Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  "The legislature acknowledges that the learning assistance program was developed to provide supplemental services for public school students who are not meeting academic standards. Initially, school districts were allowed to use learning assistance program funds in a flexible manner to support participating students. Over time, the legislature restricted and established priorities for the use of learning assistance program funds. The legislature finds that it is time to restore the flexibility of learning assistance program funds; however, local control must be balanced with local accountability for improvement in student academic achievement.

Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.165.055 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 13 s 405 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) While the state allocations for the learning assistance program under this chapter are intended to be flexible dollars within the control of the public school and school district, this local control must be balanced with local accountability for improvement in student achievement.

(2) The funds for the learning assistance program shall be appropriated in accordance with RCW 28A.150.260 and the omnibus appropriations act. The distribution formula is for school district allocation purposes only, except as provided in RCW 28A.150.260(10)(a)(ii), but all funds appropriated for the learning assistance program must be expended for the purposes of RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065.

(((2))) (3) A district's high poverty-based allocation is generated by its qualifying schools ((buildings)) and must be expended by the district for those ((buildings)) schools. This funding must supplement and not supplant the district's expenditures under this chapter for those schools ((buildings)).

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.165.005 and 2017 3rd sp.s. c 13 s 403 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) This chapter is designed to: (a) Promote the use of data when developing programs to assist students who are not meeting academic standards ((and reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom)); and (b) guide school districts in providing the most effective and efficient practices when implementing supplemental instruction and services to assist students who are not meeting academic standards ((and reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom)).

(2) School districts implementing a learning assistance program shall ((focus first on)) emphasize addressing the needs of students in grades kindergarten through four who are deficient in reading or reading readiness skills to improve reading literacy.

Sec. 4.  RCW 28A.165.035 and 2016 c 72 s 803 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Use of best practices that have been demonstrated through research to be associated with increased student achievement magnifies the opportunities for student success. ((To the extent they are included as a best practice or strategy in one of the state menus or an approved alternative under this section or RCW 28A.655.235,))

(2) The following are services and activities that may be supported by the learning assistance program:

(a) Extended learning time opportunities occurring:

(i) Before or after the regular school day;

(ii) On Saturday; and

(iii) Beyond the regular school year;

(b) Services under RCW 28A.320.190;

(c) Intensive reading and literacy improvement strategies under RCW 28A.655.235;

(d) Professional development for certificated and classified staff that focuses on:

(i) The needs of a diverse student population;

(ii) Specific literacy and mathematics content and instructional strategies; and

(iii) The use of student work to guide effective instruction and appropriate assistance;

(((d))) (e) Consultant teachers to assist in implementing effective instructional practices by teachers serving participating students;

(((e))) (f) Tutoring support for participating students;

(((f))) (g) Outreach activities and support for parents of participating students, including employing parent and family engagement coordinators; and

(((g))) (h) Up to five percent of a district's learning assistance program allocation may be used for development of partnerships with community-based organizations, educational service districts, and other local agencies to deliver academic and nonacademic supports to participating students who are significantly at risk of not being successful in school to reduce barriers to learning, increase student engagement, and enhance students' readiness to learn. The school board must approve in an open meeting any community-based organization or local agency before learning assistance funds may be expended for partnerships.

(((2) In addition to the state menu developed under RCW 28A.655.235,)) (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene a panel of experts((, including the Washington state institute for public policy,)) to develop additional ((state menus of)) best practices and strategies for use in the learning assistance program to assist struggling students at all grade levels in English language arts and mathematics ((and reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom)).

The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall publish the ((state menus)) best practices by July 1, 2015, and update the ((state menus)) best practices by each July 1st thereafter.

(4) School districts are encouraged to implement the best practices and strategies ((from the state menus)) developed under this section ((and RCW 28A.655.235 before the use is required)).

Sec. 5.  RCW 28A.165.100 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 204 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Beginning with the 2014-15 school year, school districts shall record in the statewide individual student data system annual entrance and exit performance data for each student participating in the learning assistance program according to specifications established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(2) By August 1, 2014, and each August 1st thereafter, school districts shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction, using a common format prepared by the office:

(a) The amount of academic growth gained by students participating in the learning assistance program;

(b) The number of students who gain at least one year of academic growth; ((and))

(c) The specific practices, activities, and programs used by each school building that received learning assistance program funding; and

(d) Other data required by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to demonstrate the efficacy of the learning assistance program expenditures to show student academic growth gains.

(3) Beginning November 1, 2018, and each November 1st thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall compile the school district data reported as required by subsection (2) of this section, and report, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, to the appropriate committees of the legislature with the annual and longitudinal gains for the specific practices, activities, and programs used by the school districts to show which are the most effective. The data must be disaggregated by student subgroups.

Sec. 6.  RCW 28A.710.280 and 2016 c 241 s 128 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature intends that state funding for charter schools be distributed equitably with state funding provided for other public schools.

(2) For eligible students enrolled in a charter school established and operating in accordance with this chapter, the superintendent of public instruction shall transmit to each charter school an amount calculated as provided in this section and based on the statewide average staff mix factor for certificated instructional staff, including any enrichment to those statutory formulae that is specified in the omnibus appropriations act. The amount must be the sum of (a) and (b) of this subsection, as applicable.

(a) The superintendent shall, for purposes of making distributions under this section, separately calculate and distribute to charter schools moneys appropriated for general apportionment under the same ratios as in RCW 28A.150.260.

(b) The superintendent also shall, for purposes of making distributions under this section, and in accordance with the applicable formulae for categorical programs specified in (b)(i) through (v) of this subsection (2) and any enrichment to those statutory formulae that is specified in the omnibus appropriations act, separately calculate and distribute moneys appropriated by the legislature to charter schools for:

(i) Supplemental instruction and services for ((underachieving)) students who are not meeting academic standards through the learning assistance program under RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065;

(ii) Supplemental instruction and services for eligible and enrolled students and exited students whose primary language is other than English through the transitional bilingual instruction program under RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080;

(iii) The opportunity for an appropriate education at public expense as defined by RCW 28A.155.020 for all eligible students with disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020;

(iv) Programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 through 28A.185.030; and

(v) Pupil transportation services to and from school in accordance with RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.180. Distributions for pupil transportation must be calculated on a per eligible student basis based on the allocation for the previous school year to the school district in which the charter school is located.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction must adopt rules necessary for the distribution of funding required by this section and to comply with federal reporting requirements.

Sec. 7.  RCW 28A.300.139 and 2016 c 72 s 801 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the Washington integrated student supports protocol is established. The protocol shall be developed by the center for the improvement of student learning, established in RCW 28A.300.130, based on the framework described in this section. The purposes of the protocol include:

(a) Supporting a school-based approach to promoting the success of all students by coordinating academic and nonacademic supports to reduce barriers to academic achievement and educational attainment;

(b) Fulfilling a vision of public education where educators focus on education, students focus on learning, and auxiliary supports enable teaching and learning to occur unimpeded;

(c) Encouraging the creation, expansion, and quality improvement of community-based supports that can be integrated into the academic environment of schools and school districts;

(d) Increasing public awareness of the evidence showing that academic outcomes are a result of both academic and nonacademic factors; and

(e) Supporting statewide and local organizations in their efforts to provide leadership, coordination, technical assistance, professional development, and advocacy to implement high-quality, evidence-based, student-centered, coordinated approaches throughout the state.

(2)(a) The Washington integrated student supports protocol must be sufficiently flexible to adapt to the unique needs of schools and districts across the state, yet sufficiently structured to provide all students with the individual support they need for academic success.

(b) The essential framework of the Washington integrated student supports protocol includes:

(i) Needs assessments: A system-level needs assessment with resource mapping must be conducted in order to identify academic and nonacademic supports that are currently available or lacking in schools, school districts, and the community. A needs assessment must be conducted for all at-risk students in order to develop or identify the needed academic and nonacademic supports within the students' school and community. These supports must be coordinated to provide students with a package of mutually reinforcing supports designed to meet the individual needs of each student.

(ii) Integration and coordination: The school and district leadership and staff must develop close relationships with providers of academic and nonacademic supports to enhance the effectiveness of the protocol.

(iii) Community partnerships: Community partners must be engaged to provide nonacademic supports to reduce barriers to students' academic success, including supports to students' families.

(iv) Data driven: Students' needs and outcomes must be tracked over time to determine student progress and evolving needs.

(c) The framework must facilitate the ability of any academic or nonacademic provider to support the needs of at-risk students, including, but not limited to: Out-of-school providers, social workers, mental health counselors, physicians, dentists, speech therapists, and audiologists.

Sec. 8.  RCW 28A.320.190 and 2009 c 578 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The extended learning opportunities program is created for eligible ((eleventh and)) ninth through twelfth grade students who are not on track to meet local or state graduation requirements as well as eighth grade students who need additional assistance in order to have the opportunity for a successful entry into high school. The program shall provide early notification of graduation status and information on education opportunities including preapprenticeship programs that are available.

(2) Under the extended learning opportunities program and to the extent funds are available for that purpose, districts shall make available to students in grade twelve who have failed to meet one or more local or state graduation requirements the option of continuing enrollment in the school district in accordance with RCW 28A.225.160. Districts are authorized to use basic education program funding to provide instruction to eligible students under RCW 28A.150.220(((3))) (5).

(3) Under the extended learning opportunities program, instructional services for eligible students can occur during the regular school day, evenings, on weekends, or at a time and location deemed appropriate by the school district, including the educational service district, in order to meet the needs of these students. Instructional services provided under this section do not include services offered at private schools. Instructional services can include, but are not limited to, the following:

(a) Individual or small group instruction;

(b) Instruction in English language arts and/or mathematics that eligible students need to pass all or part of the ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning));

(c) Attendance in a public high school or public alternative school classes or at a skill center;

(d) Inclusion in remediation programs, including summer school;

(e) Language development instruction for English language learners;

(f) Online curriculum and instructional support, including programs for credit retrieval and ((Washington)) statewide student assessment ((of student learning)) preparatory classes; and

(g) Reading improvement specialists available at the educational service districts to serve eighth((, eleventh, and)) through twelfth grade educators through professional development in accordance with RCW 28A.415.350. The reading improvement specialist may also provide direct services to eligible students and those students electing to continue a fifth year in a high school program who are still struggling with basic reading skills.

On page 1, line 1 of the title, after "Relating to" strike the remainder of the title and insert "modifying the learning assistance program to balance local control and state accountability by making the allowable uses of program funds more flexible; amending RCW 28A.165.055, 28A.165.005, 28A.165.035, 28A.165.100, 28A.710.280, 28A.300.139, and 28A.320.190; creating a new section; and providing an effective date."

EFFECT: Removes the use of the Protocol from LAP.

Maintains the 5% cap on LAP funds being used for community-based organization supports.

Modifies the "focus first" directive for LAP to address the needs of students in K-4 who are deficient in reading; instead LAP must "emphasize" addressing the needs of students in grades K-4 who are deficient in reading.

Maintains the removal as a purpose of LAP, reducing disruptive classroom behavior.

Maintains the current panel of experts to identify best practices for LAP but makes it permissive for districts to use them.

Provides that the panel of experts may consider ways to integrate student supports to promote students' academic success.

Keeps the change to the Protocol because it does not impact LAP.

Retains the expansion of the extended opportunities program to include 8th grade through 12th grade students.

Removes the requirement to report data at the school-level. The fiscal note estimates the cost of adding school level-data is $315,000 in FY19 and $95,000 annually in subsequent years. This is because right now the data is only at the district level.

Amends the title.