State lawmakers took a step in the direction of bold education reform by passing SB 6696 last night with a vote of 46-1 in the Senate and 72 – 25 in the House. The bill includes key reforms that will accelerate student learning, improve teacher and principal performance and advance Washington’s Race to the Top application.

Key provisions in SB 6696 include:

Authorization of state intervention in low-performing schools.
Requires districts with schools performing in the bottom five percent to submit an action plan identifying measures that will be taken to turn around schools.

Development of a state accountability index.
Designed to identify high- and low-performing schools.

Extension of teacher provisional status.
Lengthens the time in which a teacher is without tenure from two years to three years.

Development of new evaluation criteria for teachers and principals and establishment of a new four-tiered evaluation rating system.
Creates new evaluation criteria for teachers and principals, and calls on districts to design new evaluation systems using a four-tiered rating system.  Measures of student growth data can be used when available and relevant.

Consideration of a single, statewide evaluation model.
Requires the Office of Public Superintendent of Instruction to provide recommendations to the Legislature by July 1, 2011, regarding if a single, statewide evaluation model should be adopted.

Authorization to transfer ineffective principals.
Allows school district superintendents with more than 35,000 students to transfer ineffective principals to a subordinate position within the district.

Authorization to increase salaries of staff that implement innovative programs.
Allows school districts to increase the salaries of teachers and staff involved in implementing innovative activities designed to close the achievement gap, encourage a focus on STEM subjects or provide an arts education.

Expansion of alternative route preparation programs.
Authorizes the Professional Educator Standards Board to accept proposals for teacher preparation programs from community colleges and non-higher education providers.

Authorizes Superintendent of Public Instruction to provisionally adopt the Common Core standards by August 2, 2010. 
 

With the passage of SB 6696, Washington advances to the starting line in the $4.35 billion Race to the Top grant competition. The hard work now begins as the state prepares to develop an application that is bold, innovative and builds upon these reforms to make Washington highly competitive in Race to the Top.