April 10, 2007

For immediate release

OLYMPIA – Lawmakers in the House today and yesterday turned their attention to a package of education bills intended to implement several of the Governor’s Washington Learns recommendations, and address key issues related to education funding and the WASL.

2SSB 5114 would result in recommendations for a new funding formula for student transportation. Currently, districts are reimbursed on an "as the crow flies" basis rather than for real miles traveled. The result is that most school districts have been experiencing increasing shortfalls in reimbursement for transportation. The bill passed 68-30.

E2SSB 5841 focuses on student learning and achievement. The legislation sets the stage for several achievement-focused initiatives including: phasing in all-day kindergarten, beginning in schools with the highest poverty rates; adding a new goal to the Basic Education Act dealing with civic participation in a pluralistic society; establishing a series of demonstration projects to improve teaching to English as a Second Language students and strengthening the links between early learning, K-12 and higher education. The bill passed 60-38.

“All children can be successful in school when every child is given a fair opportunity to learn,” commented Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle). “As legislators, we have a moral obligation to close the education gap by ensuring our schools have a broad array of effective tools to teach our diverse students. This legislation is a key piece of fulfilling that obligation.”

E2SSB 5627 sets in motion the next steps to tackling the education funding issue. The bill creates a Joint Task Force on Basic Education Funding charged with reviewing the definition of Basic Education and recommending new funding formulas for state spending. The task force must submit its final report to the Legislature by September 15, 2008. The bill passed 62-36.

“Fully funding basic education is at the top of our to-do list,” commented Rep. Kathy Haigh (D-Shelton), Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education. “But we recognize that the definition of basic education itself has changed, so as we look to create a new funding formula, we need to recognize that we’ve set higher standards and raised the bar for our students and teachers.”

E2SSB 5843 authorizes the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to set up a data-tracking system that will fill a critical information gap about the state’s education system. The system will track a wide range of issues such as whether there’s a disproportionate concentration of Nationally Board Certified Teachers in certain districts, whether a recent transfer student has already passed the WASL, or how many teachers are certified in certain subjects. The bill passed 98-0.

2SSB 5955 will provide support to districts to boost student achievement, particularly in math and science. A public-private partnership will result in a new School District Leadership Academy which will provide professional development for principals and superintendents. The bill also directs adoption of new standards for teacher certification in math, establishes a grant system for to help schools improve instruction in math, science and reading, and creates a new “Recruiting Diverse Washington Teachers” program to encourage students of color to become teachers. The bill passed 98-0.

ESSB 6023 is the latest bill to recommend both near-term and long-term changes to graduation requirements related to the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). The bill postpones the WASL graduation requirement in math until the class of 2013, and postpones the science WASL requirement until the class of 2013. It allows students to use alternative assessments if they fail the WASL, and directs the State Board of Education to oversee a review of the math and science WASL to determine whether the tests should be replaced with end-of-course exams. The bill passed 81-17.

"We've been working incredibly hard to come up with the right strategy for our students who are struggling to pass the WASL," commented Rep. Pat Sullivan (D-Covington). “We must continue to have high standards, and we must also make sure students have more than one way to show they're meeting those high standards. When a student's future is at stake, having a variety of testing methods is only fair.”

SJM 8011 calls on Congress to fully fund No Child Left Behind. NCLB is up for reauthorization this year and state lawmakers have been struggling to help districts pay for the enormous administrative costs associated with fulfilling the bill's numerous requirements. It also asks Congress to reconsider how we assess students in special education programs. The bill passed 98-0.

The Senate also unanimously passed an important House bill aimed at reducing dropout rates. 2SHB 1573, sponsored by Rep. Dave Quall (D-Mount Vernon), creates a new grant program known as the Building Bridges Program. The grants will fund innovative partnerships among schools and communities committed to helping students who have dropped out of school or are at risk of not graduating.

All of these bills have been amended since passing their house of origin, and the amended bills must be agreed to by lawmakers in both the House and Senate before going to the Governor's desk for signature.