SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6145

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Background: Federal and State Science Assessment Requirements. Under federal and state law, Washington school districts must assess student achievement on the state science standards once in the elementary grades, once in the middle school grades, and once in the high school grades.

State Assessments Required for High School Graduation. Under state law, since 2008 students have been required to meet the state standard on specified statewide high school assessments to graduate from a Washington public high school. This requirement is in addition to other state-established high school graduation requirements. Current law requires that beginning with students in the high school graduating class of 2015 students must also meet the state standard on the statewide science assessment, which is an end-of-course biology assessment.

School Calendars. According to the website of the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the last day of school in the 2014-15 school year for all 295 school districts occurred in June 2015.

Summary of Bill: Legislative intent is provided to delay for no more than two years, but not to eliminate, the high school graduation requirement of meeting the state standard on the high school science assessment.

Instead of students in the graduating class of 2015 being required to meet the state standard on the state science assessment to graduate from high school, the requirement to meet the state standard on the science assessment is delayed for two years. The delay applies retroactively to students in the graduating class of 2015. Beginning with the graduating class of 2017 students must meet the state standard on the state science assessment to graduate from high school.