(1) To the extent funds are available, beginning in the 2012-13 school year, the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills shall be administered at the beginning of the school year to all students enrolled in state-funded full-day kindergarten programs under RCW
28A.150.315 with the exception of students who have been excused from participation by their parents or guardians.
(2)(a) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of children, youth, and families, shall convene a work group to provide:
(i) Input and recommendations with respect to implementation of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
(ii) Recommendations regarding the optimum way to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills to children in half-day kindergarten while ensuring that they receive the maximum instruction as required in *RCW
28A.150.205; and
(iii) Recommendations with respect to achieving the goal of replacing assessments currently required by school districts with the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
(b) The work group shall include:
(i) One representative from the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
(ii) One representative from the department of children, youth, and families;
(iii) One representative from the nongovernmental private-public partnership defined in RCW
43.216.010;
(iv) Five representatives, including both teachers and principals, from school districts that participated in the pilot project, with every effort made to make sure that there is representation from across the state;
(v) Two parents who are familiar with and participated in the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills pilot during the 2010-11 school year; and
(vi) A representative from an independent, nonprofit children and family services organization with a main campus in North Bend, Washington.
(c) The work group may solicit input from people who are recent implementers of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
(d) A preliminary report and recommendations shall be submitted to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives by December 1, 2012. A subsequent report and recommendations shall be submitted to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives by December 1, 2013, and annually by December 1st thereafter.
(e) The work group shall terminate upon full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten.
(3) To the extent funds are available, additional support in the form of implementation grants shall be offered to schools on a schedule to be determined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of children, youth, and families.
(4) Until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten programs, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families, may grant annual, renewable waivers from the requirement of subsection (1) of this section to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills. A school district seeking a waiver for one or more of its schools must submit an application to the office of the superintendent of public instruction that includes:
(a) A description of the kindergarten readiness assessment and transition processes that it proposes to administer instead of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
(b) An explanation of why the administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills would be unduly burdensome; and
(c) An explanation of how administration of the alternative kindergarten readiness assessment will support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction.