WASHINGTON STATE

Washington State House Democrats

HOUSE DEMOCRATS

Litzow, Pettigrew announce efforts to close opportunity gap, accelerate student achievement

Sen. Steve Litzow and Rep. Eric Pettigrew today announced two bills aimed at improving persistently low-achieving schools and encouraging academic progress with advanced high school-placement options.

“In Washington we have many students and teachers doing some remarkable things and learning at a high level. However, we also have schools that repeatedly fail to adequately educate students,” said Litzow, of Mercer Island, who is chairman of the Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee. “The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction – our state’s K-12 education agency – already identifies the schools that have the highest amount of dropouts and lowest graduation rates. As policymakers we have an ethical responsibility to take corrective action.”

Under the proposal a renewal district — operating under direction of the state superintendent — would assume temporary oversight until the institution demonstrated specific achievement gains over time. OSPI tracks failing schools based on three-year achievement scores in math and reading as well as average graduation rates.

“It’s no secret that there are schools in our state that underperform year after year- many are located in the district I represent,” said Pettigrew, of Seattle, who is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. “It’s not fair to students and it’s not fair to taxpayers. This legislation is designed to target these districts, turn around student performance and return the district to local control in an efficient manner.”

Additional efforts include an academic-acceleration proposal that would automatically enroll students in advanced course offerings if they are meeting high school academic standards. Similar efforts have been in place in the Federal Way School District since 2010 and have dramatically increased enrollment in advanced studies.

“Experience in advanced courses such as International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement prepares our students for college-level classes and facilitates a smoother transition into the demands of postsecondary education,” continued Litzow, whose legislative district is adjacent to Pettigrew’s. “In order to compete for jobs in the 21st-century global economy and gain the skills necessary for Washington’s particular labor market, students must have the opportunity to move forward if they’ve demonstrated a pattern of achievement.”

An academic acceleration incentive program is also included to provide funding awards to high schools that produce high results on AP and IB exams. Additional funds are intended for supplemental teacher training, exam fees and additional advanced curriculum.