BILL REQ. #:  S-0939.1 

Read first time 01/31/13.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to statewide indicators of educational health; adding a new section to chapter 28A.150 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   It is the intent of the legislature to monitor the progress of the state in meeting its obligations to provide a quality education to all students. The state acknowledges that multiple entities, including the state board of education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the quality education council, and the newly created student achievement council, are actively working on their own 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. 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 as the program of basic education is phased in and as a means for evaluating the state's 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. By establishing a single set of statewide indicators for the system, it is the intent of the legislature to align the education reform efforts of each agency in order to hold each part of the system – statewide leaders, schools personnel, and students – accountable to the same definitions of success.
     The legislature recognizes that in order to be accountable to the public a showing must be made that increased investments result in achievement gains for all students. Additionally, the legislature also recognizes that in order to be accountable to schools, expectations for increased achievement gains must be closely linked to the level of increased investments. The legislature intends to demand positive results for all students in the classroom but continues to recognize that continuing to increase expectations and programmatic requirements with no new funding is simply an unfunded mandate that sets schools and students up for failure. The legislature recognizes that to help students succeed, reform and funding must work in unison to achieve results so that everyone is working towards the same goal.

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 college enrollment rate within two years of high school graduation; 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 by at least the following subgroups of students: Caucasian, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native, low income, transitional bilingual, migrant, special education, and students covered by section 504 of the federal rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794).
     (3) The state board of education and the office of the superintendent of public instruction 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 each subcategory as required by subsection (2) of this section. The performance goal for each indicator must be set and adjusted on a biennium basis with consideration given to:
     (a) The magnitude of investments made in each omnibus appropriations act towards fully funding the program of basic education;
     (b) Other funding enhancements for programs outside of the program of basic education; and
     (c) The prior two-year gains or losses for that indicator.
     (4) The state board of education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the student achievement council shall align their own strategic planning and education reform efforts with the statewide indicators and performance goals established under the authority of this section.
     (5)(a) The state board of education, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the student achievement council shall jointly submit a report on the status of each indicator in subsection (1) of this section and recommended 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 legislature December 1, 2013.
     (b) If the state is not on target to meet the performance goals on any individual indicator, recommendations must be made as to whether adjustments within the program of basic education should be made to improve student achievement in that area.
     (c) To the extent data is available, the performance goals for each state indicator must be compared with national data in order to identify whether Washington student achievement results are within the top ten percent nationally. If comparison data shows that Washington students are falling behind national peers on any indicator, the report must identify recommended evidence-based reforms targeted at addressing the indicator in question.