Beginning in January 2010, the *achievement gap oversight and accountability committee shall report annually to the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the professional educator standards board, the governor, and the education committees of the legislature on the strategies to address the achievement gap and on the progress in improvement of education performance measures for African-American, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, and Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native students.

[2009 c 468 § 3; 2008 c 298 § 3.]

NOTES:

     *Reviser's note: The "achievement gap oversight and accountability committee" was renamed the "educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee" by 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 § 33.

     Findings -- Intent -- 2009 c 468: See note following RCW 28A.300.136.

     Findings -- Intent -- 2008 c 298: "(1) The legislature finds that of all the challenges confronting the African-American community, perhaps none is more critical to the future than the education of African-American children. The data regarding inequities, disproportionality, and gaps in achievement is alarming no matter which indicators are used:

     (a) The gap in reading test scores between African-American and white students on the tenth grade Washington assessment of student learning is twenty percentage points, with only two-thirds of African-American students able to meet the upcoming graduation standard in reading on the first attempt compared to eighty-five percent of white students. African-American students are lagging behind other student groups in reading improvement.

     (b) African-American students continue to score lowest among student groups in high school mathematics, with only twenty-three percent able to meet state standard on the first attempt, a thirty-three percentage point lag behind white students who have a fifty-six percent met-standard rate.

     (c) One-fourth of African-American students who enter ninth grade will have dropped out of school by the time their peers graduate in twelfth grade. This measure does not account for the children who, facing significant educational challenges and barriers, have already grown disparaged before the end of middle or junior high school.

     (2) The legislature further finds that although there are multiple initiatives broadly intended to improve student achievement, including a small number of initiatives to address the achievement gap for disadvantaged students generally, there are only a select few efforts targeted to the challenges of African-American students or designed specifically to engage parents and leaders in the African-American community. The efficacy of general supplemental programs in helping African-American students is unknown. A thoughtful, comprehensive, and inclusive strategy for African-American students has not been created.

     (3) Therefore, the legislature intends to commission and then implement a clear, concise, and intentional plan of action, with specific strategies and performance benchmarks, to ensure that African-American students meet or exceed all academic standards and are prepared for a quality life and responsible citizenship in the twenty-first century." [2008 c 298 § 1.]