HB 1363

Brief Description: Eliminating the requirement to obtain a certificate of academic achievement or certificate of individual achievement to graduate from high school.

Sponsors: Representatives S. Hunt, Haler, Muri, Appleton, Moscoso, Sells, Ryu, Dunshee, Taylor, Short, G. Hunt, Fey, Stanford, Riccelli, Reykdal, Blake, Fitzgibbon, Santos, Bergquist, Pollet and Ortiz-Self.

Hearing Date: 2/3/15

Staff: Cece Clynch (786-7195).

Background:

Statewide Student Assessment System.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI), in consultation with the State Board of Education (SBE), is authorized to maintain and revise a statewide academic assessment system to measure student knowledge and skills on state learning standards and to use for purposes of state and federal accountability. The state assessment system must cover the content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science for elementary, middle, and high school years.   The federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) requires states to assess students based on state learning standards in reading and mathematics in each of grades three through eight and one high school grade, as well as science in at least one grade in elementary, middle, and high school.

Most recently, high school mathematics has been assessed using end-of-course tests (EOCs) in Algebra I and Geometry, while a 10th grade reading and writing assessment has been utilized. In 2011, legislation directed that high school science be assessed using a Biology EOC.  Subsequently, the Legislature expressed intent to transition from a Biology EOC to a comprehensive science assessment.

In 2013, the SPI was directed to implement student assessments developed with a multistate consortium in English Language Arts (ELA) and mathematics, beginning in the 2014-15 school year. (Washington is part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, known as SBAC.) The SPI was also directed to use test items from the SBAC assessments to develop a 10th grade ELA assessment and modify the Algebra I and Geometry EOCs for use through the transition period. 

The SBE is responsible for establishing the performance scores that students must meet on state assessments. By the end of the 2014-15 school year, the SBE must establish performance scores for the assessments used during  the transition period, as well as the SBAC assessments. In setting scores for the high school SBAC assessments, the SBE must review the experience during the transition period, examine scores used in other states for the SBAC assessments, including states that require passage of an 11th grade assessment for graduation. The scores established for purposes of graduation may be different from the scores used for the purpose of determining career and college readiness.

High School Graduation.

A Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) or a Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) is one of the requirements  for graduation from a Washington public high school.  To obtain a CAA, a student must meet state standards on required assessments.  Students requiring special education who are not appropriately assessed by the state assessment system, even with accommodations, may earn a CIA via a variety of ways to demonstrate skills and abilities commensurate with their individual education programs.

Since the graduating class of 2008, Washington students have been required to meet the state standard on the assessment in reading and writing to obtain a CAA and graduate from high school.  Students in the graduating classes of 2013 and 2014 have also had to meet the standard in at least one of the mathematics EOCs. Beginning with the graduating class of 2015, students will have to meet the standard on the state assessment in reading, writing, at least one of the mathematics EOCs, and the Biology EOC for high school graduation.  Beginning with the graduating class of 2019, the SBAC assessments in the ELA and mathematics will be used to demonstrate that students meet the state standard in those subjects.   

Below is a chart illustrating the assessments required for the graduating class of 2015 and beyond:

Alternative Assessment Options.

Alternative assessment options exist to earn a CAA for those who have taken an assessment at least once.  These include:

• Grade comparison.

• Earning a high enough score on the SAT or ACT.

• Earning a high enough score on an Advanced Placement (AP)/International Baccalaureate (IB) exam.

• Collection of evidence, scored at the state level or by regional panels of educators.

There are also provisions for waiving specific requirements pertaining to the CAA and the CIA for students who transferred to a Washington public school in their junior or senior year or who have special, unavoidable circumstances.

Summary of Bill:

High School Graduation.

The requirement that a student obtain a  Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) or Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA) to graduate from a public high school is eliminated.  The purpose of the statewide assessment system is restated, from serving the purpose of determining if a student has mastered the essential academic learning requirements (EALRs), to determining if a student has learned the EALRs, as well as for school and district state and federal accountability purposes.

Language referring to legislative intent to transition from the biology end of course (EOC) to a more comprehensive science assessment remains in place, however, language regarding a two year transition period is stricken. 

The transition period, from administration of the reading and writing assessments and the algebra and geometry EOCs to  administration of the SBAC mathematics and ELA assessments is eliminated.   The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is not required to develop assessments for administration during this period. 

The SBE’s duty to reevaluate graduation requirements in vocationally intensive career and technical education (CTE) that lead to a certificate or credential for purposes of ensuring that students may complete the program and earn a CAA is changed to a duty to determine whether the student has the opportunity to complete the program and meet the state's essential academic requirements.  The SBE is no longer required to identify scores for earning a CAA.

The requirement that a high school transcript indicate whether the student received a CAA or CIA is stricken.

References to the CAA and the CIA are stricken throughout the school code.  Also stricken, in their entirety, are a  number of statutes having to do with the CAA and CIA,  alternatives and appeals related to the CAA and CIA, as well as a high school completion pilot program for those meeting all requirements except the CAA or the CIA.  The option for retaking the assessments by a student who has achieved standard but wants to improve results remains, as does the requirement that the student must pay for the retake in that instance.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.