Read first time 01/10/2006.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to educational assessments; amending RCW 28A.230.095; creating new sections; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that instruction in social studies, arts, health, and fitness is important to ensure a well-rounded and complete education. In particular, the civic mission of schools is strengthened and enhanced by comprehensive civics education and assessments. The legislature finds that effective and accountable democratic government depends upon an informed and engaged citizenry, and therefore, students should learn their rights and responsibilities as citizens, where those rights and responsibilities come from, and how to exercise them.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.230.095 and 2004 c 19 s 203 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) By the end of the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall have in place in elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools assessments or other strategies to assure that students have an opportunity to learn the essential academic learning requirements in social studies, the arts, and health and fitness. Social studies includes history, geography, civics, economics, and social studies skills. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall annually submit an implementation verification report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
     (2) Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall require students in the fourth or fifth grades, the seventh or eighth grades, and the eleventh or twelfth grades to each complete at least one classroom-based assessment in civics. The civics assessment may be selected from a list of classroom-based assessments approved by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. Beginning with the 2008-09 school year, school districts shall annually submit implementation verification reports to the office of the superintendent of public instruction documenting the use of the classroom-based assessments in civics.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The legislature finds that the complexity of modern political life has created a demand for informed citizens who are willing not only to vote, but also to participate in the elections process.
     (2) The purpose of this section is to create a pilot project to help graduate students who are better voters, better citizens, and who are ready to take an informed and responsible place in society.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work with selected county auditors' offices to develop an interactive high school civics curriculum to help students learn how to become informed citizens. The curriculum shall meet the requirements for the office of the superintendent of public instruction's classroom-based assessments. Staff from the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work directly in the curriculum development.
     (4) Counties shall apply to, and be selected by, the office of the superintendent of public instruction to participate in the pilot project under this section. A maximum of fifteen counties may participate.
     (5) The curriculum shall include, but not be limited to:
     (a) Local government organization;
     (b) A discussion of ballot measures, initiatives, and referenda;
     (c) The role of the precinct in defining ballots, candidates, and political activities;
     (d) The roles and responsibilities of taxing jurisdictions in establishing ballot measures; and
     (e) The work of conducting elections.
     (6) The study may include in the curriculum civics essential academic learning requirements relating to examining representative government and citizen participation and analyzing the purposes and organization of government and laws.
     (7) A curriculum guide shall be developed that will help teachers and students maximize the learning of key issues in civics, and shall include strategies for helping students develop voters' guide information for ballot issues and candidates who appear on the ballot. This guide should incorporate ideas from other Washington state civics education programs, such as "We the People" and "Project Citizen." The guide should also present ideas for sharing the results of an election with the larger community and with local government officials in productive, meaningful ways.
     (8) In addition to the required components of the pilot project under this section, other activities may be included in the project, such as:
     (a) Conducting mock county elections at schools; and
     (b) Preparing an advisory issue on which the school would vote, including issue preparation, conducting the election, and preparing a presentation to a local government official on the results of the advisory issue.
     (9) The pilot project shall operate for the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years.
     (10) Funds for the pilot project shall be made available to the office of the superintendent of public instruction for a contract position in civics curriculum and for support costs for soliciting and implementing volunteer participation.
     (11) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to implement this section, including rules specifying selection criteria for counties that wish to participate.
     (12) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide an interim report to appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2008, and a final report by December 1, 2009, detailing the results of the project and budget recommendations for expansion, if appropriate.
     (13) This section expires January 31, 2010.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   The sum of twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2007, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent shall use the funds to provide competitive grants to school districts for curriculum alignment, development of innovative civics projects, and other activities that support the civics assessment under this act. As a condition of grant receipt, districts shall make the products developed under the grant widely available as examples of best practices.