SENATE BILL REPORT

SHB 786

BYHouse Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Pruitt, L. Smith, Ebersole, Walker, Spanel, Rasmussen, Sprenkle, Holm, Peery, Todd, Holland, Winsley, Ferguson, May, Unsoeld and Silver)

Providing for the encouragement and measurement of innovative programs by school districts.

House Committe on Education

Senate Committee on Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 26, 1987; March 31, 1987; April 1, 1987

Majority Report:     Do pass as amended.

     Signed by Senators Gaspard, Chairman; Bauer, Vice Chairman; Rinehart, Vice Chairman; Bailey, Bender, Benitz, Smitherman, Warnke.

Senate Staff:Larry Davis (786-7422)

                April 2, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 1, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Children are facing a rapidly changing society and world economy.  Schools are responsible for providing them with the skills necessary to live in today's world.  School districts, it is proposed, need the freedom to develop innovative and creative programs to respond to the changes.  At the same time, communities require efficiency, cost effectiveness and accountability from school districts.

SUMMARY:

The Legislature declares its intent to encourage creative programs to meet the needs of children in a rapidly changing society and world economy and recognizes its obligation to ensure efficiency and accountability in the school system.  Therefore, a system of performance based incentives to encourage decentralized, creative, cost effective programming by local school districts is established.

Beginning in the 1988-89 school year each school district may request from the State Board of Education a waiver of the requirements for:  a) program hour offerings, b) the ratio of students per classroom teacher, and certificated classroom teacher contact hours and school courses.  The State Board of Education shall grant such a waiver request if the applicant district agrees to participate in measurement of performance objectives.

The waiver is initially granted for a four year period and applies to requirements for students enrolled in kindergarten and first grade in the first year.  Unless revoked by the State Board of Education, the waiver is extended each year to include requirements for students enrolled in the next succeeding grade.

The State Board of Education shall by July 1, 1988, develop measurable performance objectives to assess each school district that is granted a waiver.  These objectives shall measure the district wide performance in achieving the goals of basic education, vocational skills, citizenship skills, personal skills and higher order thinking skills, and shall measure school attendance and dropout rates.

The State Board of Education shall determine, by January 1, 1988, and report to the Legislature, what constitutes a "high level of achievement".  If a district with a waiver does not achieve a "high level of achievement"  the waiver of rules may be revoked.  In determining a high level of achievement the State Board of Education shall include: a) fourth grade district wide achievement of the goals in RCW 28A.58.754 where applicable, b) measurement at the eighth, tenth, and twelfth grade level of all objectives developed by the State Board of Education, and c) considerations of the socioeconomic background of each school district's student population. The measurable performance objectives shall take effect if the legislature does not reject the definition of "high level of achievement."

Fiscal Note:    available

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

A definition section is added to the bill.  Goals are defined as educational goals adopted by the State Board of Education.  Educational outcomes are defined as expected levels of student achievement to meet the State Board goals.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction is required to establish a 24-member temporary committee on the assessment and accountability of educational outcomes.  Members will include the state superintendent, teachers, principals, school directors, school district superintendents, legislators, and representatives of the State Board of Education, business, labor, vocational education, parents, students, the Governor's office, and citizens.

The temporary committee must develop by December 1, 1988:  (a) educational outcomes relating to the state goals identified by the State Board of Education, and (b) measures to assess students' progress toward achieving the educational outcomes.

The committee may, at its discretion, study the impact upon achieving the educational outcomes by waiving certain provisions,  among them:  graduation requirements, program hour offerings, teacher contact hours, class size ratio, length of the school year, and student learning objectives.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction may accept gifts, grants, and contributions provided expressly to support the activities of the temporary committee.

The temporary committee expires December 2, 1988, and the SPI is required to report by January 1, 1989 to the Education Committees of the House and Senate on the work of the temporary committee.

The SPI is authorized to select by June 30, 1989, up to ten school districts to field test the educational outcomes and related measures.  (The SPI is not authorized to grant to the selected school districts a waiver from any provisions of state statutes or regulations to carry out the field tests.)  The field tests begin with the 1988-89 school year and conclude at the end of the 1992-93 school year.

Selected districts must report annually to the SPI on the field test projects.  SPI must report to the Legislature by January 1, 1994 on the results of the field test.  The report must include a recommendation on whether to implement the educational outcomes on a statewide basis.

Appropriation:  $49,500 to SPI

Senate Committee - Testified:   Representative Wes Pruitt, sponsor; Ben Edlund, Washington State School Directors' Association; Judy Hartmann, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction