ESSB 5491 -
By Committee on Education
ADOPTED 04/15/2013
Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:
"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 (1) The legislature acknowledges that
multiple entities, including the state board of education, the office
of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and
education coordinating board, the quality education council, and the
student achievement council, are actively working on efforts to
identify measurable goals and priorities, road maps, and strategic
plans for the entire educational system. It is not the legislature's
intent to undermine or curtail the ongoing work of these groups.
However, the legislature believes that a coordinated single set of
statewide goals would help focus these efforts.
(2) It is, therefore, the intent of the legislature to establish a
discrete set of statewide data points that will serve as snapshots of
the overall health of the educational system and as a means for
evaluating progress in achieving the outcomes set for the system and
the students it serves. By monitoring these statewide indicators over
time, it is the intent of the legislature to understand whether reform
efforts and investments are making positive progress in the overall
education of students and whether adjustments are necessary. Finally,
it is the intent of the legislature to align the education reform
efforts of each state education agency in order to hold each part of
the system – statewide leaders, school personnel, and students –
accountable to the same definitions of success.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 28A.150
RCW to read as follows:
(1) The following statewide indicators of educational system health
are established:
(a) The percentage of students demonstrating the characteristics of
entering kindergartners in all six areas identified by the Washington
kindergarten inventory of developing skills administered in accordance
with RCW 28A.655.080;
(b) The percentage of students meeting the standard on the fourth
grade statewide reading assessment administered in accordance with RCW
28A.655.070;
(c) The percentage of students meeting the standard on the eighth
grade statewide mathematics assessment administered in accordance with
RCW 28A.655.070;
(d) The four-year cohort high school graduation rate;
(e) The percentage of high school graduates who during the second
quarter after graduation are either enrolled in postsecondary education
or training or are employed, and the percentage during the fourth
quarter after graduation who are either enrolled in postsecondary
education or training or are employed; and
(f) The percentage of students enrolled in precollege or remedial
courses in college.
(2) The statewide indicators established in subsection (1) of this
section shall be disaggregated as provided under RCW 28A.300.042.
(3) The state board of education, with assistance from the office
of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and
education coordinating board, the educational opportunity gap oversight
and accountability committee, and the student achievement council,
shall establish a process for identifying realistic but challenging
system-wide performance goals and measurements, if necessary, for each
of the indicators established in subsection (1) of this section,
including for subcategories of students as provided under subsection
(2) of this section. The performance goal for each indicator must be
set on a biennial basis, and may only be adjusted upward.
(4) The state board of education, the office of the superintendent
of public instruction, and the student achievement council shall each
align their strategic planning and education reform efforts with the
statewide indicators and performance goals established under this
section.
(5)(a) The state board of education, with assistance from the
office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce
training and education coordinating board, the educational opportunity
gap oversight and accountability committee, and the student achievement
council, shall submit a report on the status of each indicator in
subsection (1) of this section and recommend revised performance goals
and measurements, if necessary, by December 1st of each even-numbered
year, except that the initial report establishing baseline values and
initial goals shall be delivered to the education committees of the
legislature by December 1, 2013.
(b) If the educational system is not on target to meet the
performance goals on any individual indicator, the report must
recommend evidence-based reforms intended to improve student
achievement in that area.
(c) To the extent data is available, the performance goals for each
indicator must be compared with national data in order to identify
whether Washington student achievement results are within the top ten
percent nationally or are comparable to results in peer states with
similar characteristics as Washington. If comparison data show that
Washington students are falling behind national peers on any indicator,
the report must recommend evidence-based reforms targeted at addressing
the indicator in question."
Correct the title.
EFFECT: Makes the following changes to the underlying bill:
Clarifies that if the educational system is not on target to meet
the performance goals, the biennial report must recommend evidence-
based reforms intended to improve student achievement, rather than only
recommending adjustments within the program of basic education.
Adds that student achievement results for Washington should be
compared to peer states with similar characteristics.
Adds the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability
Committee to the list of agencies that work with the SBE to establish
performance goals and submit the biennial report.