FINAL BILL REPORT

                 ESHB 2042

PARTIAL VETO

                         C 262 L 97

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Providing a grant program for reading in the primary grades.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by  Representatives Johnson, Talcott and Hickel).

House Committee on Education

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Education

Background:  Past legislation has emphasized the importance of learning to read for students= academic success.  When an assessment tool is developed by the Washington Commission on Student Learning, students must be assessed for reading literacy skills in the third grade no later than March 31 of each year.  The assessment tool must be implemented in the 1998-99 school year.

Summary:  The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) must identify a collection of tests to test second grade reading accuracy and fluency skills.  The SPI must create a pilot project to identify which of those tests will be included in a final collection of tests.  Schools and school districts may voluntarily participate in the pilot project during the 1997-98 school year.  Starting in the 1998-99 school year, school districts must select a test from the final collection, and the school district must administer the test at the entire school district level for at least three years.  Students who fall substantially below grade level must be re-tested at least once.  Schools must notify parents about the results, notify parents what actions the school will take to improve the child's reading, and provide parents with strategies to help the parents improve their child=s score.

The SPI must establish a primary grade reading grant program.  The purposes of the program are to train teachers in teaching methods that have proven results gathered through quantitative research and to assist all students in beginning reading.  Several requirements are established under the grant program.  Beginning December 1, 1997, the SPI must report biennially to the Legislature on the grant program.  Five years after the beginning of the grant program, the SPI must also disseminate to school districts information regarding the effectiveness of the models of teaching methods, materials, and implementation strategies.

The SPI must report biennially to the Legislature about the grant program starting on December 1, 1999.  The SPI must also disseminate to the school districts, five years after the beginning of the grant program, information regarding the results of the effectiveness of the models of teaching methods and materials and implementation strategies. 

The SPI may use up to 1 percent of the funds appropriated to administer the grant program. 

The third grade reading test is eliminated.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  96 0

Senate 43 0 (Senate amended)

House  94 0 (House concurred)

Effective:July 27, 1997

Partial Veto Summary:  The emergency clause is deleted.