Testimony: Student Educational Outcomes, SB 5946

Note: This is WSPTA testimony given to the Senate Ways and Means committee on June 10, 2013. This bill is up for consideration by the full Senate. It touches on reading, evidence-based learning supports, teacher mentoring, and professional development. WSPTA spoke primarily to the reading section of the bill.
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To: Ways and Means Committee
Re: SB 5946, Student educational outcomes. WSPTA is PRO, with suggestions

Dear Senator Hill and committee members,

Testimony - Fiscal impact of reading bill

To: Senate Ways and Means Committee

Re:  SSB 5237 - Establishing accountability for student performance in reading 

 

Position: CONCERNS; recommendations; supportive of intent

Attached: Letters of testimony

Dear Chairman Hill and Senators,

Screening and Support for Struggling Readers is one of Washington State PTA’s legislative priorities, and I wanted to thank you for hearing this bill and considering the tremendous financial implications surrounding our failure to reach and teach all of our potential readers.

We do have concerns with the bill as written, especially any sort of forced grade retention. Our understanding of the intent, however, is to assert accountability around intervention. That is, schools need to be held accountable for understanding the learning needs of their students and providing appropriate instruction and interventions.  We strongly support this concept and we assert the state has a fiscal interest in ensuring schools use research- and evidence-based literacy curriculum and interventions.

Testimony - 3rd grade retention, reading (to House)

To: House Education Committee

CONCERNS, HB 1452 - Establishing Accountability for Student Performance in Third Grade;

(Written testimony submitted due to time constraints of the public hearing)

Dear Chairwoman Santos and committee members,

For many children, reading does not come easily. About five percent of children learn to read effortlessly. Another 20 to 30 percent learn to read with relative ease when exposed to any kind of instruction.

Testimony - 3rd grade retention, reading (to Senate)

OTHER - SB 5237 - Establishing accountability for student performance in third grade.

Testimony to Senate Early Learning and K-12 Education Committee

Good afternoon Chairman Litzow and Senators,

Washington State PTA does not have a position on retention, and we did not sign in pro or con.

Update on Budget Cuts – and Outlook for out Top Priorities

Dear advocates,

The first two weeks of legislative session were hectic. In addition to the hearings, there were key meetings of the Quality Education Council and the State Board of Education, as well as ongoing meetings of the steering committee for the Teacher/Principal Evaluation Pilot. Budget hearings and money (or lack of) is coloring everything. PTA/PTSA members need to understand there are 2 budget issues.