H-4715.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2803

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     2000 Regular Session

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Lambert, Koster, Benson, Talcott, Cox, D. Schmidt, Esser, Lantz and Rockefeller)

Read first time 02/08/2000.  Referred to Committee on .

Allowing private school students and students receiving home-based education to take the Washington assessments of student learning at district expense.

    AN ACT Relating to the Washington assessments of student learning; adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The legislature finds that the Washington assessments of student learning for elementary, middle, and high school years are an important tool for students, parents, teachers, schools, and the state.  These assessments are so important that the legislature encourages all students in the state to participate in the assessments, which are required of public school students and voluntary for students attending private schools and students receiving home-based education.  The assessments let students and their parents know the student's progress in learning the skills and knowledge the state deems necessary to become a responsible citizen and successfully live, learn, and work in the twenty-first century.

    (2) Students receiving home-based education under chapter 28A.200 RCW may voluntarily take the Washington assessments of student learning through the local school district at district expense as part of the district's ancillary services.  The school district shall not regulate these students simply because they take the assessments.

    (3)(a) Individual students attending private schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW may take the Washington assessments of student learning through the local school district at district expense as part of the district's ancillary services.

    (b) If a significant number of students who attend the same private school under chapter 28A.195 RCW wish to take the Washington assessments of student learning, the assessment contractor may provide the assessments at the private school and may agree to have the private school administer the assessments.  The superintendent shall pay the assessment contractor the cost of the test itself, including processing the test to determine the results, for each student taking the assessments under this subsection (3)(b).  The superintendent shall not pay for any costs the private school may incur in administering the assessments at the private school, such as staff or school administrative costs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2000, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.

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