S-0013.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5178

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators McAuliffe, Winsley and Rasmussen

Read first time 01/15/1999.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Correcting references to the third grade standardized achievement test.

    AN ACT Relating to correcting references to the third grade standardized achievement test; and amending RCW 28A.165.030 and 28A.300.295.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.165.030 and 1990 c 33 s 148 are each amended to read as follows:

    Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise the definitions in this section apply throughout RCW 28A.165.010 through 28A.165.090.

    (1) "Basic skills" means reading, mathematics, and language arts as well as readiness activities associated with such skills.

    (2) "Placement testing" means the administration of objective measures by a school district for the purposes of diagnosing the basic skills achievement levels, determining the basic skills areas of greatest need, and establishing the learning assistance needs of individual students in conformance with instructions established by the superintendent of public instruction for such purposes.

    (3) "Approved program" means a program conducted pursuant to a plan submitted by a district and approved by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.165.040.

    (4) "Participating student" means a student in kindergarten through grade nine who scores below grade level in basic skills, as determined by placement testing, and who is identified under RCW 28A.165.050 to receive additional services or support under an approved program.

    (5) "Basic skills tests" means state-wide tests at the ((fourth and eighth)) third grade level((s)) established pursuant to RCW 28A.230.190 and eighth grade level established pursuant to RCW 28A.230.230.

    Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.300.295 and 1996 c 273 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    The superintendent of public instruction shall establish a grant program to provide incentives for teachers, schools, and school districts to use the identified programs on the approved list in grades kindergarten through four.  Schools, school districts, and educational service districts may apply for grants.  Funds for the grants shall be used for in‑service training and instructional materials.  Grants shall be awarded and funds distributed not later than June 30, 1997, for programs in the 1996-97 and 1997-98 school years.  Priority shall be given to grant applications involving schools and school districts with the lowest mean percentile scores on the state-wide ((fourth)) third grade ((assessment)) test required under RCW 28A.230.190 among grant applicants.

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