HB 1987 - DIGEST

(SUBSTITUTED FOR - SEE 1ST SUB)

Directs the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with interested school districts, to design a career and technical assessment alternative that: (1) Is available to students enrolled in comprehensive career and technical education programs that lead to written, widely accepted state or national industry certification when the industry certification requires that the students demonstrate their skills and knowledge through an objective assessment or evaluation and the skills and knowledge included in the program are aligned to the state's high school reading, writing, mathematics, and science essential learnings;

(2) Is available in programs that have previously been approved by the office of the superintendent of public instruction for the purpose of the assessment alternative; and

(3) Is piloted beginning with the 2006-07 school year through the end of the 2011-12 school year, with an evaluation of its effectiveness and biennial reports to the legislature on its implementation. The biennial reports shall include the number of programs offering the alternative, the number of students in each program, and the aggregate results of participating students on the Washington assessment of student learning and the assessment or evaluation used to determine industry certification. Students in the pilot must take the high school assessment of student learning at least once and may be required to take a placement test used by the community and technical colleges to ascertain whether they would be able to transition to postsecondary work if they so chose.

Provides that, by October 2012, the superintendent of public instruction shall provide a final report on the pilots to the house of representatives and senate committees responsible for education policy. The final report shall include a recommendation on whether to eliminate or continue the assessment alternative for career and technical education programs that lead to industry certification.