PERMANENT RULES
Date of Adoption: January 12, 2000.
Purpose: Add two sections to chapter 180-51 WAC, WAC 180-51-063 Certificate of mastery -- High school graduation requirement -- Effective date and 180-51-064 Certificate of mastery -- Validity and reliability study.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending chapter 180-51 WAC.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.230.090.
Adopted under notice filed as WSR 99-24-118 on December 1, 2000.
Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: WAC 180-51-063, addition of subsections (2)(c), (d), (e), (f), (g), and 180-51-064, addition of subsections (2), (3), (4), and (5).
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 2, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.
January 27, 2000
Larry Davis
Executive Director
OTS-3607.3
NEW SECTION
WAC 180-51-063
Certificate of mastery -- High school
graduation requirement -- Effective date.
(1) Pursuant to RCW 28A.655.060 (3)(c):
(a) The certificate of mastery shall be a graduation requirement, but not the only requirement for graduation from high school; and
(b) The state board of education is responsible for determining when the secondary Washington assessment of student learning has been implemented and is sufficiently valid and reliable.
(2)(a) The state board of education establishes the 2007-08 school year as the first year in which graduating high school students shall be required to have attained the state certificate of mastery in order to graduate, in addition to other state and local graduation requirements.
(b) The state board of education fully recognizes that a higher standard of validity and reliability must be applied when the result of the assessment affects the ability of an individual student to receive a high school diploma. Therefore, the state board of education will continue to monitor the high school level Washington assessment of student learning. If the board finds that the assessment is lacking in this higher level of validity or reliability, or both, by the beginning of the 2004-05 school year, the state board may change the effective date of the certificate of mastery, for state graduation purposes, to a later school year.
(c) Beginning the 2007-08 school year, the certificate of mastery shall consist of the subject areas under the student learning goals for which a Washington assessment of student learning secondary assessment has been implemented and declared valid and reliable for graduation purposes. It is expected that the initial certificate of mastery will be comprised of reading, writing, communications, and mathematics.
(d) Beginning the 2009-10 school year, the certificate of mastery shall include science if a Washington assessment of student learning secondary assessment has been implemented and declared valid and reliable for this subject area.
(e) As determined by the state board of education, in consultation with the legislature and the academic achievement and accountability commission, successful completion of the Washington assessment of student learning secondary assessment in social studies may be required to achieve the certificate of mastery or may lead to an endorsement on the high school transcript.
(f) As determined by the state board of education, in consultation with the legislature and the academic achievement and accountability commission, successful completion of the Washington assessment of student learning secondary assessment in arts and health and fitness may lead to an endorsement on the high school transcript.
(g) Beginning with graduating students in 2001, attainment of the state certificate of mastery may be noted on the student's transcript pursuant to written district policy.
(3) Notwithstanding WAC 180-18-055 and 180-51-107, subsection (2) of this section shall not be waived.
(4) The certificate of mastery shall not be a graduation requirement for students who receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.200.101(3) nor for students attending private schools under RCW 28A.195.010(6).
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(1) The state board of education recognizes that a state investment in activities to verify the validity and reliability of the secondary Washington assessment of student learning for graduation purposes is critical. Therefore, the state board will work with the legislature to establish funding support for validity and reliability substantiation activities.
(2) The state board recognizes that there remain unanswered questions about the certificate of mastery. In order to facilitate the necessary dialogue to address the questions and issues, the board will establish a certificate of mastery validity and reliability advisory committee. At a minimum, the advisory committee shall include representatives from the academic achievement and accountability commission, the office of superintendent of public instruction, the public, the business community, and education stakeholder groups.
(3) The advisory committee shall examine and make recommendations to the state board of education on validity and reliability issues and conduct a review and analysis of the requirement that students obtain a certificate as a condition for high school graduation.
(4) The advisory committee shall submit to the state board a final report and recommendations not later than the board's meeting in May 2003.
(5) By the second Monday of January 2001, and no later than the second Monday of each year thereafter, the state board of education will provide to the house of representatives and senate committees on education, a progress report on the deliberations of the certificate of mastery validity and reliability advisory committee. The state board will submit any proposed policy change based on recommendations of the advisory committee to the house of representatives and senate education committees for review and comment before the change is implemented by the state board under its rule-making authority.
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