SENATE BILL REPORT

HB 2167

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Title: An act relating to changing the date by which challenged schools are identified.

Brief Description: Changing the date by which challenged schools are identified.

Sponsors: Representatives Lytton, Haigh, Magendanz, Kagi, Dahlquist and Carlyle; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/19/14.

Background: In 2013 the Legislature required the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to annually identify by December 1, challenged schools in need of improvement and those schools that are the persistently lowest-achieving schools. The criteria for identifying such schools must take into account the proficiency of all students on state assessments and a high school's graduation rates. However, high school graduation rates are not available until the first week of December each year.

Summary of Bill: The date by which OSPI must annually identify challenged schools in need of improvement and those schools that are the persistently lowest-achieving schools is changed from December 1 to February 1.

Effective Date: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is a simple technical change to legislation that was passed last year. We made our best guess on the appropriate date for when schools could be identified, but there actually needs to be additional time provided to identify the schools. OSPI does not calculate graduation rates until late fall because some of the data depends on what happens over the summer. So this bill is changing the date to February 1.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Lytton, prime sponsor; Andrea Cobb, OSPI.