BILL REQ. #:  Z-0575.1 

Prefiled 01/07/14. Read first time 01/13/14.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to changing the date by which challenged schools are identified; amending RCW 28A.657.020; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.657.020 and 2013 c 159 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning in 2010, and each year thereafter through December 1, 2012, the superintendent of public instruction shall annually identify schools as one of the state's persistently lowest-achieving schools if the school is a Title I school, or a school that is eligible for but does not receive Title I funds, that is among the lowest-achieving five percent of Title I or Title I eligible schools in the state.
     (2) The criteria for determining whether a school is among the persistently lowest-achieving five percent of Title I schools, or Title I eligible schools, under subsection (1) of this section shall be established by the superintendent of public instruction. The criteria must meet all applicable requirements for the receipt of a federal school improvement grant under the American recovery and reinvestment act of 2009 and Title I of the elementary and secondary education act of 1965, and take into account both:
     (a) The academic achievement of the "all students" group in a school in terms of proficiency on the state's assessment, and any alternative assessments, in reading and mathematics combined; and
     (b) The school's lack of progress on the mathematics and reading assessments over a number of years in the "all students" group.
     (3)(a) Beginning ((December 1, 2013)) February 1, 2014, and each ((December)) February thereafter, the superintendent of public instruction shall annually identify challenged schools in need of improvement and a subset of such schools that are the persistently lowest-achieving schools in the state.
     (b) The criteria for determining whether a school is a challenged school in need of improvement shall be adopted by the superintendent of public instruction in rule. The criteria must meet all applicable federal requirements under Title I of the elementary and secondary education act of 1965 and other federal rules or guidance, including applicable requirements for the receipt of federal school improvement funds if available, but shall apply equally to Title I, Title I-eligible, and non-Title I schools in the state. The criteria must take into account the academic achievement of the "all students" group and subgroups of students in a school in terms of proficiency on the state assessments in reading or English language arts and mathematics and a high school's graduation rate for all students and subgroups of students. The superintendent may establish tiered categories of challenged schools based on the relative performance of all students, subgroups of students, and other factors.
     (c) The superintendent of public instruction shall also adopt criteria in rule for determining whether a challenged school in need of improvement is also a persistently lowest-achieving school for purposes of the required action district process under this chapter, which shall include the school's lack of progress for all students and subgroups of students over a number of years. The criteria for identifying persistently lowest-achieving schools shall also take into account the level of state or federal resources available to implement a required action plan.
     (d) If the Washington achievement index is approved by the United States department of education for use in identifying schools for federal purposes, the superintendent of public instruction shall use the approved index to identify schools under (b) and (c) of this subsection.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   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.