AN ACT Relating to student development and performance; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.04.120; and adding new sections to Title 28A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The superintendent of public instruction, through the state clearinghouse for education information, resources, and research, shall collect and disseminate to all school districts and other interested parties, information about: (a) Existing school or school district model programs designed to enhance students' personal confidence and contribute to increased student performance; and (b) school organizational systems, including the "home room" concept, which tend to provide the structure and time necessary for students and teachers to recognize and appreciate their respective individuality.

(2) Teachers are encouraged to utilize the resources of the office of the superintendent of public instruction, including the clearinghouse, to acquire information about the relationship between personal confidence and student development and performance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Further academic research on the relationship of personal confidence to school performance and on factors which can influence student self-confidence, including class size, is critical to improving the learning environment. The state's public and private institutions of higher education and the Washington state institute for public policy are encouraged to support or undertake research on issues concerning the relationship between personal confidence and student achievement.

(2) Kindergarten through twelfth grade and higher education personnel are encouraged to apply for funds under RCW 28A.67.115 to support projects demonstrating the relationship between improved self-confidence and student performance.

Sec. 3. Section 1, chapter 39, Laws of 1987 and section 1, chapter 464, Laws of 1987 and RCW 28A.04.120 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

In addition to any other powers and duties as provided by law, the state board of education shall:

(1) Approve or disapprove the program of courses leading to teacher, school administrator, and school specialized personnel certification offered by all institutions of higher education within the state which may be accredited and whose graduates may become entitled to receive such certification. In approving teacher preparation programs, the state board shall assure that the programs provide instruction to teacher candidates in how to create educational environments which contribute to the personal confidence of students.

(2) Conduct every five years a review of the program approval standards, including the minimum standards for teachers, administrators, and educational staff associates, to reflect research findings and assure continued improvement of preparation programs for teachers, administrators, and educational staff associates.

(3) Investigate the character of the work required to be performed as a condition of entrance to and graduation from any institution of higher education in this state relative to such certification as provided for in subsection (1) above, and prepare a list of accredited institutions of higher education of this and other states whose graduates may be awarded such certificates.

(4) (a) The state board of education shall adopt rules to allow a teacher certification candidate to fulfill, in part, teacher preparation program requirements through work experience as a noncertificated teacher's aide in a public school or private school meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.02.201. The rules shall include, but are not limited to, limitations based upon the recency of the teacher preparation candidate's teacher aide work experience, and limitations based on the amount of work experience that may apply toward teacher preparation program requirements under this chapter.

(b) The state board of education shall require that at the time of the individual's enrollment in a teacher preparation program, the supervising teacher and the building principal shall jointly provide to the teacher preparation program of the higher education institution at which the teacher candidate is enrolled, a written assessment of the performance of the teacher candidate. The assessment shall contain such information as determined by the state board of education and shall include: Evidence that at least fifty percent of the candidate's work as a noncertificated teacher's aide was involved in instructional activities with children under the supervision of a certificated teacher and that the candidate worked a minimum of six hundred thirty hours for one school year; the type of work performed by the candidate; and a recommendation of whether the candidate's work experience as a noncertificated teacher's aide should be substituted for teacher preparation program requirements. In compliance with such rules as may be established by the state board of education under this section, the teacher preparation programs of the higher education institution where the candidate is enrolled shall make the final determination as to what teacher preparation program requirements may be fulfilled by teacher aide work experience.

(5) Supervise the issuance of such certificates as provided for in subsection (1) above and specify the types and kinds of certificates necessary for the several departments of the common schools by rule or regulation in accordance with RCW 28A.70.005.

(6) Accredit, subject to such accreditation standards and procedures as may be established by the state board of education, all schools that apply for accreditation, and approve, subject to the provisions of RCW 28A.02.201, private schools carrying out a program for any or all of the grades one through twelve: PROVIDED, That no public or private schools shall be placed upon the list of accredited schools so long as secret societies are knowingly allowed to exist among its students by school officials: PROVIDED FURTHER, That the state board may elect to require all or certain classifications of the public schools to conduct and participate in such pre-accreditation examination and evaluation processes as may now or hereafter be established by the board.

(7) Make rules and regulations governing the establishment in any existing nonhigh school district of any secondary program or any new grades in grades nine through twelve. Before any such program or any new grades are established the district must obtain prior approval of the state board.

(8) Prepare such outline of study for the common schools as the board shall deem necessary, and prescribe such rules for the general government of the common schools, as shall seek to secure regularity of attendance, prevent truancy, secure efficiency, and promote the true interest of the common schools.

(9) Prepare with the assistance of the superintendent of public instruction a uniform series of questions, with the proper answers thereto for use in the correcting thereof, to be used in the examination of persons, as this code may direct, and prescribe rules and regulations for conducting any such examinations.

(10) Continuously reevaluate courses and adopt and enforce regulations within the common schools so as to meet the educational needs of students and articulate with the institutions of higher education and unify the work of the public school system.

(11) Carry out board powers and duties relating to the organization and reorganization of school districts under chapter 28A.57 RCW.

(12) By rule or regulation promulgated upon the advice of the director of community development, through the director of fire protection, provide for instruction of pupils in the public and private schools carrying out a K through 12 program, or any part thereof, so that in case of sudden emergency they shall be able to leave their particular school building in the shortest possible time or take such other steps as the particular emergency demands, and without confusion or panic; such rules and regulations shall be published and distributed to certificated personnel throughout the state whose duties shall include a familiarization therewith as well as the means of implementation thereof at their particular school.

(13) Hear and decide appeals as otherwise provided by law.

The state board of education is given the authority to promulgate information and rules dealing with the prevention of child abuse for purposes of curriculum use in the common schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The superintendent of public instruction may appoint an advisory committee to address issues relating to the development of students' personal confidence and school performance. The committee shall be of such size and composition as determined by the superintendent.

(2) The advisory committee authorized under subsection (1) of this section shall be supported only from nonstate funds from public or private sources as may be expressly provided to support the advisory committee.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction may accept, receive, and administer such gifts, grants, and contributions as may be expressly provided to support the advisory committee authorized under subsection (1) of this section.

(4) There is hereby created in the custody of the state treasurer a revolving fund, to be known as the student development revolving fund. The superintendent of public instruction shall deposit in the fund all moneys received under this section. Money in the fund may be spent only for the purposes of supporting the advisory committee under this section. Disbursements from the fund shall be on authorization of the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee. The fund is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1, 2, and 4 of this act are each added to Title 28A RCW.