READ FIRST TIME 02/25/11.   

     AN ACT Relating to the assessment of students in state-funded full-day kindergarten classrooms; amending RCW 28A.150.315; adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.150.315 and 2010 c 236 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, funding for voluntary all-day kindergarten programs shall be phased-in beginning with schools with the highest poverty levels, defined as those schools with the highest percentages of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch support in the prior school year. During the 2011-2013 biennium, funding shall continue to be phased-in each year until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten is achieved in the 2017-18 school year. Once a school receives funding for the all-day kindergarten program, that school shall remain eligible for funding in subsequent school years regardless of changes in the school's percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches as long as other program requirements are fulfilled. Additionally, schools receiving all-day kindergarten program support shall agree to the following conditions:
     (a) Provide at least a one thousand-hour instructional program;
     (b) Provide a curriculum that offers a rich, varied set of experiences that assist students in:
     (i) Developing initial skills in the academic areas of reading, mathematics, and writing;
     (ii) Developing a variety of communication skills;
     (iii) Providing experiences in science, social studies, arts, health and physical education, and a world language other than English;
     (iv) Acquiring large and small motor skills;
     (v) Acquiring social and emotional skills including successful participation in learning activities as an individual and as part of a group; and
     (vi) Learning through hands-on experiences;
     (c) Establish learning environments that are developmentally appropriate and promote creativity;
     (d) Demonstrate strong connections and communication with early learning community providers; and
     (e) Participate in kindergarten program readiness activities with early learning providers and parents.
     (2)(a) In addition to the requirements in subsection (1) of this section and to the extent funds are available, beginning with the 2011-12 school year on a voluntary basis, schools must identify the skills, knowledge, and characteristics of kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year in order to support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction. Kindergarten teachers shall administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills, as directed by the superintendent of public instruction in consultation with the department of early learning, and report the results to the superintendent. The superintendent shall share the results with the director of the department of early learning.
     (b) School districts shall provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to excuse their children from participation in the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
     (c) To the extent funds are available, beginning in the 2012-13 school year, the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills shall be administered at the beginning of the school year to all students enrolled in state-funded full-day kindergarten programs with the exception of students who have been excused from participation by their parents or guardians.
     (d) Until full implementation of state-funded all-day kindergarten, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the director of the department of early learning, may grant annual, renewable waivers from the requirement of (c) of this subsection to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills. A school district seeking a waiver for one or more of its schools must submit an application to the office of the superintendent of public instruction that includes:
     (i) A description of the kindergarten readiness assessment and transition processes that it proposes to administer instead of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
     (ii) An explanation of why the administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills would be unduly burdensome; and
     (iii) An explanation of how administration of the alternative kindergarten readiness assessment will support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction.
     (3) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall designate one or more school districts to serve as resources and examples of best practices in designing and operating a high-quality all-day kindergarten program. Designated school districts shall serve as lighthouse programs and provide technical assistance to other school districts in the initial stages of implementing an all-day kindergarten program. Examples of topics addressed by the technical assistance include strategic planning, developing the instructional program and curriculum, working with early learning providers to identify students and communicate with parents, and developing kindergarten program readiness activities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     Before implementing the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills as provided under RCW 28A.150.315, the superintendent of public instruction and the department of early learning must assure that a fairness and bias review of the assessment process has been conducted, including providing an opportunity for input from the achievement gap oversight and accountability committee under RCW 28A.300.136 and from an additional diverse group of community representatives, parents, and educators to be convened by the superintendent and the director of the department.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   Section 1 of this act takes effect September 1, 2011.