Read first time 01/12/2005.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to elimination of mandatory norm-referenced student assessments; amending RCW 28A.230.195; adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and repealing RCW 28A.230.190, 28A.230.193, 28A.230.230, and 28A.230.260.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.230.195 and 1999 c 373 s 603 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) If students' scores on the test or assessments under RCW ((28A.230.190, 28A.230.230, and 28A.630.885)) 28A.655.070 indicate that students need help in identified areas, the school district shall evaluate its instructional practices and make appropriate adjustments.
     (2) Each school district shall notify the parents of each student of their child's performance on the test and assessments conducted under this chapter.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature finds that the mandatory norm-referenced student assessments eliminated under this act provide information that teachers and parents use to improve student learning. The legislature intends to permit school districts to offer norm-referenced assessments at the districts' own expense and make diagnostic tools available that provide information that is at least as valuable as the information eliminated under this act.
     (2) School districts may, at their own expense, administer norm-referenced assessments to students.
     (3) By September 1, 2005, subject to available funds, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall post on its web site for voluntary use by school districts, a guide of diagnostic assessments. The assessments in the guide, to the extent possible, shall include the characteristics listed in subsection (4)(a) through (e) of this section.
     (4) By September 1, 2006, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall make available to school districts diagnostic assessments that help improve student learning. To the greatest extent possible, the assessments shall be:
     (a) Aligned to the state's grade level expectations;
     (b) Individualized to each student's performance level;
     (c) Administered efficiently to provide results either immediately or within two weeks;
     (d) Capable of measuring individual student growth over time; and
     (e) Cost-effective.
     (5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction is encouraged to offer at their statewide and regional staff development activities training opportunities that would assist practitioners in:
     (a) The interpretation of diagnostic assessments; and
     (b) Application of instructional strategies that will increase student learning based on diagnostic assessment data.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 28A.230.190 (Third grade achievement test) and 1999 c 373 s 201, 1998 c 319 s 202, 1997 c 262 s 5, 1990 c 101 s 6, 1985 c 403 s 1, 1984 c 278 s 8, & 1975-'76 2nd ex.s. c 98 s 1;
     (2) RCW 28A.230.193 (Sixth grade achievement test) and 1999 c 373 s 301;
     (3) RCW 28A.230.230 (Annual assessment of ninth grade students -- Inventory for high school and beyond for use by eighth grade students) and 1999 c 373 s 401 & 1990 c 101 s 2; and
     (4) RCW 28A.230.260 (Annual report to the legislature) and 1990 c 101 s 5.