BILL REQ. #:  H-2776.1 

READ FIRST TIME 05/11/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to science end-of-course assessments; amending RCW 28A.655.061 and 28A.155.045; adding new sections to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the graduating class of 2014 and through no later than the graduating class of 2016, students may graduate from high school without earning a certificate of academic achievement or a certificate of individual achievement if they:
     (a) Have not successfully met the science standard on the statewide high school science assessment, an approved objective alternative assessment, or an alternate assessment developed for eligible special education students;
     (b) Have successfully met the state standard in the other content areas required for a certificate under RCW 28A.655.061 or 28A.155.045;
     (c) Have met all other state and school district graduation requirements; and
     (d) Successfully earn, after the school year in which they took the statewide high school science assessment for the first time, one high school science credit or credit that integrates science with technology, engineering, or mathematics, including career and technical course equivalents or courses offered at skill centers, that is intended to increase the student's science proficiency toward meeting or exceeding the science standards assessed on the statewide high school science assessment.
     (2) This section expires August 31, 2016.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.655.061 and 2010 c 244 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The high school assessment system shall include but need not be limited to the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)), opportunities for a student to retake the content areas of the assessment in which the student was not successful, and, if approved by the legislature pursuant to subsection (10) of this section, one or more objective alternative assessments for a student to demonstrate achievement of state academic standards. The objective alternative assessments for each content area shall be comparable in rigor to the skills and knowledge that the student must demonstrate on the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) for each content area.
     (2) Subject to the conditions in this section, a certificate of academic achievement shall be obtained by most students at about the age of sixteen, and is evidence that the students have successfully met the state standard in the content areas included in the certificate. With the exception of students satisfying the provisions of RCW 28A.155.045, section 1 of this act, or 28A.655.0611, acquisition of the certificate is required for graduation from a public high school but is not the only requirement for graduation.
     (3) Beginning with the graduating class of 2008, with the exception of students satisfying the provisions of RCW 28A.155.045, a student who meets the state standards on the reading, writing, and mathematics content areas of the high school ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) shall earn a certificate of academic achievement. If a student does not successfully meet the state standards in one or more content areas required for the certificate of academic achievement, then the student may retake the assessment in the content area up to four times at no cost to the student. If the student successfully meets the state standards on a retake of the assessment then the student shall earn a certificate of academic achievement. Once objective alternative assessments are authorized pursuant to subsection (10) of this section, a student may use the objective alternative assessments to demonstrate that the student successfully meets the state standards for that content area if the student has taken the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) at least once. If the student successfully meets the state standards on the objective alternative assessments then the student shall earn a certificate of academic achievement.
     (4) Beginning ((no later than)) with the graduating class of ((2013)) 2014, a student must meet the state standards in science in addition to the other content areas required under subsection (3) of this section on the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) or the objective alternative assessments in order to earn a certificate of academic achievement. ((The state board of education may adopt a rule that implements the requirements of this subsection (4) beginning with a graduating class before the graduating class of 2013, if the state board of education adopts the rule by September 1st of the freshman school year of the graduating class to which the requirements of this subsection (4) apply. The state board of education's authority under this subsection (4) does not alter the requirement that any change in performance standards for the tenth grade assessment must comply with RCW 28A.305.130.))
     (5) The state board of education may not require the acquisition of the certificate of academic achievement for students in home-based instruction under chapter 28A.200 RCW, for students enrolled in private schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW, or for students satisfying the provisions of RCW 28A.155.045.
     (6) A student may retain and use the highest result from each successfully completed content area of the high school assessment.
     (7) School districts must make available to students the following options:
     (a) To retake the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) up to four times in the content areas in which the student did not meet the state standards if the student is enrolled in a public school; or
     (b) To retake the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) up to four times in the content areas in which the student did not meet the state standards if the student is enrolled in a high school completion program at a community or technical college. The superintendent of public instruction and the state board for community and technical colleges shall jointly identify means by which students in these programs can be assessed.
     (8) Students who achieve the standard in a content area of the high school assessment but who wish to improve their results shall pay for retaking the assessment, using a uniform cost determined by the superintendent of public instruction.
     (9) Opportunities to retake the assessment at least twice a year shall be available to each school district.
     (10)(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop options for implementing objective alternative assessments, which may include an appeals process for students' scores, for students to demonstrate achievement of the state academic standards. The objective alternative assessments shall be comparable in rigor to the skills and knowledge that the student must demonstrate on the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) and be objective in its determination of student achievement of the state standards. Before any objective alternative assessments in addition to those authorized in RCW 28A.655.065 or (b) of this subsection are used by a student to demonstrate that the student has met the state standards in a content area required to obtain a certificate, the legislature shall formally approve the use of any objective alternative assessments through the omnibus appropriations act or by statute or concurrent resolution.
     (b)(i) A student's score on the mathematics, reading or English, or writing portion of the SAT or the ACT may be used as an objective alternative assessment under this section for demonstrating that a student has met or exceeded the state standards for the certificate of academic achievement. The state board of education shall identify the scores students must achieve on the relevant portion of the SAT or ACT to meet or exceed the state standard in the relevant content area on the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)). The state board of education shall identify the first scores by December 1, 2007. After the first scores are established, the state board may increase but not decrease the scores required for students to meet or exceed the state standards.
     (ii) ((Until August 31, 2008, a student's score on the mathematics portion of the PSAT may be used as an objective alternative assessment under this section for demonstrating that a student has met or exceeded the state standard for the certificate of academic achievement. The state board of education shall identify the score students must achieve on the mathematics portion of the PSAT to meet or exceed the state standard in that content area on the Washington assessment of student learning.
     (iii))) A student who scores at least a three on the grading scale of one to five for selected AP examinations may use the score as an objective alternative assessment under this section for demonstrating that a student has met or exceeded state standards for the certificate of academic achievement. A score of three on the AP examinations in calculus or statistics may be used as an alternative assessment for the mathematics portion of the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)). A score of three on the AP examinations in English language and composition may be used as an alternative assessment for the writing portion of the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)). A score of three on the AP examinations in English literature and composition, macroeconomics, microeconomics, psychology, United States history, world history, United States government and politics, or comparative government and politics may be used as an alternative assessment for the reading portion of the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)). A score of three on the AP examination in biology may be used as an alternative assessment for the science portion of the statewide student assessment.
     (11) By December 15, 2004, the house of representatives and senate education committees shall obtain information and conclusions from recognized, independent, national assessment experts regarding the validity and reliability of the high school Washington assessment of student learning for making individual student high school graduation determinations.
     (12) To help assure continued progress in academic achievement as a foundation for high school graduation and to assure that students are on track for high school graduation, each school district shall prepare plans for and notify students and their parents or legal guardians as provided in this subsection. Student learning plans are required for eighth grade students who were not successful on any or all of the content areas of the state assessment during the previous school year or who may not be on track to graduate due to credit deficiencies or absences. The parent or legal guardian shall be notified about the information in the student learning plan, preferably through a parent conference and at least annually. To the extent feasible, schools serving English language learner students and their parents shall translate the plan into the primary language of the family. The plan shall include the following information as applicable:
     (a) The student's results on the state assessment;
     (b) If the student is in the transitional bilingual program, the score on his or her Washington language proficiency test II;
     (c) Any credit deficiencies;
     (d) The student's attendance rates over the previous two years;
     (e) The student's progress toward meeting state and local graduation requirements;
     (f) The courses, competencies, and other steps needed to be taken by the student to meet state academic standards and stay on track for graduation;
     (g) Remediation strategies and alternative education options available to students, including informing students of the option to continue to receive instructional services after grade twelve or until the age of twenty-one;
     (h) The alternative assessment options available to students under this section and RCW 28A.655.065;
     (i) School district programs, high school courses, and career and technical education options available for students to meet graduation requirements; and
     (j) Available programs offered through skill centers or community and technical colleges, including the college high school diploma options under RCW 28B.50.535.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.155.045 and 2007 c 354 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     Beginning with the graduating class of 2008, students served under this chapter, who are not appropriately assessed by the high school Washington assessment system as defined in RCW 28A.655.061, even with accommodations, may earn a certificate of individual achievement. The certificate may be earned using multiple ways to demonstrate skills and abilities commensurate with their individual education programs. The determination of whether the high school assessment system is appropriate shall be made by the student's individual education program team. Except as provided in RCW 28A.655.0611 and section 1 of this act, for these students, the certificate of individual achievement is required for graduation from a public high school, but need not be the only requirement for graduation. When measures other than the high school assessment system as defined in RCW 28A.655.061 are used, the measures shall be in agreement with the appropriate educational opportunity provided for the student as required by this chapter. The superintendent of public instruction shall develop the guidelines for determining which students should not be required to participate in the high school assessment system and which types of assessments are appropriate to use.
     When measures other than the high school assessment system as defined in RCW 28A.655.061 are used for high school graduation purposes, the student's high school transcript shall note whether that student has earned a certificate of individual achievement.
     Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny a student the right to participation in the high school assessment system as defined in RCW 28A.655.061, and, upon successfully meeting the high school standard, receipt of the certificate of academic achievement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning in the 2011-12 school year, the statewide high school assessment in science shall be an end-of-course assessment for biology that measures the state standards for life sciences, in addition to systems, inquiry, and application as they pertain to life sciences.
     (2) The superintendent of public instruction may not develop science end-of-course assessments in subjects in addition to biology for purposes of RCW 28A.655.061.
     (3) The superintendent of public instruction may participate with consortia of multiple states as common student learning standards and assessments in science are developed. The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education, may modify the essential academic learning requirements and statewide student assessments in science, including the high school assessment, according to the multistate common student learning standards and assessments as long as the education committees of the legislature have opportunities for review before the modifications are adopted, as provided under RCW 28A.655.070.
     (4) The statewide high school assessment under this section shall be used to demonstrate that a student meets the state standards in the science content area of the statewide student assessment for purposes of RCW 28A.655.061.