H-1749

AN ACT Relating to minority human service providers and consumers; amending RCW 28A.175.020, 28A.175.060, 28A.180.040, 28A.180.050, 28A.180.060, 28A.620.010, and 28A.620.020; adding a new section to chapter 28A.415 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 43.20A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that people of color have unique cultures and languages that must be respected in the provision of human services and that cultural relevance is an essential component of a successful human services delivery system.

The legislature further finds that it is necessary that governmental education and human service agencies assist people of color in obtaining access, both as providers and consumers, to culturally relevant education and human service programs. It is the purpose of this act to improve the well-being of people of color by ensuring their access to the benefits of the educational and human services community, both as providers and consumers of these services.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.175.020 and 1987 c 518 s 213 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) To encourage youth who are considering dropping out of school to remain in school, or youth who have dropped out of school to return to school, it is the intent of the legislature to aid in the planning and implementation of educational programs for such youth. Furthermore, in recognition that effective assistance at the elementary school level will likely reduce the need for dropout intervention at the secondary level, the legislature intends to encourage early identification of and assistance to students not succeeding in school in the elementary grades.

(2) It is the further intent of the legislature that the planning and implementation of these educational programs be accomplished at the school district level, with particular attention and emphasis given to the linguistic and cultural needs of racial and ethnic minorities served by that school district.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.175.060 and 1987 c 518 s 218 are each amended to read as follows:

The governor and superintendent of public instruction shall jointly appoint the governor's school dropout prevention task force, cochaired by the governor and the superintendent. The purpose of the task force shall be to make the public aware of the high number of Washington youth who drop out of school, the lifelong economic impact of the decision to drop out, and to encourage all segments of the community, particularly that segment comprised of racial and ethnic minorities, to devise new strategies to encourage youth to remain in school.

The task force shall be made up of respected representatives from business, sports, education, the media, students, the legislature, racial, ethnic, and cultural minority organizations, and other sectors of the community. The task force shall promote staying in school through public exposure of the problem and encouraging all sectors of the community to become involved in addressing this serious problem.

Sec. 4. RCW 28A.180.040 and 1984 c 124 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

Every school district board of directors shall:

(1) Make available to each eligible pupil transitional bilingual instruction to achieve competency in English, in accord with rules of the superintendent of public instruction.

(2) Wherever feasible, ensure that communications to parents emanating from the schools shall be appropriately bilingual for those parents of pupils in the bilingual instruction program.

(3) Determine, by administration of an English test approved by the superintendent of public instruction the number of eligible pupils enrolled in the school district at the beginning of a school year and thereafter during the year as necessary in individual cases. If, however, a preliminary interview indicates little or no English speaking ability, eligibility testing shall not be necessary.

(4) Before the conclusion of each school year, measure each eligible pupil's improvement in learning the English language by means of a test approved by the superintendent of public instruction.

(5) Provide in-service training for teachers, counselors, and other staff, who are involved in the district's transitional bilingual program. Such training shall include appropriate instructional strategies for children of culturally different backgrounds, use of curriculum materials, and program models.

(6) Actively maintain contact with and solicit the advice and counsel of representatives of community-based minority organizations. Such contact shall be for the purpose of recruiting counselors and staff for the district's transitional bilingual program in accordance with the rules of the superintendent of public instruction.

Sec. 5. RCW 28A.180.050 and 1984 c 124 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

Every school district board of directors may appoint, maintain, and receive recommendations from an advisory committee which includes parents whose children are in the transitional bilingual instruction program, representatives of community-based minority organizations, teachers, and other staff members.

Sec. 6. RCW 28A.180.060 and 1990 c 33 s 165 are each amended to read as follows:

The superintendent of public instruction shall:

(1) Promulgate and issue program development guidelines to assist school districts in preparing their programs;

(2) Promulgate rules for implementation of RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080 in accordance with chapter 34.05 RCW. The rules shall be designed to maximize the role of school districts in selecting programs, counselors, and other staff, as appropriate to meet the needs of eligible students. The rules shall identify the process and criteria to be used to determine when a student is no longer eligible for transitional bilingual instruction pursuant to RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080;

(3) Promulgate rules and procedures for the certification of teachers, counselors, and other staff who are to be involved in the transitional bilingual instruction program, with certification standards based upon reasonable and appropriate measures of language proficiency and cultural awareness rather than academic achievement.

Sec. 7. RCW 28A.620.010 and 1990 c 33 s 510 are each amended to read as follows:

The purposes of this section and RCW 28A.620.020 are to:

(1) Provide educational, recreational, cultural, and other community services and programs, tailored to the particular language and cultural needs of the community served, through the establishment of the concept of community education with the community school serving as the center for such activity;

(2) Promote a more efficient and expanded use of existing school buildings and equipment;

(3) Help provide personnel to work with schools, citizens and with other agencies and groups;

(4) Provide a wide range of opportunities for all citizens including programs, if resources are available, to promote parenting skills and promote awareness of the problem of child abuse and methods to avoid child abuse;

(5) As used in this section, "parenting skills" shall include: The importance of consistency in parenting; the value of providing children with a balance of love and firm discipline; the instruction of children in honesty, morality, ethics, and respect for the law; and the necessity of preserving and nurturing the family unit; and

(6) Help develop a sense of community in which the citizens cooperate with the public schools and community agencies and groups to resolve their school and community concerns and to recognize that the schools are available for use by the community day and night, year-round or any time when the programming will not interfere with the preschool through grade twelve program.

Sec. 8. RCW 28A.620.020 and 1985 c 344 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

Notwithstanding the provisions of RCW 28B.50.250, 28B.50.530 or any other law, rule, or regulation, any school district is authorized to provide community education programs in the form of instructional, recreational and/or service programs on a noncredit and nontuition basis, excluding fees for supplies, materials, or instructor costs, for the purpose of stimulating the full educational potential and meeting the needs of the district's residents of all ages, races, and cultural backgrounds, and making the fullest use of the district's school facilities: PROVIDED, That school districts are encouraged to provide programs for prospective parents, prospective foster parents, and prospective adoptive parents on parenting skills and on the problems of child abuse and methods to avoid child abuse situations: PROVIDED FURTHER, That community education programs shall be consistent with rules and regulations promulgated by the state superintendent of public instruction governing cooperation between common schools, community college districts, and other civic and governmental organizations which shall have been developed in cooperation with the state board for community college education and shall be programs receiving the approval of said superintendent.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:

The superintendent of public instruction, educational service districts, and local school districts are encouraged to devise programs of in-service training for public school certificated and classified personnel who come into contact with students in grades kindergarten through twelve to provide instruction on how to effectively teach children understanding of and appreciation for ethnic and cultural diversity in their society, community, and classroom.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

To augment the services presently offered by the department and to achieve a greater pooling of public and private nonprofit resources, the secretary is directed to purchase services from and contract with community-based, nonprofit minority organizations whenever appropriate and feasible, to the extent not prohibited by RCW 41.06.380.

The secretary is further directed to develop and establish programs utilizing the expertise, abilities, and assets of community-based, nonprofit minority organizations, including, but not limited to, community outreach programs tailored to the specific language and cultural needs of the community served.

The secretary is further directed to encourage the establishment of local minority-operated human service providers through such means as the secretary deems appropriate and feasible, including, but not limited to, contracting, grants, matching funds, agency liaisons, and technical assistance.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

The secretary is directed, in coordination with the superintendent of public instruction, educational districts, and local school districts, to develop and implement counseling and career development programs for high school and college students of color emphasizing the opportunities for, benefits from, and importance of entering into social work as a professional or paraprofessional.

The secretary is authorized and encouraged to utilize work study, summer employment, and mentoring programs as appropriate to achieve department goals. The secretary is further authorized to solicit funds from private industry for the establishment of a funding pool to defray some or all of the costs of the implementation and continuation of these programs.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. A new section is added to chapter 43.20A RCW to read as follows:

It is the intent of the legislature to maximize the use of paraprofessional workers wherever appropriate and feasible for the assistance of professional social workers in the provision of human services. In accord with this intent:

The secretary is encouraged to develop and implement programs for the recruitment, training, classification, and certification, as appropriate, of paraprofessional employees, including, but not limited to, interpreters and counselors.

The secretary is further encouraged to implement these programs in conjunction and coordination with any such programs affecting professional employees, including, but not limited to, professional development and continuing education.