SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6103

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.

As Passed Senate, February 13, 2020

Title: An act relating to educational reporting requirements.

Brief Description: Concerning educational reporting requirements.

Sponsors: Senators Wellman and Wilson, C.; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 1/15/20, 1/27/20 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed Senate: 2/13/20, 47-0.

Brief Summary of Bill

Modifies K-12 data reporting requirements for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass.

Signed by Senators Wellman, Chair; Wilson, C., Vice Chair; Hawkins, Ranking Member; Holy, Hunt, McCoy, Mullet, Padden, Pedersen, Salomon and Wagoner.

Staff: Alex Fairfortune (786-7416)

Background: Graduation and Dropout Data. Each school district is required to report graduation and dropout data annually to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), including data on how many years students spend in school before graduating or dropping out; dropout rates organized by demographic subgroups; and the causes of students dropping out. OSPI must report this information to the Legislature annually, and additionally include an estimate from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy regarding the savings that result from changes in the extended graduation rate over the prior year.

Homeless Student Data. OSPI is required to report homeless student data to the Governor and the Legislature every odd-numbered year. This data must include the number of homeless and unaccompanied homeless students enrolled in public schools; the number of homeless students of color; the number of students participating in the learning assistance program, highly capable program, and running start program; and the academic performance and educational outcomes of homeless and unaccompanied homeless students.

K-12 Data Reports. OSPI must publish a number of reports online regarding data compliance; spending per student; statewide assessment improvement; student-to-teacher classroom ratios; teacher race and ethnicity demographics; and K-12 education costs disaggregated by federal, state, and local dollars.

Apportionment Data. OSPI must report state per-pupil allocations for each school district for general apportionment and other programs, including special education, learning assistance, transitional bilingual, highly capable, and career and technical programs. OSPI must also report state general apportionment per-pupil allocations by grade for each school district. This information must be reported on the OSPI website and on school district apportionment reports.

Summary of Bill: Graduation and Dropout Data. OSPI must post the required dropout data and the savings estimate from the Washington State Institute for Public Policy on the OSPI website annually, rather than reporting the data to the Legislature.

Homeless Student Data. OSPI must post the required homeless student data to the OSPI website annually, rather than reporting the data to the Governor and the Legislature every other year.

K-12 Data Reports. A number of the data reports OSPI is required to publish online are eliminated, including the reports pertaining to data compliance, spending per student, statewide assessment improvement, and most student-to-teacher ratio data. The following two new data reporting requirements are added:

data on the per-pupil expenditures of federal, state, and local funds including actual personnel and non-personnel expenditures disaggregated by source of funds, for each local education agency and school in the state for the preceding fiscal year; and
data on student growth to align with the Every Student Succeeds Act.

Apportionment Data. The requirement that OSPI must report state general apportionment per-pupil allocations by grade for each school district is eliminated. State per-pupil allocations for each school district for general apportionment and other programs must continue to be posted online, but no longer need to be included on school district apportionment reports.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: The intent of this bill is to align state statute with reporting requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The aim is also to streamline and eliminate duplicate reporting and use data in a way that takes advantage of current capabilities and best practices. This is a cleanup activity that still retains reports critical to OSPI's functions.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Lisa Wellman, Prime Sponsor; Katie Weaver Randall, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.