Brief Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill

Retains the current implementation schedule for students in state-funded all-day kindergarten and provides that, to the extent funds are available, additional support in the form of implementation grants for the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) shall be offered to schools on a schedule to be determined by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) in consultation with the Department of Early Learning (DEL).
Tasks the OSPI with convening a workgroup to provide the Legislature with reports and recommendations with respect to: implementation of the WaKIDS; the optimum way to administer the WaKIDS to children in half-day kindergarten; and replacing assessments currently used by districts with the WaKIDS.

Background:

In 2009 the Legislature provided $100,000 over the biennium, contingent on an equal match from private sources, for the Department of Early Learning (DEL) to work with the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and others to identify and test a kindergarten assessment process and tools in geographically diverse school districts. During the fall of 2010, the OSPI piloted the Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) with 2,600 incoming kindergarteners in 115 classrooms around the state. The purpose of the WaKIDS is to gather information about the child in order to better inform teacher instruction.

State-supported all-day kindergarten is in the process of being phased in across the state, beginning with schools with the highest poverty levels. Schools receiving funding for all-day kindergarten must agree to various program requirements, including providing at least 1,000 hours of instruction, providing a rich curriculum, and having connections with community early learning programs and parents.

Beginning with the 2011-12 school year, on a voluntary basis and to the extent funds are available, schools receiving all-day kindergarten state support must identify the skills, knowledge, and characteristics of kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year in order to support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction. Kindergarten teachers must administer the WaKIDS, as directed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) in consultation with the DEL, and report the results to the SPI, who will share the results with the Director of the DEL.

Beginning in the 2012-13 school year, to the extent funds are available, the WaKIDS must be administered to all students enrolled in state-funded all-day kindergarten programs. Parents and guardians may excuse their students from participating in the WaKIDS.

Until full-implementation of state-funded all-day kindergarten, the SPI, in consultation with the Director of DEL, may grant annually renewable waivers in order to allow the administration of kindergarten assessments other than the WaKIDS. An application for such a waiver must include specified components:

a description of the assessment and transition processes that it proposes to administer;
an explanation as to why administering the WaKIDS would be unduly burdensome; and
an explanation of how the alternative assessment will support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children, support early learning provider and parent involvement, and inform instruction.

Before implementing the WaKIDS, the SPI and the Director of the DEL were required to ensure that a fairness and bias review of the assessment process has been conducted, including an opportunity for input from the Achievement Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee and an additional diverse group of stakeholders. A report on this review process was issued in July of 2011.

Summary of Engrossed Substitute Bill:

Legislative intent is expressed that administration of the WaKIDS replace administration of other assessments being required by school districts. Only if they seek to obtain information not covered by the WaKIDS, should other assessments be administered.

The OSPI, in consultation with the DEL, continues to be charged with directing the administration of the WaKIDS but, in doing so, must also collaborate with the private-public partnership which is focused on supporting investments in early learning and ensuring that every child in the state is prepared to succeed in school and in life.

Unchanged from current law, and still to the extent funds are available, beginning in the 2012-13 school year, the WaKIDS shall be administered at the beginning of the school year to all students enrolled in state-funded full-day kindergarten, except those students who have been excused by their parents or guardians. In addition, however, and to the extent funds are available, additional support in the form of implementation grants shall be offered to schools on a schedule to be determined by the OSPI in consultation with the DEL.

The OSPI is tasked with convening a workgroup to provide recommendations with respect to:

implementation of the WaKIDS;
the optimum way to administer the WaKIDS to students in half-day kindergarten; and
replacing assessments currently used by districts with the WaKIDS.

The workgroup is to be comprised of the following:

one representative from the OSPI;
one representative from the DEL;
one representative from the private-public partnership that is focused on supporting investments in early learning and ensuring that every child in the state is prepared to succeed in school and in life;
five representatives, including teachers and principals, from districts that participated in the WaKIDS pilot program, with every effort made to make sure that there is representation from across the state;
two parents who participated in the WaKIDS pilot program during the 2010-11 school year; and
one representative from an independent, nonprofit children and family services organization with a main campus in North Bend.

By December 1, 2012, a preliminary report and recommendations from the workgroup must be submitted to the Education committees of the Legislature. Subsequent reports and recommendations are due annually thereafter. The workgroup terminates upon full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Education):

(In support) There are 70,000 students coming into kindergarten every year. Administration of the inventory to about 1,700 kindergarten students so far, has shown that large percentages of the incoming kindergartners have skills that are below level in one measure or another. This is not a test. Rather, it is an inventory of the skills these kindergarteners have. It provides an opportunity for their teachers to know their skills, see where they need help, and provide that help. It also assists in establishing a partnership with the parents and providing tools to parents so that they can understand their child's needs and help their child. The Race To The Top (RTTP) grant money provides an incredible opportunity for this state to speed up the implementation schedule. With this money, the state can move from administering the assessment to 11,000 kindergartners to administering it to 70,000 kindergartners. In awarding the grant, the federal government acknowledged the innovative nature of the WaKIDS, and particularly its focus on establishing a partnership with families. Because the Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program has selected the same tool, known as Teaching Strategies Gold tool, this will allow the state to track overtime. The fairness and bias review provided much concrete and useful feedback. If the RTTP grant money cannot be used for the WaKIDS, there would be a need to renegotiate with the federal government. The WaKIDS should be seen as part of kindergarten, not in addition to kindergarten. The University of Washington did produce a report on the WaKIDS and this, as well as a teacher survey, will be provided. Superintendent Dorn supports the WaKIDS as it will provide comprehensive knowledge about students early in the year and provide a good statewide measure. It must be implemented thoughtfully and funded adequately. The grant funds will pay for training. There may be a need for additional funds before full implementation.

(With concerns) A number of concerns were expressed by a group of teachers at Beacon Hill Elementary who had experienced administering the WaKIDS. They expressed concerns about: inadequate training; software problems; difficulty in trying to observe multiple students at a time in the natural environment of the classroom; and taking away quite a bit of the teaching time during the first five weeks of school. It is critical to talk to the teachers before speeding up the implementation schedule.

(Opposed) None.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means):

(In support) This legislation enables teachers to accurately assess kindergarten students' skill levels, ensuring that teachers can provide each student with any help they might need to bring them up to an age appropriate skill level. The total estimated cost cannot be determined at this time due to uncertainties in the schedule to phase in the program. Identified grant funds related to the federal Race to the Top program are available for the implementation of the teacher training portion of this legislation.

The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS) is the result of a collaboration between the Department of Early Learning (DEL) and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). It is a very important program for supporting kids moving out of early education and into K-12 education. The program helps to make sure each child starts on the right track from the start of their K-12 education so that they are not playing catch-up mid-year. The parent engagement aspect of the program is key to long-term engagement which, in turn, decreases future per pupil costs.

(With concerns) The goals of WaKIDS is laudable. However, kindergarten teachers have expressed concern regarding training, workload, and interruptions to class. The Washington Education Association is willing to work with the OSPI, the DEL, and others, but believes it is important that implementation only occurs if teachers are able to continue to teach effectively.

(Opposed) None.