BILL REQ. #:  H-2152.2 

READ FIRST TIME 02/27/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to the voluntary participation in the Washington assessment of student learning by students enrolled in private schools; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW.

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 assessment of student learning for elementary, middle, and high school years is an important tool for students, parents, teachers, schools, and the state. This assessment is so important that the legislature encourages all students in the state to participate in the assessment, which is voluntary for students attending private schools. The assessment lets 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)(a) Individual students attending private schools under chapter 28A.195 RCW may take the Washington assessment of student learning through the local school district at district expense as part of the district's ancillary services.
     (b) If a private school approved under chapter 28A.195 RCW wishes to administer the Washington assessment of student learning, the assessment contractor may provide the assessment at the private school and may agree to have the private school administer the assessment. The superintendent of public instruction shall pay the assessment contractor the cost of the test itself, including processing the test to determine the results, for each student taking the assessment under this subsection (2)(b), only if the private school offers the assessment to all enrolled students at the grade level of the test, and the private school makes the aggregate test results public and available to the superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent shall pay for assessments under this subsection (2)(b) only for reading, writing, and mathematics assessments administered to students in grades four and seven and science assessments administered to students in grades five and eight. However, nothing in this section requires a private school student to take the assessment. The superintendent shall not pay for any costs the private school may incur in administering the assessment at the private school, such as staff or school administrative costs.