BILL REQ. #:  S-0206.1 

Read first time 01/26/11.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to high school mathematics and science assessments; amending RCW 28A.305.130 and 28A.655.100; adding new sections to chapter 28A.657 RCW; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature continues to recognize that providing students with rigorous mathematics and science instruction is crucial to giving all students the opportunity to obtain the foundational knowledge they need to be successful in college or the career of their choice. The legislature understands that school districts must continue to move forward with high expectations for students and therefore each school district should have a growth target to meet to ensure that progress is being made.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.657 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) By December 15, 2011, each school district board of directors shall:
     (a) At an open public meeting, establish three-year, district-wide growth targets to increase, by the end of the 2014-15 school year, the percentage of students who meet or exceed the performance standards established for high school graduation on the high school mathematics and science state assessments;
     (b) Direct each high school within the district to establish a three-year growth target. Each high school's growth target shall be subject to approval by the district board of directors. The aggregate of the high school growth targets must meet or exceed the district-wide growth targets established by the board of directors in accordance with (a) of this subsection; and
     (c) At an open public meeting, establish district-wide and school-level plans to achieve the mathematics and science growth targets, which shall include efforts to address increasing graduation rates, dropout reduction, and school attendance. The plans may include addressing the performance of different student groups on assessments; strategic allocation of resources; frequency of monitoring of learning and teaching; focused professional development; supportive learning environments; high level of family and community involvement; and any unique circumstances or characteristics of the school district.
     (2) The district growth targets shall be submitted to the state board of education. Using the board's accountability index, the board shall review the district growth targets. If the board determines that the growth targets are appropriate, the board shall approve the growth targets. If the board determines that the targets are not appropriate, the board shall work with the school district to develop appropriate growth targets that can be approved by the state board.
     (3) Each school district board of directors shall report annually:
     (a) To parents and the community in the school performance report under RCW 28A.655.110 and at a public meeting the following information:
     (i) District-wide and school-level three-year growth targets;
     (ii) Student performance relative to the growth targets disaggregated by at least the following subgroups of students: White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native, low-income, transitional bilingual, migrant, and special education students; and
     (iii) District-wide and school-level plans to achieve the mathematics and science growth targets;
     (b) To the state board of education and in a news release to the local media, the district's progress toward meeting the district-wide and school-level growth targets.
     (4) By December 1, 2014, the state board of education shall report to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate on the progress that has been made in achieving the three-year mathematics and science growth targets, and provide recommendations to the legislature on setting growth targets for the next three years.
     (5) If, by December 1, 2014, a school district does not meet the district's approved growth targets, the school district must develop a plan for improvement to be reviewed and approved by the state board of education. The state board shall develop a process for the development and approval of a school district's improvement plan. The process shall be modeled after the required action process in this chapter but shall be streamlined and focused only on the achievement of the district growth targets. The state board of education shall develop additional measures to assess other nonassessment school improvements as directed in RCW 28A.305.130 to determine whether the school district is making improvements.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.305.130 and 2009 c 548 s 502 are each amended to read as follows:
     The purpose of the state board of education is to provide advocacy and strategic oversight of public education; implement a standards-based accountability framework that creates a unified system of increasing levels of support for schools in order to improve student academic achievement; provide leadership in the creation of a system that personalizes education for each student and respects diverse cultures, abilities, and learning styles; and promote achievement of the goals of RCW 28A.150.210. In addition to any other powers and duties as provided by law, the state board of education shall:
     (1) Hold regularly scheduled meetings at such time and place within the state as the board shall determine and may hold such special meetings as may be deemed necessary for the transaction of public business;
     (2) Form committees as necessary to effectively and efficiently conduct the work of the board;
     (3) Seek advice from the public and interested parties regarding the work of the board;
     (4) For purposes of statewide accountability:
     (a) ((Adopt and revise performance improvement goals in reading, writing, science, and mathematics, by subject and grade level, once assessments in these subjects are required statewide; academic and technical skills, as appropriate, in secondary career and technical education programs; and student attendance, as the board deems appropriate to improve student learning. The goals shall be consistent with student privacy protection provisions of RCW 28A.655.090(7) and shall not conflict with requirements contained in Title I of the federal elementary and secondary education act of 1965, or the requirements of the Carl D. Perkins vocational education act of 1998, each as amended. The goals may be established for all students, economically disadvantaged students, limited English proficient students, students with disabilities, and students from disproportionately academically underachieving racial and ethnic backgrounds. The board may establish school and school district goals addressing high school graduation rates and dropout reduction goals for students in grades seven through twelve. The board shall adopt the goals by rule. However, before each goal is implemented, the board shall present the goal to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate for the committees' review and comment in a time frame that will permit the legislature to take statutory action on the goal if such action is deemed warranted by the legislature)) (i) Using the accountability index developed by the board, review each of the three-year, district-wide growth targets established in accordance with section 2 of this act to increase the percentage of students who meet or exceed the performance standards established for high school graduation on the high school mathematics and science state assessments. If the board determines that a district's growth targets are reasonable, the board shall approve the growth targets. If the board determines that the targets are not reasonable, the board shall work with the school district to develop reasonable growth targets that can be approved by the state board;
     (ii) Beginning December 1, 2014, for those districts that do not meet or exceed the growth target, review and, if appropriate, approve a school district's improvement plan. The board shall develop a process for approval of a school district's improvement plan. The process shall be modeled after the required action process in chapter 28A.657 RCW but shall be streamlined and focused only on the achievement of the district growth targets. The state board of education shall develop additional measures to assess other nonassessment school improvements to determine whether the school district is making growth in nonassessment areas, such as dropout reduction and attendance, to be used as part of the accountability index or in addition to the index in the future;
     (b) Identify the scores students must achieve in order to meet the standard on the Washington assessment of student learning and, for high school students, to obtain a certificate of academic achievement. The board shall also determine student scores that identify levels of student performance below and beyond the standard. The board shall consider the incorporation of the standard error of measurement into the decision regarding the award of the certificates. The board shall set such performance standards and levels in consultation with the superintendent of public instruction and after consideration of any recommendations that may be developed by any advisory committees that may be established for this purpose. The initial performance standards and any changes recommended by the board in the performance standards for the tenth grade assessment shall be presented to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by November 30th of the school year in which the changes will take place to permit the legislature to take statutory action before the changes are implemented if such action is deemed warranted by the legislature. The legislature shall be advised of the initial performance standards and any changes made to the elementary level performance standards and the middle school level performance standards;
     (c) Annually review the assessment reporting system to ensure fairness, accuracy, timeliness, and equity of opportunity, especially with regard to schools with special circumstances and unique populations of students, and a recommendation to the superintendent of public instruction of any improvements needed to the system; and
     (d) Include in the biennial report required under RCW 28A.305.035, information on the progress that has been made in achieving goals adopted by the board;
     (5) Accredit, subject to such accreditation standards and procedures as may be established by the state board of education, all private schools that apply for accreditation, and approve, subject to the provisions of RCW 28A.195.010, private schools carrying out a program for any or all of the grades kindergarten through twelve: PROVIDED, That no private school may be approved that operates a kindergarten program only: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no private schools shall be placed upon the list of accredited schools so long as secret societies are knowingly allowed to exist among its students by school officials;
     (6) Articulate with the institutions of higher education, workforce representatives, and early learning policymakers and providers to coordinate and unify the work of the public school system;
     (7) Hire an executive director and an administrative assistant to reside in the office of the superintendent of public instruction for administrative purposes. Any other personnel of the board shall be appointed as provided by RCW 28A.300.020. The board may delegate to the executive director by resolution such duties as deemed necessary to efficiently carry on the business of the board including, but not limited to, the authority to employ necessary personnel and the authority to enter into, amend, and terminate contracts on behalf of the board. The executive director, administrative assistant, and all but one of the other personnel of the board are exempt from civil service, together with other staff as now or hereafter designated as exempt in accordance with chapter 41.06 RCW; and
     (8) Adopt a seal that shall be kept in the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28A.657 RCW to read as follows:
     For purposes of statewide accountability, the state board of education may adopt and revise performance improvement goals in reading, writing, science, and mathematics, by subject and grade level, once assessments in these subjects are required statewide; academic and technical skills, as appropriate, in secondary career and technical education programs; and student attendance, as the board deems appropriate to improve student learning. The goals shall be consistent with student privacy protection provisions of RCW 28A.655.090(7) and may not conflict with requirements contained in Title I of the federal elementary and secondary education act of 1965, or the requirements of the Carl D. Perkins vocational education act of 1998, each as amended. The goals may be established for all students, including economically disadvantaged students, limited English proficient students, students with disabilities, and students from disproportionately academically underachieving racial and ethnic backgrounds. The board may establish school and school district goals addressing high school graduation rates and dropout reduction goals for students in grades seven through twelve. The board shall adopt the goals by rule. However, before each goal is implemented, the board shall present the goal to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate for the committees' review and comment in a time frame that will permit the legislature to take statutory action on the goal if such action is deemed warranted by the legislature.

Sec. 5   RCW 28A.655.100 and 1999 c 388 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) If the state board of education establishes performance improvement goals, each school district board of directors shall:
     (((1)))(a) Annually report to parents and to the community in a public meeting and annually report in writing the following information:
     (i) District-wide and school-level performance improvement goals;
     (ii) Student performance relative to the goals; and
     (iii) District-wide and school-level plans to achieve the goals, including curriculum and instruction, parental or guardian involvement, and resources available to parents and guardians to help students meet the state standards;
     (b) Report annually in a news release to the local media the district's progress toward meeting the district-wide and school-level goals; and
     (c) Include the school-level goals, student performance relative to the goals, and a summary of school-level plans to achieve the goals in each school's annual school performance report under RCW 28A.655.110.
     (2) School districts in which ten or fewer students in the district or in a school in the district are eligible to be assessed in a grade level are not required to report numerical improvement goals and performance relative to the goals, but are required to report to parents and the community their plans to improve student achievement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   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.