HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1163

As Reported by House Committee On:

Education

Title: An act relating to expanded learning opportunity programs.

Brief Description: Concerning expanded learning opportunity programs.

Sponsors: Representatives Kloba, Jinkins, Valdez, Ortiz-Self, Thai, Pollet and Stanford; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education: 2/14/19, 2/19/19 [DPS].

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 14 members: Representatives Santos, Chair; Dolan, Vice Chair; Paul, Vice Chair; Steele, Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Callan, Harris, Kilduff, Ortiz-Self, Rude, Stonier, Thai, Valdez and Ybarra.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 5 members: Representatives McCaslin, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Volz, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Caldier, Corry and Kraft.

Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).

Background:

The Legislature establishes the minimum instructional program of basic education that must be offered by school districts. Among other requirements, the state's program of basic education obligates school districts to:

• provide instruction in the essential academic learning standards, the grade-level learning standards developed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI); and

• make their educational program accessible to all students who are at least 5 years of age and less than 21 years of age for a minimum of 180 days per school year.

School districts must also provide a specified minimum number of instructional hours per year, which are defined as those hours during which students are provided the opportunity to engage in educational activity planned by, and under the direction of, school district staff. In accordance with requirements that permit averaging calculations, districts must provide 1,080 instructional hours each school year.

In 2014 the Legislature established the 17-member Expanded Learning Opportunities Council (ELOC) to advise the Governor, the Legislature, and the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) on a comprehensive expanded learning opportunities system, with particular attention paid to solutions to summer learning loss. Provisions establishing and governing the ELOC expire August 31, 2019.

Among other duties, the ELOC is required to provide a report to the Governor and the Legislature by December 1 each year between 2014 and 2018 that summarizes accomplishments, measures progress, and contains recommendations regarding continued development of an expanded learning opportunities system and reducing summer learning loss.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Expanded Learning Grant Program (Program) is established to create demonstration projects of up to five years in duration in selected school districts and state-tribal education compact schools to combat summer learning loss and increase student achievement through additional instruction time and increased opportunities for enrichment. The OSPI is charged with developing and administering the Program. In meeting these duties, the OSPI must solicit community suggestions and involvement

Subject to specific legislative funding, the OSPI may, through a competitive process, award grants from the Program of up to $1.5 million annually to each selected school district or state-tribal education compact school that proposes to implement one or more of the following:

• extending the school year calendar beyond 180 days;

• supporting implementation of a balanced school year calendar that consists of a year-round school schedule with a summer break of six or seven weeks, and two or three week intersessions throughout the remainder of the year;

• providing additional programing and supports during the traditional summer break as a strategy for offsetting summer learning loss;

• extending or modifying the school day to allow for additional "expanded learning opportunities," a term defined below; and

• creating a new model for teacher collaboration that utilizes additional educators or community-based organizations to provide expanded learning to students, while enabling educators to engage in professional collaboration or planning time.

An application for a Program grant must, at a minimum, include the following:

• a proposed plan for expanding or extending the school day or year;

• a description of how the demonstration project will focus on improving student achievement and closing the educational opportunity gap;

• a description of how the applicant intends to use the grant money;

• a description of how the applicant will create a publicly available plan to report grant fund expenditures and disaggregate student outcomes;

• an indication of whether the proposed demonstration site will be a single school or include multiple schools within the district;

• an indication of whether the applicant will collaborate with community-based organizations to provide support for students and if so, a detailed description of the intended collaboration; and

• an agreement to provide the information necessary for an evaluation of the Program.

Specific administrative duties related to the Program are established for the OSPI. The OSPI must:

• identify criteria for evaluating grant applications and awarding grants. The criteria must align with recommendation of the ELOC in its December 1, 2018, report;

• establish timelines for the submission and review of grant applications, and award the first grants by December 1, 2019;

• prioritize school districts or state-tribal education compact schools that include schools identified for improvement through the Washington school improvement framework; and

• create an evaluation plan for the Program that supports the development of an evidence base for the efficacy of the different types of expanded learning opportunities provided by the grant recipients.

The OSPI is also authorized to use non-state funds to support the Program.

The term "expanded learning opportunities" is defined to mean:

• culturally responsive enrichment and learning activities, that may focus on: academic and nonacademic areas; the arts; civic engagement; service-learning; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics; and competencies for college and career readiness;

• school-based programs that provide extended learning and enrichment for students beyond the traditional school day, week, or calendar; and

• structured, intentional, and creative learning environments outside the traditional school day that are provided by community-based organizations in partnership with schools and align in-school and out-of-school learning through activities that complement classroom-based instruction.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill makes the following changes to the original bill:

• requires the OSPI, in developing and administering the Program, to solicit community suggestions and involvement;

• specifies that the grant award limit of $1.5 million each year is per selected recipient;

• requires the criteria that the OSPI will develop and employ in evaluating grant applications and awarding grants align with 2018 recommendations of the ELOC;

• requires applications for grants from the Program to include a description of how the applicant will create a publicly available plan to report grant fund expenditures and disaggregate student outcomes;

• requires the Program evaluation plan of the OSPI to be available to the public and to include a reporting of expenditures; and

• makes numerous technical changes, including changes to grammar and sentence structure.

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Appropriation: The sum of $10 million, or as much of that as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal biennium ending June 30, 2021, from the State General Fund to the OSPI to implement the Program.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) Not all kids receive the same educational opportunity: by grade 6, students in poverty have about 6,000 fewer hours of expanded learning opportunities than their middle class peers.  This bill is a step that will provide new opportunities to help close the opportunity gap.  Expanded learning opportunity experiences are hands-on and enriching, and they build upon the efforts of the school day. 

This bill is based upon the work of the ELOC, and will provide opportunities to try new experiences and to see what works. After school programs provide students with safe places to learn, and meaningful enrichment programs. 

Activities offered through expanded learning opportunity programs include activities related to science, technology, engineering, mathematics, as well as outdoor activities.  The kids that attend these programs have higher attendance rates than other students. 

Expanded learning opportunity programs expand learning and stretch dollars.  They include partnerships that benefit the school and enable summer activities.  The partnerships help to give kids in high poverty scenarios access to more learning opportunities.

Washington students have an increasing opportunity gap that is partially caused by insufficient access to summer learning.  This bill will provide the Legislature with definitive evidence about what works for addressing summer learning loss.

The legislation is by request of the OSPI and it has a goal of looking at the 180-day school year and determining whether that is the right length.  It is a good idea to give districts the opportunity to extend the school year.  Students need more recess and lunch time.  The OSPI should have the flexibility to work with school districts to give students more recess time, as it is part of the educational experience.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Kloba, prime sponsor; David Beard, School's Out Washington; Josephine Beaudoin, 21st Century Community Learning Center; Kim Hogue, You and Family Link; Carrie Holden, Boys and Girls Clubs of South Puget Sound; Dave Mastin, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Lucinda Young, Washington Education Association.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.