READ FIRST TIME 02/07/12.   

     AN ACT Relating to phasing-in statewide implementation of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills; amending RCW 28A.150.315; adding a new section to chapter 28A.655 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.150.315 and 2011 c 340 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, funding for voluntary all-day kindergarten programs shall be phased-in beginning with schools with the highest poverty levels, defined as those schools with the highest percentages of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch support in the prior school year. During the 2011-2013 biennium, funding shall continue to be phased-in each year until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten is achieved in the 2017-18 school year. Once a school receives funding for the all-day kindergarten program, that school shall remain eligible for funding in subsequent school years regardless of changes in the school's percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches as long as other program requirements are fulfilled. Additionally, schools receiving all-day kindergarten program support shall agree to the following conditions:
     (a) Provide at least a one thousand-hour instructional program;
     (b) Provide a curriculum that offers a rich, varied set of experiences that assist students in:
     (i) Developing initial skills in the academic areas of reading, mathematics, and writing;
     (ii) Developing a variety of communication skills;
     (iii) Providing experiences in science, social studies, arts, health and physical education, and a world language other than English;
     (iv) Acquiring large and small motor skills;
     (v) Acquiring social and emotional skills including successful participation in learning activities as an individual and as part of a group; and
     (vi) Learning through hands-on experiences;
     (c) Establish learning environments that are developmentally appropriate and promote creativity;
     (d) Demonstrate strong connections and communication with early learning community providers; and
     (e) Participate in kindergarten program readiness activities with early learning providers and parents.
     (2)(a) It is the intent of the legislature that administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills as required in this subsection (2) and section 2 of this act replace administration of other assessments being required by school districts or that other assessments only be administered if they seek to obtain information not covered by the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
     (b) In addition to the requirements in subsection (1) of this section and to the extent funds are available, beginning with the 2011-12 school year on a voluntary basis, schools 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 shall administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills, as directed by the superintendent of public instruction in consultation with the department of early learning and in collaboration with the nongovernmental private-public partnership designated in RCW 43.215.070, and report the results to the superintendent. The superintendent shall share the results with the director of the department of early learning.
     (((b))) (c) School districts shall provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to excuse their children from participation in the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
     (((c) To the extent funds are available, beginning in the 2012-13 school year, the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills shall be administered at the beginning of the school year to all students enrolled in state-funded full-day kindergarten programs with the exception of students who have been excused from participation by their parents or guardians.
     (d) Until full implementation of state-funded all-day kindergarten, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the director of the department of early learning, may grant annual, renewable waivers from the requirement of (c) of this subsection to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills. A school district seeking a waiver for one or more of its schools must submit an application to the office of the superintendent of public instruction that includes:
     (i) A description of the kindergarten readiness assessment and transition processes that it proposes to administer instead of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
     (ii) An explanation of why the administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills would be unduly burdensome; and
     (iii) An explanation of how administration of the alternative kindergarten readiness assessment will support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction.))
     (3) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall designate one or more school districts to serve as resources and examples of best practices in designing and operating a high-quality all-day kindergarten program. Designated school districts shall serve as lighthouse programs and provide technical assistance to other school districts in the initial stages of implementing an all-day kindergarten program. Examples of topics addressed by the technical assistance include strategic planning, developing the instructional program and curriculum, working with early learning providers to identify students and communicate with parents, and developing kindergarten program readiness activities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.655 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) To the extent funds are available, beginning in the 2012-13 school year, the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills shall be administered at the beginning of the school year to all students enrolled in state-funded full-day kindergarten programs under RCW 28A.150.315 with the exception of students who have been excused from participation by their parents or guardians.
     (2)(a) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of early learning, shall convene a work group to provide:
     (i) Input and recommendations with respect to implementation of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
     (ii) Recommendations regarding the optimum way to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills to children in half-day kindergarten while ensuring that they receive the maximum instruction as required in RCW 28A.150.205; and
     (iii) Recommendations with respect to achieving the goal of replacing assessments currently required by school districts with the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
     (b) The work group shall include:
     (i) One representative from the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (ii) One representative from the department of early learning;
     (iii) One representative from the nongovernmental private-public partnership defined in RCW 43.215.010;
     (iv) Five representatives, including both teachers and principals, from school districts that participated in the pilot project, with every effort made to make sure that there is representation from across the state;
     (v) Two parents who are familiar with and participated in the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills pilot during the 2010-11 school year; and
     (vi) A representative from an independent, nonprofit children and family services organization with a main campus in North Bend, Washington.
     (c) The work group may solicit input from people who are recent implementers of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.
     (d) A preliminary report and recommendations shall be submitted to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives by December 1, 2012. A subsequent report and recommendations shall be submitted to the education committees of the senate and the house of representatives by December 1, 2013, and annually by December 1st thereafter.
     (e) The work group shall terminate upon full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten.
     (3) 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 office of superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of early learning.
     (4) Until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten programs, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the director of the department of early learning, may grant annual, renewable waivers from the requirement of subsection (1) of this section to administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills. A school district seeking a waiver for one or more of its schools must submit an application to the office of the superintendent of public instruction that includes:
     (a) A description of the kindergarten readiness assessment and transition processes that it proposes to administer instead of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills;
     (b) An explanation of why the administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills would be unduly burdensome; and
     (c) An explanation of how administration of the alternative kindergarten readiness assessment will support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2012, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.