H-1929.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2035

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Smith and Bush

 

Read first time 02/18/97.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Changing the names of the commission on student learning and the essential academic learning requirements.


    AN ACT Relating to changing the names of the commission on student learning and the essential academic learning requirements; amending RCW 28A.630.883; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.630.885; repealing 1995 c 335 s 803 (uncodified); and providing an expiration date.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.630.883 and 1993 c 336 s 201 are each amended to read as follows:

    Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28A.630.885 and 28A.300.130.

    (1) "Commission" means the commission on ((student learning)) academic achievement created in RCW 28A.630.885.

    (2) "Student learning goals" ((mean[s])) means the goals established in RCW 28A.150.210.

    (3) "((Essential)) Academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards" means more specific academic and technical skills and knowledge, based on the student learning goals, as determined under RCW 28A.630.885(3)(a).  ((Essential)) Academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards shall not limit the instructional strategies used by schools or school districts or require the use of specific curriculum.

    (4) "Performance standards" or "standards" means the criteria used to determine if a student has successfully learned the specific knowledge or skill being assessed as determined under RCW 28A.630.885(3)(b).  The standards should be set at internationally competitive levels.

    (5) "Assessment system" or "student assessment system" means a series of assessments used to determine if students have successfully learned the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards.  The assessment system shall be developed under RCW 28A.630.885(3)(b).

    (6) "Performance-based education system" means an education system in which a significantly greater emphasis is placed on how well students are learning, and significantly less emphasis is placed on state-level laws and rules that dictate how instruction is to be provided.  The performance-based education system does not require that schools use an outcome-based instructional model.  Decisions regarding how instruction is provided are to be made, to the greatest extent possible, by schools and school districts, not by the state.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.630.885 and 1995 c 335 s 505 and 1995 c 209 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    (1) The Washington commission on ((student learning)) academic achievement is hereby established.  The primary purposes of the commission are to identify the knowledge and skills all public school students need to know and be able to do based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210, to develop student assessment and school accountability systems, to review current school district data reporting requirements and make recommendations on what data is necessary for the purposes of accountability and meeting state information needs, and to take other steps necessary to develop a performance-based education system.  The commission shall include three members of the state board of education, three members appointed by the governor before July 1, 1992, and five members appointed no later than June 1, 1993, by the governor elected in the November 1992 election.  The governor shall appoint a chair from the commission members, and fill any vacancies in gubernatorial appointments that may occur.  The state board of education shall fill any vacancies of state board of education appointments that may occur.  In making the appointments, educators, business leaders, and parents shall be represented, and nominations from state-wide education, business, and parent organizations shall be requested.  Efforts shall be made to ensure that the commission reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the state's K-12 student population and that the major geographic regions in the state are represented.  Appointees shall be qualified individuals who are supportive of educational restructuring, who have a positive record of service, and who will devote sufficient time to the responsibilities of the commission to ensure that the objectives of the commission are achieved.

    (2) The commission shall establish advisory committees.  Membership  of the advisory committees shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, professionals from the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education, and other state and local educational practitioners and student assessment specialists.

    (3) The commission, with the assistance of the advisory committees, shall:

    (a) Develop ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210.  ((Essential)) Academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards shall be developed, to the extent possible, for each of the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210.  Goals one and two shall be considered primary.  ((Essential)) Academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards for RCW 28A.150.210(1), goal one, and the mathematics component of RCW 28A.150.210(2), goal two, shall be completed no later than March 1, 1995.  ((Essential)) Academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards that incorporate the remainder of RCW 28A.150.210 (2), (3), and (4), goals two, three, and four, shall be completed no later than March 1, 1996.  To the maximum extent possible, the commission shall integrate goal four and the knowledge and skill areas in the other goals in the development of the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards;

    (b)(i) The commission shall present to the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction a state-wide academic assessment system for use in the elementary, middle, and high school years designed to determine if each student has mastered the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards identified in (a) of this subsection.  The academic assessment system shall include a variety of assessment methods, including performance-based measures that are criterion-referenced.  Performance standards for determining if a student has successfully completed an assessment shall be initially determined by the commission in consultation with the advisory committees required in subsection (2) of this section.

    (ii) The assessment system shall be designed so that the results under the assessment system are used by educators as tools to evaluate instructional practices, and to initiate appropriate educational support for students who have not mastered the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards at the appropriate periods in the student's educational development.

    (iii) Assessments measuring the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards developed for RCW 28A.150.210(1), goal one, and the mathematics component of RCW 28A.150.210(2), goal two, shall be initially implemented by the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction no later than the 1996-97 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards.  Assessments measuring the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards developed for RCW 28A.150.210 (2), (3), and (4), goals two, three, and four, shall be initially implemented by the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction no later than the 1998-99 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards.  To the maximum extent possible, the commission shall integrate knowledge and skill areas in development of the assessments.

    (iv) Before the 2000-2001 school year, participation by school districts in the assessment system shall be optional.  School districts that desire to participate before the 2000-2001 school year shall notify the superintendent of public instruction in a manner determined by the superintendent.  Beginning in the 2000-2001 school year, all school districts shall be required to participate in the assessment system.

    (v) The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction may modify the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards and academic assessment system, as needed, in subsequent school years.

    (vi) The commission shall develop assessments that are directly related to the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards, and are not biased toward persons with different learning styles, racial or ethnic backgrounds, or on the basis of gender;

    (c) After a determination is made by the state board of education that the high school assessment system has been implemented and that it is sufficiently reliable and valid, successful completion of the high school assessment shall lead to a certificate of mastery.  The certificate of mastery shall be obtained by most students at about the age of sixteen, and is evidence that the student has successfully mastered the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards during his or her educational career.  The certificate of mastery shall be required for graduation but shall not be the only requirement for graduation.  The commission shall make recommendations to the state board of education regarding the relationship between the certificate of mastery and high school graduation requirements.  Upon achieving the certificate of mastery, schools shall provide students with the opportunity to continue to pursue career and educational objectives through educational pathways that emphasize integration of academic and vocational education.  Educational pathways may include, but are not limited to, programs such as work-based learning, school-to-work transition, tech prep, vocational-technical education, running start, and preparation for technical college, community college, or university education;

    (d) Consider methods to address the unique needs of special education students when developing the assessments in (b) and (c) of this subsection;

    (e) Consider methods to address the unique needs of highly capable students when developing the assessments in (b) and (c) of this subsection;

    (f) Develop recommendations on the time, support, and resources, including technical assistance, needed by schools and school districts to help students achieve the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards.  These recommendations shall include an estimate for the legislature, superintendent of public instruction, and governor on the expected cost of implementing the academic assessment system;

    (g) Develop recommendations for consideration by the higher education coordinating board for adopting college and university entrance requirements for public school students that are consistent with the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards and the certificate of mastery;

    (h) Review current school district data reporting requirements for the purposes of accountability and meeting state information needs.  The commission ((on student learning)) shall report recommendations to the joint select committee on education restructuring by September 15, 1996, on:

    (i) What data is necessary to compare how school districts are performing before the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards and the assessment system are implemented with how school districts are performing after the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards and the assessment system are implemented; and

    (ii) What data is necessary pertaining to school district reports under the accountability systems developed by the commission ((on student learning)) under this section;

    (i) By June 30, 1999, recommend to the legislature, governor, state board of education, and superintendent of public instruction:

    (i) A state-wide accountability system to monitor and evaluate accurately and fairly the level of learning occurring in individual schools and school districts.  The accountability system shall be designed to recognize the characteristics of the student population of schools and school districts such as gender, race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors.  The system shall include school-site, school district, and state-level accountability reports;

    (ii) A school assistance program to help schools and school districts that are having difficulty helping students meet the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards;

    (iii) A system to intervene in schools and school districts in which significant numbers of students persistently fail to learn the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards; and

    (iv) An awards program to provide incentives to school staff to help their students learn the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards, with each school being assessed individually against its own baseline.  Incentives shall be based on the rate of percentage change of students achieving the ((essential)) academic ((learning requirements)) achievement standards.  School staff shall determine how the awards will be spent.

    It is the intent of the legislature to begin implementation of programs in this subsection (3)(i) on September 1, 2000;

    (j) Report annually by December 1st to the legislature, the governor, the superintendent of public instruction, and the state board of education on the progress, findings, and recommendations of the commission; and

    (k) Make recommendations to the legislature and take other actions necessary or desirable to help students meet the student learning goals.

    (4) The commission shall coordinate its activities with the state board of education and the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

    (5) The commission shall seek advice broadly from the public and all interested educational organizations in the conduct of its work, including holding periodic regional public hearings.

    (6) The commission shall select an entity to provide staff support and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide administrative oversight and be the fiscal agent for the commission.  The commission may direct the office of the superintendent of public instruction to enter into subcontracts, within the commission's resources, with school districts, teachers, higher education faculty, state agencies, business organizations, and other individuals and organizations to assist the commission in its deliberations.

    (7) Members of the commission shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

    (8) This section expires June 30, 1999.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  1995 c 335 s 803 (uncodified) is repealed.

 


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