BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to parental involvement in education; amending RCW 28A.630.885; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that the role of parents in the education of their children is critical, and that additional measures designed to assist parents in helping to educate their children are needed.

The legislature further finds that schools will benefit from additional parents and community members serving as tutors, classroom assistants, and providing an assortment of other services.

The legislature further finds that most school teachers, principals, and other school personnel would like to increase parental involvement, but are often hampered by the lack of available information and assistance in developing and implementing effective parental involvement programs.

It is the intent of the legislature to provide parents additional information designed to help them educate their children better, and to provide additional assistance to schools, parents, and others in how to increase the involvement of parents in the education of their children.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The parental involvement resource center is created. The purpose of the center is to create a broad awareness throughout the state of the critical importance of parental and family involvement in student achievement and school success, and to serve as a clearinghouse for information and resources to support that involvement.

(2) The center shall provide information and resources to teachers, principals, and other school district personnel; parents and families; education and parenting organizations; site councils; businesses; policymakers; and other individuals and entities.

(3) The center shall: (a) Serve as a clearinghouse for information and referrals; (b) provide training and consultation services; (c) build and strengthen relationships with organizations locally and nationally to share resources and provide better service; (d) develop and distribute parental involvement materials; (e) take actions to increase public awareness of the importance of parental involvement in education; and (f) perform other functions consistent with the purpose of the center as prescribed in subsection (1) of this section.

(4) The center shall have an advisory board consisting of parents, educators, and community members.

(5) The location, staffing, and management of the center shall be determined by the commission on student learning, in consultation with the superintendent of public instruction. Before making the determination, the commission shall solicit proposals from nonprofit educational organizations and public colleges and universities.

(6) The center shall be able to accept resources and funding from private and public sources.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.630.885 and 1992 c 141 s 202 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~(2)~~)) (1) The Washington commission on student learning is hereby established. The primary purposes of the commission are to identify what all students need to know and be able to do based on the student learning goals of the governor's council on education reform and funding, to develop student assessment and school accountability systems, and to take other steps necessary to develop a performance-based education system. The commission shall include three members of the state board of education, three members appointed by the governor before July 1, 1992, and three members appointed no later than February 1, 1993, by the governor elected in the November 1992 election. In making the appointments, educators, business leaders, and parents shall be represented, and nominations from state-wide education, business, and parent organizations shall be requested. Efforts shall be made to ensure that the commission reflects the cultural diversity of the state's K-12 student population and that the major geographic regions in the state are represented. Appointees shall be qualified individuals who are supportive of educational restructuring, who have a positive record of service, and who will devote sufficient time to the responsibilities of the commission to ensure that the objectives of the commission are achieved.

((~~(3)~~)) (2) The commission shall begin its substantive work ((~~subject to subsection (1) of this section~~)).

((~~(4)~~)) (3) The commission shall establish technical advisory committees. Membership of the technical advisory committees shall include, but not necessarily be limited to, professionals from the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education, and other state and local educational practitioners and student assessment specialists.

((~~(5)~~)) (4) The commission, with the assistance of the technical advisory committees, shall:

(a) Identify what all elementary and secondary students need to know and be able to do. At a minimum, these essential academic learning requirements shall include reading, writing, speaking, science, history, geography, mathematics, and critical thinking. In developing these essential academic learning requirements, the commission shall incorporate the student learning goals identified by the council on education reform and funding;

(b) By December 1, 1995, present to the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction a state-wide academic assessment system for use in the elementary grades designed to determine if each student has mastered the essential academic learning requirements identified in (a) of this subsection. The academic assessment system shall include a variety of methodologies, including performance-based measures. The assessment system shall be designed so that the results under the assessment system are used by educators as tools to evaluate instructional practices, and to initiate appropriate educational support for students who do not master the essential academic learning requirements. Mastery of each component of the essential academic learning requirements shall be required before students progress in subsequent components of the essential academic learning requirements. The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction shall implement the elementary academic assessment system beginning in the 1996-97 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and essential academic learning requirements. The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction may modify the academic assessment system, as needed, in subsequent school years;

(c) By December 1, 1996, present to the state board of education and superintendent of public instruction a state-wide academic assessment system for use in the secondary grades designed to determine if each student has mastered the essential academic learning requirements identified for secondary students in (a) of this subsection. The academic assessment system shall use a variety of methodologies, including performance-based measures, to determine if students have mastered the essential academic learning requirements, and shall lead to a certificate of mastery. The certificate of mastery shall be required for graduation. The assessment system shall be designed so that the results are used by educators to evaluate instructional practices, and to initiate appropriate educational support for students who do not master the essential academic learning requirements. The commission shall recommend to the state board of education whether the certificate of mastery should take the place of the graduation requirements or be required for graduation in addition to graduation requirements. The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction shall implement the secondary academic assessment system beginning in the 1997-98 school year, unless the legislature takes action to delay or prevent implementation of the assessment system and essential academic learning requirements. The state board of education and superintendent of public instruction may modify the assessment system, as needed, in subsequent school years;

(d) Consider methods to address the unique needs of special education students when developing the assessments in (b) and (c) of this subsection;

(e) Develop strategies that will assist educators and parents in helping students master the essential academic learning requirements, including, but not limited to, the development and distribution of instructional guides that will inform parents of the essential academic learning requirements and provide actions parents may take to assist their children in meeting the requirements;

(f) Establish a center the primary role of which is to plan, implement, and evaluate a high quality professional development process. The quality schools center shall: Have an advisory council composed of educators, parents, and community and business leaders; use best practices research regarding instruction, management, curriculum development, and assessment; coordinate its activities with the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education; employ and contract with individuals who have a commitment to quality reform; prepare a six-year plan to be updated every two years; and be able to accept resources and funding from private and public sources;

(g) Develop recommendations for the repeal or amendment of federal, state, and local laws, rules, budgetary language, regulations, and other factors that inhibit schools from adopting strategies designed to help students achieve the essential academic learning requirements;

(h) Develop recommendations on the time, support, and resources, including technical assistance, needed by schools and school districts to help students achieve the essential academic learning requirements. These recommendations shall include an estimate for the legislature, superintendent of public instruction, and governor on the expected cost of implementing the elementary and secondary academic assessment systems during the 1995-97 biennium and beyond;

(i) Develop recommendations for consideration by the higher education coordinating board for adopting college and university entrance requirements that would assist schools in adopting strategies designed to help students achieve the essential academic learning requirements;

(j) By December 1, 1996, recommend to the legislature, state board of education, and superintendent of public instruction a state-wide accountability system to evaluate accurately and fairly the level of learning occurring in individual schools and school districts. The commission also shall recommend to the legislature steps that should be taken to assist school districts and schools in which learning is significantly below expected levels of performance as measured by the academic assessment systems established under this section;

(k) Report annually by December 1st to the legislature and the state board of education on the progress, findings, and recommendations of the commission; and

(l) Complete other tasks, as appropriate.

((~~(6)~~)) (5) The commission shall coordinate its activities with the state board of education and the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

((~~(7)~~)) (6) The commission shall seek advice broadly from the public and all interested educational organizations in the conduct of its work, including holding periodic regional public hearings.

((~~(8)~~)) (7) The commission shall select an entity to provide staff support and the office of financial management shall contract with that entity. The commission may direct the office of financial management to enter into subcontracts with school districts, teachers, higher education faculty, state agencies, business organizations, and other individuals and organizations to assist the commission in its deliberations.

((~~(9)~~)) (8) Members of the commission shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of . . . . . . . . dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1995, from the general fund to the parental involvement resource center for the purposes of section 2 this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Section 3 of this act shall expire September 1, 1998.