BILL REQ. #: H-1716.1
State of Washington | 63rd Legislature | 2013 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/22/13.
AN ACT Relating to requiring school districts, with the assistance of the office of the superintendent of public instruction, to disclose information about required assessments; 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:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that parents are
better able to help their children succeed in the K-12 school system
when fully informed about the policies and requirements that impact
their children's learning. In the area of testing, frequent changes,
increased numbers of tests, as well as increased high stakes
consequences affecting graduation and course taking schedules, have
created a complexity that most parents are not able to navigate. The
office of the superintendent of public instruction has revealed that in
each of the next eight years there will be a new test or new standard
introduced that will affect test taking, including a new battery of
common core standard assessments. It is, therefore, the intent of the
legislature to assure that all parents of children within the
Washington state public school system, kindergarten through twelfth
grade, are provided timely, complete, clear, and easy to understand
information regarding state and federal standardized tests that their
children will be required to take and the consequences, rules, and
policies that accompany them.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 28A.655
RCW to read as follows:
(1) At the beginning of each school year, school districts must
notify parents or guardians of enrolled students with the following
information about each standardized assessment from kindergarten
through twelfth grade that is required by the state or by the federal
government:
(a) The subject areas covered by each assessment and what will be
measured by each;
(b) When each standardized assessment will be administered;
(c) Whether each standardized test has been screened for bias;
(d) The time expected to take each standardized assessment;
(e) Whether students will be required to take standardized
assessments online, or have the option of paper and pencil;
(f) Which assessments will be required for graduation and what
options students have to meet graduation requirements if they do not
pass a given assessment;
(g) How assessment results affect a student's high school and
beyond plan and course-taking progression leading to timely graduation,
as well as whether results of standardized assessments will be used for
program placement or grade level advancement;
(h) When the assessment results will be released to parents or
guardians and whether there will be an opportunity for parents and
teachers to discuss strategic instructional adjustments;
(i) The process, forms, and time necessary to access individual
students' tests;
(j) How the assessment and assessment results will advance student
learning;
(k) The amount of instructional time spent in administering the
assessment;
(l) The financial cost to both the school district and state of
administering the assessment; and
(m) Whether the assessment is required by the state, by the federal
government, or by both.
(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall
provide to school districts regularly updated information necessary for
the district to notify parents of the information under subsection (1)
of this section, including any changes occurring through legislative or
federal action, or both, that will affect current or future
assessments.
(3) Costs associated with this section must be provided from
funding allocated to the office of the superintendent of public
instruction for student assessments.