EMERGENCY RULES
Date of Adoption: March 30, 2001.
Purpose: To amend language in WAC 180-51-063 regarding the certificate of mastery and its effective date.
Citation of Existing Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 180-51-063.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.230.090.
Under RCW 34.05.350 the agency for good cause finds that immediate adoption, amendment, or repeal of a rule is necessary for the preservation of the public health, safety, or general welfare, and that observing the time requirements of notice and opportunity to comment upon adoption of a permanent rule would be contrary to the public interest.
Reasons for this Finding: To clarify language contained in the WAC regarding the effective date of notation of passage of the certificate of mastery on the high school transcript.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted at Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's Own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0.
Number of Sections Adopted Using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.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: Immediately.
March 30, 2001
Larry Davis
Executive Director
OTS-4645.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 00-13-039, filed 6/14/00,
effective 7/15/00)
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)) Effective with students ((in 2001)) who
begin the ninth grade in 2003 (the graduating class of 2007),
students who take the secondary Washington assessment of student
learning and earn the certificate of mastery and/or meet the
standard, attainment of the state certificate of mastery and/or
meeting the standard shall be noted on the student's transcript
pursuant to WAC 180-57-070.
(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).
[Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090. 00-13-039, 180-51-063, filed 6/14/00, effective 7/15/00; 00-04-047, 180-51-063, filed 1/27/00, effective 2/27/00.]