Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

(As Amended by Committee)

Establishes six statewide indicators of educational system health, such as student achievement on state assessments, graduation rates, and post-graduation education and employment.
Directs the State Board of Education to identify performance goals and measurements associated with the indicators and submit a status report each biennium.
Provides that if the educational system is not on target to meet the goals, recommendations must be made for evidence-based reforms intended to improve student achievement.

Background:

A number of education agencies have strategic planning as part of their mission:

One of the statutory purposes of the State Board of Education (SBE) is to provide advocacy and strategic oversight of public education.
The Quality Education Council (QEC) is charged with identifying measurable goals and priorities for the K-12 educational system.
One of the assignments of the new Washington Student Achievement Council (WSAC) is to propose educational attainment goals and identify strategies for achieving those goals by means of both a short-term strategic action plan and a 10-year roadmap. The focus of the WSAC is primarily, but not exclusively, on higher education. However, the WSAC is directed to collaborate with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the SBE, and other education agencies in its strategic planning efforts.
The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board) is required to develop and maintain a comprehensive state plan for workforce training and education.

All student data-related reports from the OSPI must be disaggregated by six racial/ethnic subgroups of students as well as by low income, transitional bilingual, migrant, special education, and students covered by section 504 of the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

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Summary of Amended Bill:

The following indicators of educational system health are established:

the percentage of students meeting kindergarten readiness in all areas of the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills;
the percentage of students meeting the standard on the fourth grade reading assessment;
the percentage of students meeting the standard on the eighth grade mathematics assessment;
the four-year cohort high school graduation rate;
the percentage of high school graduates who are either enrolled in postsecondary education or are employed during the second quarter after graduation, and the percentage enrolled or employed during the fourth quarter after graduation; and
the percentage of students enrolled in precollege or remedial courses in college.

Data on the indicators must be disaggregated by subgroups of students as required under current law.

The SBE, with assistance from the OSPI, the Workforce Board, the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee (EOGOAC), and the WSAC, must establish a process for identifying realistic but challenging performance goals and measurements for each of the indicators, including by student subgroup. The performance goals must be set on a biennial basis and may only be adjusted upward.

The SBE, the OSPI, and the WSAC must each align their strategic planning and education reform efforts with the indicators and goals.

The SBE, in collaboration with the other education agencies, must submit a report on the status of each indicator and recommend performance goals and measurements by December 1 of each even-numbered year, except that the baseline values must be delivered to the Legislature by December 1, 2013.

If the educational system is not on target to meet the goals of any indicator, the report must recommend evidence-based reforms intended to improve student achievement in that area. To the extent data is available, the goals for each indicator must be compared with national data to identify whether Washington student achievement results are within the top 10 percent nationally or are comparable to results in peer states with similar characteristics. If comparison data shows that Washington students are falling behind national peers, the report must recommend evidence-based reforms targeted at the indicator in question.

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:

The EOGOAC is added to the list of agencies that work with the SBE to establish performance goals and submit the biennial report. It is clarified that if the educational system (rather than the state) 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. Student achievement results for Washington are also compared to peer states with similar characteristics.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This is a very important bill for accountability. As the Legislature invests billions of dollars into fully funding basic education, there is a need to see if the investment is really making a difference in children's lives. This level of investment is necessary to fulfill the state's constitutional and moral obligation. The bill helps the Legislature look at the overall system and how children are progressing through it, from kindergarten to fourth grade to eighth grade to graduation. It also helps to compare Washington to other states.

There have been many policies over the years, but there should also be monitoring of progress over time. This will provide clear goals and a clear path so that legislators can see where the state has been and where it should go. An additional critical measure that should be added is funding. School district success in achieving outcomes is partially determined by the adequacy of funding. That should be a benchmark. Superintendent Dorn supports the bill and believes it sets appropriate benchmarks and provides for goal-setting for the overall system. The Legislature will receive necessary feedback to focus its attention on the real areas of need.

(In support with concerns) The only suggestion is that the four-year graduation rate be changed to a five-year graduation rate to reflect the efforts that school districts are making to keep students enrolled until they can complete a diploma rather than push them out the door.

(Opposed) None.