Original Notice.

     Exempt from preproposal statement of inquiry under RCW 34.05.310(4).

     Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Performance improvement goals.

     Hearing Location(s): Tacoma School District Central Office Auditorium, 601 South Eighth Avenue, Tacoma, WA, on April 4, 2005, at 9:00 a.m.

     Date of Intended Adoption: April 4, 2005.

     Submit Written Comments to: Christopher M. Thompson, Executive Director, Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, P.O. Box 47220, Olympia, WA 98504-7220, fax (360) 586-9438, by March 31, 2005.

     Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Debra Crawford by March 28, 2005, TDD (360) 664-3631 or (360) 725-6034.

     Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: As provided by RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a), the Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission is authorized to adopt and revise performance improvement goals. School districts and schools are required to set high school graduation rate improvement goals and to align these goals with requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.

     Summary: The rule will provide school districts and high schools with specific goals for how much graduation rates should improve each year.

     Explanation of Rule, its Purpose, and Anticipated Effects: RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a) authorizes the Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission to adopt and revise performance improvement goals. The commission directs each school district board of directors to revise district-wide graduation rate goals for 2006 and each year thereafter and to direct each high school in the district to revise graduation rate goals for 2006 and each year thereafter, subject to approval by the board by December 15, 2005. The minimum graduation rate goals through 2013 shall apply to each of the nine groups of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2). The minimum goals shall be the lesser of either (a) 66% in 2005, one percentage point above the previous year's goal from 2006 through 2009, and three percentage points above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013; or (b) for any student group whose graduation rate falls below 66% in 2005, the minimum goal for 2005 is two percentage points above that group's graduation rate in 2004, an additional two percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2006 through 2009, and an additional four percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013, until the rate for that group meets or exceeds the goal for districts and schools described in (a) above. Graduation rate goals in 2014 and each year thereafter for each group of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2) shall be not less than 85 five %.

     Proposal Changes the Following Existing Rules: The proposal repeals existing graduation rate improvement goals (in the Washington Administrative Code - WAC 3-20-300) in accordance with RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a), which authorizes the commission to revise improvement goals. The proposal would change current rules which require no improvement in the graduation rate until 2014 if the school or district is at or above the 2003 state average graduation rate. Under current rules, if a school or district is below the 2003 state average graduation rate then that school or district would be required to improve its graduation rate by one percentage point over the previous year's target rate until the school or district met or exceeded the target 2003 state average graduation rate. The purpose of the revised rule is to encourage incremental improvement in graduation rates before 2014 and accelerate graduation rates for groups of students whose current rates are well below average.

     Reasons Supporting Proposal: Performance improvement goals will help focus and encourage school and school district efforts to improve high school graduation rates. School districts and high schools are required by the federal No Child Left Behind Act to have graduation rate goals.

     Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a).

     Statute Being Implemented: RCW 28A.655.030 (1)(a).

     Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

     Name of Proponent: Academic Achievement and Accountability Commission, governmental.

     Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Christopher M. Thompson, Old Capitol Building, 7th and Washington Street, (360) 725-6032; Implementation: Mary Alice Heuschel, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, (360) 725-6115; and Enforcement: None.

     No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. The rule does not apply to any small businesses nor to any other nongovernmental entity.

     Section 201, chapter 403, Laws of 1995, does not apply to this rule adoption. RCW 34.05.328 does not apply to this rule adoption because the rule relates only to internal governmental operations that are not subject to violation by a nongovernment party.

February 16, 2005

Christopher M. Thompson

Executive Director

     (1) "High school" means a public school in the state enrolling students in any of grades nine through 12.

     (2) "Graduation rate" means the percentage of students who receive a regular high school diploma within four academic years of having enrolled for the first time as ninth grade students. Students who transfer to another school less than four academic years after initial enrollment in the ninth grade shall not be included in the calculation of the graduation rate for the school from which the student transfers. Students who become deceased shall not be included in the calculation of the graduation rate for the school last attended. Students who earn a regular high school diploma after their four academic years will be included in additional calculations and reports for the year a regular high school diploma is completed.

     (3) "Graduation rate goal" means the expected minimum graduation rate reported in a particular year for the prior year's graduating class. For example, the graduation rate goal for 2006 relates to students in the class of 2005.

     (4) "Graduating class" or "class of" or "cohort" of any particular year means the group of students who are scheduled to graduate in that particular year after having completed grades nine through 12 in four or fewer academic years.

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     Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.

[NEW SECTION]WAC 3-20-400   High school graduation.   (1) Each school district board of directors shall by December 15, 2005 revise district-wide graduation rate goals for 2006 and each year thereafter and shall direct each high school in the district to revise graduation rate goals for 2006 and each year thereafter, subject to approval by the board.

     (2) The minimum graduation rate goals through 2013 shall be as follows for each of the nine groups of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2):

     (a) Sixty-six percent in 2005, one percentage point above the previous year's goal from 2006 through 2009, and three percentage points above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013; or

     (b) For any student group whose graduation rate falls below 66 percent in 2005, the minimum goal for 2005 is two percentage points above that group's graduation rate in 2004, an additional two percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2006 through 2009, and an additional four percentage points per year above the previous year's goal in 2010 through 2013, until the rate for that group meets or exceeds the goal described in subsection (a) of this section.

     (3) Graduation rate goals in 2014 and each year thereafter for each group of students listed in WAC 3-20-200(2) shall be not less than eighty-five percent.

     (4) School district boards of directors are authorized to adopt district-wide graduation rate goals and to approve high school graduation rate goals that exceed the minimum level required under this section. However, district-wide and high school graduation rate goals that exceed the minimum level required under this section shall not be used for federal or state accountability purposes.

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     Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.
NEW SECTION
WAC 3-20-410   Incentive plan.   (1) The office of superintendent of public instruction shall develop, in partnership with the academic achievement and accountability commission and other educational associations, an implementation plan to provide incentives, not limited to awards or grants, to schools and school districts that demonstrate improved graduation rates and lower dropout rates.

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     Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.
[REPEALER]

     WAC 3-20-300 is repealed.

     Reviser's note: The bracketed material preceding the section above was supplied by the code reviser's office.

© Washington State Code Reviser's Office