Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Appropriations Committee

HB 2811

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Directs the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to provide state leadership for the integration of environmental and sustainability content with curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Requires the OSPI to contract with a Washington state-based nonprofit organization to integrate the state learning standards in English language arts, mathematics, and science with the FieldSTEM model of outdoor field studies and project-based and work-based learning opportunities that are aligned with the environmental, natural resources, and agricultural sectors.

Background:

State Learning Standards and Curriculum.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is responsible for developing and revising the state learning standards that identify the knowledge and skills all public school students need to know and be able to do based on basic education learning goals established by the Legislature. The SPI is also responsible for adopting student learning standards aligned to the state learning standards as grade-level content expectations. School districts must teach content aligned to the state learning standards when the content area is required or offered, but districts do not ratify or formally adopt the standards, as curriculum choices are, with limited exceptions, determined by school districts.

Environment and Sustainability Education Learning Standards.

In 2009, the SPI adopted the Washington State K-12 Integrated Environmental and Sustainability Education Learning Standards ("ESE learning standards"). The ESE learning standards address the following areas:

Standard 1: Ecological, Social, and Economic Systems
Standard 2: The Natural and Built Environment
Standard 3: Sustainability and Civic Responsibility

The ESE learning standards describe what students should know and be able to do to be environmentally and sustainability literate and are intended to be integrated into core content areas and across all grade levels. In 2014, the ESE learning standards were updated to reflect the adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards and the Common Core State Standards.

Field STEM Learning

Field Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) learning is project-based learning that takes place in outdoor learning environments focused on field STEM studies and work experiences. In 2015, the Washington State Legislature appropriated funding for the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to contract with a nonprofit organization to develop and implement field STEM learning activities, lessons, and work experiences utilizing Washington's environmental, natural resources, and agricultural sectors. In 2019, the Legislature appropriated funding for the OSPI to continue to contract with a nonprofit organization to develop, implement, and provide professional learning for Washington K-12 educators in field STEM education.

Summary of Bill:

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must provide state leadership for the integration of environmental and sustainability content with curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Subject to appropriations, the OSPI must contract with a Washington-based nonprofit organization to integrate the state learning standards in English language arts, mathematics, and science with the FieldSTEM model of outdoor field studies and project-based and work-based learning opportunities aligned with the environmental, natural resources, and agricultural sectors.

The nonprofit organization must work with the OSPI to: build programming that connects administrators, school boards, and communities to support teacher practice and student educational opportunities; support educators to teach students environmental science and engineering outdoors that is aligned with ESE learning standards; and create and deliver learning materials, educational and work-based opportunities, and resources to students, educators, and the community. The nonprofit organization must also provide models for integrating Since Time Immemorial in teaching materials. The OSPI must prioritize schools that have been identified for improvement through the Washington School Improvement Framework and communities historically underserved by science education.

The Washington-based nonprofit organization must have a least fifteen years of experience providing educator professional development in STEM fields, have materials and instructional practices that align with the ESE learning standards and emphasize the Next Generation Science Standards to support field-based learning experiences, and deliver project-based learning materials and resources that incorporate career connections and contain professional development support for educators.