BILL REQ. #:  H-4564.1 

Read first time 01/22/08.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to state and local requirements for high school graduation; amending RCW 28A.230.090 and 28A.655.0611; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that, on average, students have made tremendous progress in meeting the state's academic standards in reading and writing. Approximately eighty-five percent of the students in the class of 2008 who are on track to graduate have successfully met the state standard on the reading and writing content areas of the Washington assessment of student learning or an approved alternative assessment. On further review, however, the legislature finds significant disparities and inequities in achievement for subgroups of students. Fewer than thirty percent of American Indian, Black, Hispanic, or low-income students in the class of 2008 who are on track to graduate have met the state standard in both reading and writing. This level of achievement for significant populations of the state's students does not permit a statewide imposition of a graduation requirement in reading and writing for the class of 2008. If, however, a local school district can demonstrate a de minimus level of disparity in achievement among groups of students, school district boards of directors should have the local option to adopt a school district graduation requirement expecting students to meet the state standard in reading and writing. The legislature reaffirms its belief that the education system and students will be ready for statewide graduation requirements in all subject areas of the Washington assessment of student learning for the graduating class of 2013.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.230.090 and 2006 c 114 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students, except those equivalencies established by local high schools or school districts under RCW 28A.230.097.
     (a) Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements shall consider including information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.
     (b) Except as provided in RCW 28A.655.0611, the certificate of academic achievement requirements under RCW 28A.655.061 or the certificate of individual achievement requirements under RCW 28A.155.045 are required for graduation from a public high school but are not the only requirements for graduation.
     (c) Any decision on whether a student has met the state board's high school graduation requirements for a high school and beyond plan shall remain at the local level.
     (2) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board. The state board shall reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous career and technical education programs, particularly those programs that lead to a certificate or credential that is state or nationally recognized. The purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that students enrolled in these programs have sufficient opportunity to earn a certificate of academic achievement, complete the program and earn the program's certificate or credential, and complete other state and local graduation requirements. ((The board shall reports [report] its findings and recommendations for additional flexibility in graduation requirements, if necessary, to the legislature by December 1, 2007.))
     (3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.
     (4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:
     (a) The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or
     (b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.
     (5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit.
     (6) At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours equals one high school credit.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.655.0611 and 2007 c 354 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the graduating class of 2008 and through no later than the graduating class of 2012, students may graduate from high school without earning a certificate of academic achievement or a certificate of individual achievement if they:
     (a) Have not successfully met the ((mathematics)) state standard on the high school Washington assessment of student learning, an approved objective alternative assessment, or an alternate assessment developed for eligible special education students in one or more of the content areas required under RCW 28A.655.061 or 28A.155.045 to earn a certificate;
     (b) ((Have successfully met the state standard in the other content areas required for a certificate under RCW 28A.655.061 or 28A.155.045;
     (c))) Have met all other state and school district graduation requirements; ((and
     (d))) (c) Continue to take the assessment in the content area or areas where they did not meet the state standard at least once annually until graduation; and
     (d)(i) For the graduating class of 2008, successfully earn one additional high school ((mathematics)) credit or career and technical course equivalent in mathematics for students who have not met the state standard in mathematics and one additional high school credit or career and technical course equivalent in English language arts for students who have not met the state standard in reading or writing, including courses offered at skill centers, after the student's eleventh grade year intended to increase the student's ((mathematics)) proficiency toward meeting or exceeding the ((mathematics)) standards assessed on the high school Washington assessment of student learning ((and continue to take the appropriate mathematics assessment at least once annually until graduation)); and
     (ii) For the remaining graduating classes under this section, successfully earn two additional ((mathematics)) credits or career and technical course equivalent in mathematics for students who have not met the state standard in mathematics and two additional high school credits or career and technical course equivalent in English language arts for students who have not met the state standard in reading or writing, including courses offered at skill centers, after the student's tenth grade year intended to increase the student's ((mathematics)) proficiency toward meeting or exceeding the ((mathematics)) standards assessed on the high school Washington assessment of student learning ((and continue to take the appropriate mathematics assessment at least once annually until graduation)).
     (2) The state board of education may adopt a rule that ends the application of this section as it applies to requiring students to meet the state standard in mathematics with a graduating class before the graduating class of 2012, if the state board of education adopts the rule by September 1st of the freshman school year of the graduating class to which the provisions of this section no longer apply. The state board of education's authority under this section does not alter the requirement that any change in performance standards for the tenth grade assessment must comply with RCW 28A.305.130.
     (3)(a) A school district board of directors may adopt a local school district graduation requirement that students must meet the state standard in reading on the high school Washington assessment of student learning or an approved objective alternative assessment if, based on the district's high school assessment results for the prior year, there is less than a five percentage point gap between the percent of students in the subgroup with the highest percent of students who met the state standard in reading and the percent of students in any other subgroup who met the state standard in reading.
     (b) A school district board of directors may adopt a local school district graduation requirement that students must meet the state standard in writing on the high school Washington assessment of student learning or an approved objective alternative assessment if, based on the district's high school assessment results for the prior year, there is less than a five percentage point gap between the percent of students in the subgroup with the highest percent of students who met the state standard in writing and the percent of students in any other subgroup who met the state standard in writing.
     (c) For the purposes of this subsection (3), "subgroup of students" means White, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian, Hispanic, Black, low-income, and special education students.
     (4) This section expires August 31, 2013.