Z-0850

AN ACT Relating to student motivation programs; amending RCW 28A.175.010; adding new sections to chapter 28A.175 RCW; repealing RCW 28A.175.060 and 28A.175.080; making an appropriation; and declaring an emergency.

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

PART I

DROPOUT DATA COLLECTION

Sec. 101. RCW 28A.175.010 and 1986 c 151 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~(1) Beginning with the 1986-87 school year,~~)) Each school district shall account for the educational progress of each of its students. To achieve this, school districts shall be required to report annually to the superintendent of public instruction:

((~~(a)~~)) (1) For students enrolled in each of a school district's high school programs:

(a) The number of students eligible for graduation in fewer than four years;

(b) The number of students who graduate in four years;

(c) The number of students who remain in school for more than four years but who eventually graduate and the number of students who remain in school for more than four years but do not graduate;

(d) The number of students who transfer to other schools;

(e) The number of students who enter from other schools;

(f) The number of students in the ninth through twelfth grade who drop out of school over a four-year period; and

(g) The number of students whose status is unknown.

(2) Dropout rates of students in each of the grades nine through twelve((;)).

((~~(b)~~)) (3) Dropout rates for student populations((~~, by ethnicity,~~)) in each of the grades nine through twelve by:

(a) Ethnicity;

(b) Gender; and

((~~(c)~~)) (4) The causes or reasons, or both, attributed to students for having dropped out of school in grades nine through twelve.

((~~(2)~~)) (5) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to assure uniformity in the information districts are required to report under subsections (1) through (4) of this section. In developing rules, the superintendent of public instruction shall consult with school districts, including administrative and counseling personnel, with regard to the methods through which information is to be collected and reported.

((~~(3)~~)) (6) In reporting on the causes or reasons, or both, attributed to students for having dropped out of school, school building officials shall, to the extent reasonably practical, obtain such information directly from students. In lieu of obtaining such information directly from students, building principals and counselors shall identify the causes or reasons, or both, based on their professional judgment.

((~~(4) Beginning with the 1987 legislative session,~~)) (7) The superintendent of public instruction shall report annually to the legislature the information collected under subsections (1) through (4) of this section. ((~~Beginning with the 1991 legislative session, the report shall include the number of students in the ninth through twelfth grades who drop out of school over a four-year period.~~))

PART II

SUMMER MOTIVATION AND ACADEMIC RESIDENTIAL TRAINING PROGRAM

NEW SECTION. Sec. 201. The summer motivation and academic residential training program is created. The program shall be a partnership between the state and private industry councils to reduce the dropout rate of economically disadvantaged youth. The purpose of the program is to assist students in developing the skills, abilities, and motivation required to complete high school and to expose students to the educational opportunities available on a college or university campus. The program shall be located on a college or university campus and designed to be a residential experience for fourteen and fifteen year old students.

The superintendent of public instruction shall be designated lead agency and shall assume the responsibilities of administering the program. The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the steering committee created in section 204 of this act, shall develop and as necessary revise the program. The agencies and host institutions shall be responsible for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the program and long-range tracking of the student participants.

The program shall be designed to:

(1) Increase students' desire to complete high school;

(2) Provide students with the opportunity to earn academic credit in English, mathematics, physical education, and career education;

(3) Provide an opportunity for students to gain job experience and learn about career options and interests;

(4) Increase students' ability to make informed and responsible decisions about personal conduct and behavior;

(5) Enhance students' self-concept and self-confidence;

(6) Cultivate an interest in postsecondary education;

(7) Help generate enthusiasm for learning within the students;

(8) Have a long-lasting impact on students, schools, communities, and families through ongoing support and follow-up; and

(9) Generate community spirit through community involvement projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 202. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 201 through 206 of this act.

(1) "Agencies" means the employment security department, the higher education coordinating board, the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community college education, the state board for vocational education, and other agencies as appropriate.

(2) "Program" means the summer motivation and academic residential training program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 203. The agencies shall cooperate in sponsoring the program and shall work cooperatively with the service delivery areas affiliated with the state's private industry councils, the local school districts, public and private higher education, and other state and local agencies in the delivery of the program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 204. Each agency shall provide the following support to the program:

(1) Appoint and support a staff member to serve on a steering committee that will direct state-wide leadership, coordination, communication, and oversight for the program;

(2) Assist in the development of budgets;

(3) Assist in the selection of host sites;

(4) Assist in the development of policy to guide the direction of the program; and

(5) Assist in monitoring the program and providing guidance for program evaluation.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 205. The superintendent of public instruction, in cooperation with the steering committee created in section 204 of this act, shall establish host site selection criteria, select host sites, and define the major components for the program. A public or private Washington state higher education institution may serve as a host site for the program if the institution has residence hall facilities or access to such facilities. Each host site shall be designed to serve sixty-five students. Five host sites shall be selected for programs by the year 1995, provided funding is available.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 206. Criteria for selecting economically disadvantaged students to participate in the program shall be established by the steering committee consistent with regulations in the federal job training partnership act. Private industry councils, in cooperation with local school districts and host site institutions, shall have the responsibility of selecting participants. The private industry councils shall certify that students nominated for the summer motivation and academic residential training program are economically disadvantaged under job training partnership act standards.

PART III

DROPOUT RETENTION AND RETRIEVAL PROGRAM

NEW SECTION. Sec. 301. The superintendent of public instruction may contract with a third party to design and evaluate dropout retention and retrieval pilot programs in several districts that are geographically and demographically different and that address the needs of students in grades ten through twelve who are learning disabled or would otherwise qualify for learning assistance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 302. The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:

(1) RCW 28A.175.060 and 1987 c 518 s 218; and

(2) RCW 28A.175.080 and 1989 c 233 s 7.

PART IV

MISCELLANEOUS

NEW SECTION. Sec. 401. Sections 201 through 206 and 301 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.175 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 402. The sum of ten million three hundred eighty‑seven thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction to carry out the purposes of this act. The superintendent of public instruction shall not expend more than two percent from the moneys provided for state-level administrative costs: PROVIDED, That an amount not to exceed fifty thousand dollars from the total appropriation in this section may be expended by the superintendent of public instruction for contracting with a third-party evaluator for the purpose of designing and evaluating pilot programs in several districts that are geographically and demographically different and that address the needs of students in grades ten through twelve who are learning disabled or would otherwise qualify for learning assistance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 403. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 404. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.