen the state learning standards that implement the goals of RCW 28A.150.210, known as the essential academic learning requirements, and improve alignment of school district curriculum to the standards.
     (2) The state board of education shall be assisted in its work under subsections (3), (4), and (5) of this section by: (a) An expert national consultant in each of mathematics and science retained by the state board; and (b) the mathematics and science advisory panels created under RCW 28A.305.219, as appropriate, which shall provide review and formal comment on proposed recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education on new revised standards and curricula.
     (3) By September 30, 2007, the state board of education shall recommend to the superintendent of public instruction revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations in mathematics. The recommendations shall be based on:
     (a) Considerations of clarity, rigor, content, depth, coherence from grade to grade, specificity, accessibility, and measurability;
     (b) Study of:
     (i) Standards used in countries whose students demonstrate high performance on the trends in international mathematics and science study and the programme for international student assessment;
     (ii) College readiness standards;
     (iii) The national council of teachers of mathematics focal points and the national assessment of educational progress content frameworks; and
     (iv) Standards used by three to five other states, including California, and the nation of Singapore; and
     (c) Consideration of information presented during public comment periods.
     (4)(a) By February 29, 2008, the superintendent of public instruction shall revise the essential academic learning requirements and the grade level expectations for mathematics and present the revised standards to the state board of education and the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives as required by RCW 28A.655.070(4).
     (b) The state board of education shall direct an expert national consultant in mathematics to:
     (i) Analyze the February 2008 version of the revised standards, including a comparison to exemplar standards previously reviewed under this section;
     (ii) Recommend specific language and content changes needed to finalize the revised standards; and
     (iii) Present findings and recommendations in a draft report to the state board of education.
     (c) By May 15, 2008, the state board of education shall review the consultant's draft report, consult the mathematics advisory panel, hold a public hearing to receive comment, and direct any subsequent modifications to the consultant's report. After the modifications are made, the state board of education shall forward the final report and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction for implementation.
     (d) By July 1, 2008, the superintendent of public instruction shall revise the mathematics standards to conform precisely to and incorporate each of the recommendations of the state board of education under ((subsection (4)))(c) of this ((section)) subsection and submit the revisions to the state board of education.
     (e) By July 31, 2008, the state board of education shall either approve adoption by the superintendent of public instruction of the final revised standards as the essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations for mathematics, or develop a plan for ensuring that the recommendations under ((subsection (4)))(c) of this ((section)) subsection are implemented so that final revised mathematics standards can be adopted by September 25, 2008.
     (5) By June 30, 2008, the state board of education shall recommend to the superintendent of public instruction revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations in science. The recommendations shall be based on:
     (a) Considerations of clarity, rigor, content, depth, coherence from grade to grade, specificity, accessibility, and measurability;
     (b) Study of standards used by three to five other states and in countries whose students demonstrate high performance on the trends in international mathematics and science study and the programme for international student assessment; and
     (c) Consideration of information presented during public comment periods.
     (6) By December 1, 2008, the superintendent of public instruction shall revise the essential academic learning requirements and the grade level expectations for science and present the revised standards to the state board of education and the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives as required by RCW 28A.655.070(4). The superintendent shall adopt the revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations unless otherwise directed by the legislature during the 2009 legislative session.
     (7)(a) Within six months after the standards under subsection (4) of this section are adopted, the superintendent of public instruction shall present to the state board of education recommendations for no more than three basic mathematics curricula each for elementary, middle, and high school grade spans.
     (b) Within two months after the presentation of the recommended curricula, the state board of education shall provide official comment and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the recommended mathematics curricula. The superintendent of public instruction shall make any changes based on the comment and recommendations from the state board of education and adopt the recommended curricula.
     (c) By ((May 15)) June 30, 2009, the superintendent of public instruction shall present to the state board of education recommendations for no more than three basic science curricula each for elementary((,)) and middle((, and high)) school grade spans and not more than three recommendations for each of the major high school courses within the following science domains: Earth and space science, physical science, and life science.
     (d) ((By June 30, 2009)) Within two months after the presentation of the recommended curricula, the state board of education shall provide official comment and recommendations to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the recommended science curricula. The superintendent of public instruction shall make any changes based on the comment and recommendations from the state board of education and adopt the recommended curricula.
     (e) In selecting the recommended curricula under this subsection (7), the superintendent of public instruction shall provide information to the mathematics and science advisory panels created under RCW 28A.305.219, as appropriate, and seek the advice of the appropriate panel regarding the curricula that shall be included in the recommendations.
     (f) The recommended curricula under this subsection (7) shall align with the revised essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations. In addition to the recommended basic curricula, appropriate diagnostic and supplemental materials shall be identified as necessary to support each curricula.
     (g) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose and availability of the curricula, at least one of the curricula in each grade span and in each of mathematics and science shall be available to schools and parents online at no cost to the school or parent.
     (8) By December 1, 2007, the state board of education shall revise the high school graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.090 to include a minimum of three credits of mathematics, one of which may be a career and technical course equivalent in mathematics, and prescribe the mathematics content in the three required credits.
     (9) Nothing in this section requires a school district to use one of the recommended curricula under subsection (7) of this section. However, the statewide accountability plan adopted by the state board of education under RCW 28A.305.130 shall recommend conditions under which school districts should be required to use one of the recommended curricula. The plan shall also describe the conditions for exception to the curriculum requirement, such as the use of integrated academic and career and technical education curriculum. Required use of the recommended curricula as an intervention strategy must be authorized by the legislature as required by RCW 28A.305.130(4)(e) before implementation.
     (10) The superintendent of public instruction shall conduct a comprehensive survey of the mathematics curricula being used by school districts at all grade levels and the textbook and curriculum purchasing cycle of the districts and report the results of the survey to the education committees of the legislature by November 15, 2008.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Section 5 of this act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.