AN ACT Relating to the shortage of public school teachers and substitute teachers; amending RCW 28A.410.250, 28A.415.265, and 28A.660.050; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 41.32 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.330 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.102 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.76 RCW; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

Subject to an appropriation specifically provided for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with school district and educational service district personnel, shall develop and implement a comprehensive, statewide initiative to increase the number of qualified individuals who apply for teaching positions in Washington. In developing and implementing the initiative, the superintendent shall:

(1) Include a teacher recruitment component that targets groups of individuals who may be interested in teaching in Washington public schools, such as: College students who have not chosen a major; out-of-state teachers; military personnel and their spouses; and individuals with teaching certificates who are not currently employed as teachers;

(2) Contract for the development of a statewide system to provide recruitment and hiring services, including a centralized hiring portal, to school districts, and a statewide central depository for applications of individuals interested in applying for certificated positions that can be accessed by school districts in the state for purposes of hiring teachers and other certificated positions. The services and tools developed under this subsection must be made available initially to small school districts, and to larger districts as resources are available. When defining small districts for the purpose of this subsection, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must consider whether a district has fewer than three hundred certificated staff;

(3) Create or enhance an existing web site that provides useful information to individuals who are interested in teaching in Washington; and

(4) Take other actions to increase the number of qualified individuals who apply for teaching positions in Washington.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  (1) Subject to an appropriation specifically provided for this purpose, the workforce training and education coordinating board, in collaboration with the professional educator standards board, shall work with the student achievement council, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, school districts, educational service districts, the state board for community and technical colleges, the institutions of higher education, major employers, and other parties to develop and disseminate information designed to increase recruitment into professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs. The information must be disseminated statewide through existing channels.

(2) This section expires July 1, 2019.

(2) This section expires July 1, 2018.

Sec. 4.  RCW 28A.410.250 and 2005 c 498 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The agency responsible for educator certification shall adopt rules for professional certification that:

(1) Provide maximum program choice for applicants, promote portability among programs, and promote maximum efficiency for applicants in attaining professional certification;

(2) Require professional certification no earlier than the fifth year following the year that the teacher first completes provisional status, with an automatic two-year extension upon enrollment;

(3) Grant professional certification to any teacher who attains certification from the national board for professional teaching standards;

(4) Permit any teacher currently enrolled in or participating in a program leading to professional certification to continue the program under administrative rules in place when the teacher began the program;

(5) Provide criteria for the approval of educational service districts, beginning no later than August 31, 2007, to offer programs leading to professional certification. The rules shall be written to encourage institutions of higher education and educational service districts to partner with local school districts or consortia of school districts, as appropriate, to provide instruction for teachers seeking professional certification;

(6) Encourage institutions of higher education to offer professional certificate coursework as continuing education credit hours. This shall not prevent an institution of higher education from providing the option of including the professional certification requirements as part of a master's degree program;

(7) Provide criteria for a liaison relationship between approved programs and school districts in which applicants are employed;

(8) Identify an expedited professional certification process for out-of-state teachers who have five years or more of successful teaching experience ((to demonstrate skills and impact on student learning commensurate with Washington requirements for professional certification. The rules may require these teachers, within one year of the time they begin to teach in the state's public schools, take a course in or show evidence that they can teach to the state's essential academic learning requirements)), including a method to determine the comparability of rigor between the Washington professional certification process and the second-level teacher certification process of other states. A professional certificate must be issued to these experienced out-of-state teachers if the teacher holds: (a) A valid teaching certificate issued by the national board for professional teaching standards; or (b) a second-level teacher certificate from another state that has been determined to be comparable to the Washington professional certificate; and

(9) Identify an evaluation process of approved programs that includes a review of the program coursework and applicant coursework load requirements, linkages of programs to individual teacher professional growth plans, linkages to school district and school improvement plans, and, to the extent possible, linkages to school district professional enrichment and growth programs for teachers, where such programs are in place in school districts. The agency shall provide a preliminary report on the evaluation process to the senate and house of representatives committees on education policy by November 1, 2005. The board shall identify:

(a) A process for awarding conditional approval of a program that shall include annual evaluations of the program until the program is awarded full approval;

(b) A less intensive evaluation cycle every three years once a program receives full approval unless the responsible agency has reason to intensify the evaluation;

(c) A method for investigating programs that have received numerous complaints from students enrolled in the program and from those recently completing the program;

(d) A method for investigating programs at the reasonable discretion of the agency; and

(e) A method for using, in the evaluation, both program completer satisfaction responses and data on the impact of educators who have obtained professional certification on student work and achievement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  A new section is added to chapter 41.32 RCW under the subchapter heading "provisions applicable to plan 2 and plan 3" to be codified between RCW 41.32.067 and 41.32.215 to read as follows:

In addition to the postretirement employment options available in RCW 41.32.802 or 41.32.862, and only until August 1, 2020, a teacher in plan 2 or plan 3 who has retired under the alternate early retirement provisions of RCW 41.32.765(3)(b) or 41.32.875(3)(b) may be employed with an employer that has documented a shortage of certificated substitute teachers for up to six hundred thirty hours per school year without suspension of the retiree's benefit if: (1) The retired teacher reenters employment more than one calendar month after his or her accrual date and after the effective date of this section, (2) the retired teacher is employed exclusively as a mentor to teachers or an adviser to students in professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs, and (3) the retired teacher has received appropriate training as defined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, such as national board certification or other specialized training.

(2) Subject to an appropriation specifically provided for this purpose, an institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 that does not operate a professional educator standards board-approved alternative route teacher certification program must seek approval from the professional educator standards board to offer an alternate route teacher certification program by submitting the proposal developed under RCW 28A.410.290, or an updated version of the proposal, by September 1, 2016. If approved, the institution of higher education must implement an alternate route teacher certification program according to a timeline suggested by the professional educator standards board.

(3) This section expires July 1, 2017.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By July 1, 2018, each institution of higher education with a professional educator standards board-approved alternate route teacher certification program must develop a plan describing how the institution of higher education will partner with school districts in the general geographic region of the school, or where its programs are offered, regarding placement of resident teachers. The plans must be developed in collaboration with school districts desiring to partner with the institutions of higher education, and may include use of unexpended federal or state funds to support residencies and mentoring for students who are likely to continue teaching in the district in which they have a supervised student teaching residency.

(2) The plans required under subsection (1) of this section must be updated at least biennially.

Sec. 8.  RCW 28A.415.265 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 401 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) For the purposes of this section, a mentor is an educator who has achieved appropriate training in assisting, coaching, and advising beginning teachers or student teaching residents as defined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, such as national board certification or other specialized training.

(2)(a) The educator support program is established to provide professional development and mentor support for beginning educators, candidates in alternate route teacher programs under RCW 28A.660.040, and educators on probation under RCW 28A.405.100, to be composed of the beginning educator support team for beginning educators and continuous improvement coaching for educators on probation, as provided in this section.

(((2)(a))) (b) The superintendent of public instruction shall notify school districts about the educator support program and encourage districts to apply for program funds.

(3) Subject to funds appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate funds for the beginning educator support team on a competitive basis to individual school districts or consortia of districts. School districts are encouraged to include educational service districts in creating regional consortia. In allocating funds, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall give priority to:

(a) School districts with low-performing schools identified under RCW 28A.657.020 as being challenged schools in need of improvement; and

(b) School districts with a large influx of beginning classroom teachers.

(4) A portion of the appropriated funds may be used for program coordination and provision of statewide or regional professional development through the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(((b))) (5) A beginning educator support team must include the following components:

(((i))) (a) A paid orientation or individualized assistance before the start of the school year for beginning educators;

(((ii))) (b) Assignment of a trained and qualified mentor for the first three years for beginning educators, with intensive support in the first year and decreasing support over the following years depending on the needs of the beginning educator;

(((iii))) (c) A goal to provide beginning teachers from underrepresented populations with a mentor who has strong ties to underrepresented populations;

(d) Professional development for beginning educators that is designed to meet their unique needs for supplemental training and skill development;

(((iv))) (e) Professional development for mentors;

(((v))) (f) Release time for mentors and their designated educators to work together, as well as time for educators to observe accomplished peers; and

(((vi))) (g) A program evaluation using a standard evaluation tool provided from the office of the superintendent of public instruction that measures increased knowledge, skills, and positive impact on student learning for program participants.

(((3))) (6) Subject to funds separately appropriated for this specific purpose, the beginning educator support team components under subsection (((2))) (3) of this section may be provided for continuous improvement coaching to support educators on probation under RCW 28A.405.100.

(2) Once the mentor training program goals are developed as required under subsection (1) of this section, the institutions of higher education with professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs are encouraged to develop and implement curricula that meet the mentor training program goals.

(3) This section expires July 1, 2019.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.330 RCW to read as follows:

By June 15th of each year, a school district shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction the number of classroom teachers the district projects will be hired in the following school year.

Sec. 11.  RCW 28A.660.050 and 2015 3rd sp.s. c 9 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for these purposes, the conditional scholarship programs in this chapter are created under the following guidelines:

(1) The programs shall be administered by the student achievement council. In administering the programs, the council has the following powers and duties:

(a) To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the programs;

(b) To collect and manage repayments from participants who do not meet their service obligations; and

(c) To accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the programs.

(2) Requirements for participation in the conditional scholarship programs are as provided in this subsection (2).

(a) The alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited to interns of professional educator standards board-approved alternative routes to teaching programs under RCW 28A.660.040. For fiscal year 2011, priority must be given to fiscal year 2010 participants in the alternative route partnership program. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment in alternative certification routes through a professional educator standards board-approved program;

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of the alternative route certification program and receipt of a residency teaching certificate; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed eight thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The council may adjust the annual award by the average rate of resident undergraduate tuition and fee increases at the state universities as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(b) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is limited to qualified paraeducators as provided by RCW 28A.660.042. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment at a community and technical college for no more than two years and attain an associate of arts degree;

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of an associate of arts degree. This progress requirement is a condition for eligibility into a route one program of the alternative routes to teacher certification program for a mathematics, special education, or English as a second language endorsement; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed four thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The student achievement council may adjust the annual award by the average rate of tuition and fee increases at the state community and technical colleges.

(c) The educator retooling conditional scholarship program is limited to current K-12 teachers. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards:

(i) Individuals currently employed as teachers shall pursue an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to((,)) mathematics, science, special education, elementary education, early childhood education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education; or

(ii) Individuals who are certificated with an elementary education endorsement shall pursue an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to((,)) mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education; and

(iii) Individuals shall use one of the pathways to endorsement processes to receive an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to((,)) mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education, which shall include passing an endorsement test plus observation and completing applicable coursework to attain the proper endorsement; and

(iv) Individuals shall receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed three thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, test fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the endorsement pathway being pursued.

(3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall select individuals to receive conditional scholarships. In selecting recipients, preference shall be given to eligible veterans or national guard members. In awarding conditional scholarships to support additional bilingual education or English language learner endorsements, the board shall also give preference to teachers assigned to schools required under state or federal accountability measures to implement a plan for improvement, and to teachers assigned to schools whose enrollment of English language learner students has increased an average of more than five percent per year over the previous three years.

(4) For the purpose of this chapter, a conditional scholarship is a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part in exchange for service as a certificated teacher employed in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive one year of loan obligation for every two years a recipient teaches in a public school. Recipients who fail to continue a course of study leading to residency teacher certification or cease to teach in a public school in the state of Washington in their endorsement area are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest.

(5) Recipients who fail to fulfill the required teaching obligation are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest and any other applicable fees. The student achievement council shall adopt rules to define the terms for repayment, including applicable interest rates, fees, and deferments.

(6) The student achievement council may deposit all appropriations, collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in the future teachers conditional scholarship account authorized in RCW 28B.102.080.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.102 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to an appropriation specifically provided for this purpose, the office shall develop and administer the teacher shortage conditional grant program as a subprogram within the future teachers conditional scholarship and loan repayment program. The purpose of the teacher shortage conditional grant program is to encourage individuals to become teachers by providing financial aid to individuals enrolled in professional educator standards-approved teacher preparation programs.

(2) The office has the power and duty to develop and adopt rules as necessary under chapter 34.05 RCW to administer the program described in this section.

(3) As part of the rule-making process under subsection (2) of this section, the office must collaborate with the professional educator standards board, the Washington state school directors' association, and the professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation programs to develop a framework for the teacher shortage conditional grant program, including eligibility requirements, contractual obligations, conditional grant amounts, and loan repayment requirements.

(4)(a) In developing the eligibility requirements, the office must consider: Whether the individual has a financial need, is a first-generation college student, or is from a traditionally underrepresented group among teachers in Washington; whether the individual is completing an alternate route to teacher certification program; whether the individual plans to obtain an endorsement in a hard-to-fill subject, as defined by the professional educator standards board; the characteristic of any geographic shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, that the individual plans to teach in; and whether a school district has committed to offering the individual employment once the individual obtains a residency teacher certificate.

(b) In developing the contractual obligations, the office must consider requiring the individual to: Obtain a Washington state residency teacher certificate; teach in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board; and commit to teach for five school years in an approved education program with a need for a teacher with such an endorsement at the time of hire.

(c) In developing the conditional grant award amounts, the office must consider whether the individual is: Enrolled in a public or private institution of higher education, a resident, in a baccalaureate or postbaccalaureate program, or in an alternate route to teacher certification program. In addition, the award amounts must not result in a reduction of the individual's federal or state grant aid, including Pell grants, state need grants, college bound scholarships, or opportunity scholarships.

(d) In developing the repayment requirements for a conditional grant that is converted into a loan, the terms and conditions of the loan must follow the interest rate and repayment terms of the federal direct subsidized loan program. In addition, the office must consider the following repayment schedule:

(i) For less than one school year of teaching completed, the loan obligation is eighty-five percent of the conditional grant the student received, plus interest and an equalization fee;

(ii) For less than two school years of teaching completed, the loan obligation is seventy percent of the conditional grant the student received, plus interest and an equalization fee;

(iii) For less than three school years of teaching completed, the loan obligation is fifty-five percent of the conditional grant the student received, plus interest and an equalization fee; and

(iv) For less than four school years of teaching completed, the loan obligation is forty percent of the conditional grant the student received, plus interest and an equalization fee.

(5) By November 1, 2018, and November 1, 2020, the office shall submit reports, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, to the appropriate committees of the legislature that recommend whether the teacher shortage conditional grant program under this section should be continued, modified, or terminated, and that include information about the recipients of the grants under this program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 13.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.76 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Subject to funds appropriated specifically for this purpose, the office shall administer a student teaching residency grant program to provide additional funds to individuals completing student teaching residencies at public schools in Washington.

(2) To qualify for the grant, recipients must be enrolled in a professional educator standards board-approved teacher preparation program, be completing or about to start a student teaching residency at a Title I school, and demonstrate financial need, as defined by the office and consistent with the income criteria required to receive the state need grant established in chapter 28B.92 RCW.

(3) The office shall establish rules for administering the grants under this section.

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