S-3149

AN ACT Relating to education programs; adding new sections to chapter 28A.600 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.150 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

PART I

FAIR START PROGRAM

NEW SECTION. Sec. 101. (1) A student's ability to learn can be adversely impacted by a number of factors, including but not limited to: Lack of parent involvement and support; child abuse and neglect; poverty, including parental unemployment or underemployment; family transiency and homelessness; drug and alcohol abuse; poor health and nutrition; crime; and peer influence. Such factors can be manifested in forms such as underachievement and failure, absenteeism and truancy, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, suicide, disruption of the classroom learning environment, dropping out, teen pregnancy, and, later in life, unemployment, a need for public assistance, treatment or institutionalization for mental health reasons, involvement with the judicial system, and possible imprisonment for criminal convictions.

(2) The legislature finds that:

(a) Prevention and intervention services at the elementary school level can offer early identification, encouragement, and follow-up of each child's special interests, creative talents, and particular abilities as well as identification of and cooperative assistance with learning, emotional, environmental, social, or physical obstacles to normal child growth and development; and

(b) The provision of counseling and related prevention and intervention services at the elementary school level can contribute to enhancement of the classroom environment for students and teachers, and better enable students to realize their academic and personal potential.

(c) The legislature finds that services should be provided to the extent possible by public or private human service agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 102. Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout sections 102 through 109 of this act.

(1) "Child intervention specialist" means a person who provides early intervention and prevention services and includes but is not limited to services provided by licensed mental health professionals, child psychiatrists, health care providers, social service caseworkers or social workers, school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, and school social workers.

(2) "Early grades," "elementary grades," and "elementary level" mean kindergarten through grade six and may include preschool age children served by the school district.

(3) "Elementary grades prevention and intervention program" means a district-wide program or plan of early detection, prevention, and intervention of learning, emotional, environmental, social, or physical problems of elementary students, that addresses student and family needs; the appropriate use and roles of child intervention specialists, including training and necessary supervision; interprofessional cooperation; and interagency, public and private, collaboration and coordination of the planning, delivery, and evaluation of programs and services.

(4) "Early intervention services" means services that are provided to address social and emotional factors that can affect student performance and behavior and that are provided to students in the beginning stages when problems begin to occur.

(5) "Prevention services" means services that are provided to address social and emotional factors that can affect student performance and behavior and that are provided to students before problems occur.

(6) "Superintendent" means the superintendent of public instruction.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 103. (1) From funds appropriated by the legislature, the superintendent shall establish the fair start program to assist school districts in providing prevention and intervention programs for elementary grade students. The fair start program shall not become a part of the state's basic program of education obligation as set forth under Article IX of the state Constitution.

(2) The superintendent shall distribute funds equitably to all school districts based on the district's enrollment in grades kindergarten through six. Fair start funds shall not be used to replace funding for existing activities. However, any district currently providing elementary students with prevention and intervention services that loses the source of funding for those services, for reasons beyond the control of the district, may use fair start funds to continue or enhance the existing level of prevention and intervention services.

(3) School districts accepting fair start funds shall submit within six months of receipt of the funds the following information to the superintendent:

(a) District goals relating to prevention and intervention services for elementary students and the district's plan, based on the goals, for providing prevention and intervention services to students. The goals and plan shall be developed with the participation of, but not limited to, district and building-level staff and administrators, child intervention specialists, and parents;

(b) Procedures for notifying parents or guardians regarding the referral of students for prevention and intervention services and liability issues relating to the provision of prevention and intervention services to students outside school buildings;

(c) Use of grant funds for prevention and intervention related inservice purposes, including, as necessary and appropriate, multicultural inservice training for child intervention specialists; and

(d) Other information as requested by the superintendent.

(4) Two or more school districts may submit a joint application for the purpose of establishing or enhancing a cooperative prevention and intervention program for elementary grades students. An educational service district may submit an application on behalf of one or more school districts for the purpose of establishing or enhancing an elementary grades prevention and intervention program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 104. School districts and educational service districts accepting fair start funds shall enter into written interagency agreements with community-based public or private human service providers to assure delivery of appropriate services to students. To the greatest extent possible, the delivery of services to students shall not be duplicative of other programs, shall maximize the use of community-based and school-based child intervention specialists, shall emphasize the most efficient and cost-effective use of fair start funds, and shall be provided on a twelve-month basis. School districts and educational service districts are strongly encouraged to contract with public or private community-based human service providers to provide elementary students with prevention and intervention services under the local fair start program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 105. (1) Districts shall use fair start funds to provide prevention and intervention services to students with priority given to students based on need. Districts shall establish the criteria determining need and include this information in the report required under section 108 of this act.

(2) In developing their elementary grades prevention and intervention programs, districts shall, as appropriate, take into consideration the multicultural background and needs of students and, as necessary, provide appropriate multicultural materials.

(3) Nothing under sections 102 through 109 of this act precludes a district from incorporating a primary intervention program model or a family support worker model as part of the district's fair start program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 106. The superintendent shall develop specific measures to evaluate the success of the grant projects and the fair start program. The department of social and health services shall provide the superintendent with information the superintendent may use in developing measures to evaluate the fair start program and projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 107. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules as necessary under chapter 34.05 RCW to implement sections 103 through 108 of this act. The rules shall permit school districts to provide prevention and intervention services through the local educational service district. The rules shall provide for appropriate coordination between the superintendent and the department of social and health services regarding the primary intervention program and the fair start program.

(2) The secretary of social and health services shall adopt rules as necessary under chapter 34.05 RCW to provide for appropriate coordination between the secretary and the superintendent regarding the fair start program and the primary intervention program.

(3) The department of social and health services shall, to the extent practical, assist with the development of school district elementary grades prevention and intervention programs by rotating or loaning department employees to schools to serve as child intervention specialists.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 108. (1) School districts and educational service districts shall submit biennially to the superintendent a report on their fair start programs. The first report shall include the criteria established by districts to provide prevention and intervention services to students on a priority basis based on need.

(2) The superintendent shall submit biennially a report to the governor and the legislature on the fair start program established under section 103 of this act. The first report shall be submitted not later than December 1, 1993. The first report shall include information on districts' criteria establishing students' needs to receive prevention and intervention services on a priority basis. Subsequent reports shall be submitted not later than December 1st in even-numbered years.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 109. Upon request, the superintendent shall provide information to districts regarding how other districts have used fair start funds locally or how other districts have established formal agreements for coordinated case management under section 104 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 110. Sections 102 through 109 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.600 RCW.

PART II

LOCAL EDUCATION PROGRAM ENHANCEMENT FUNDS

NEW SECTION. Sec. 201. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish a program to provide school districts, from appropriated funds, local education program enhancement funds.

(2) A school district shall be eligible to receive an allocation from appropriated funds if the school district's board of directors has:

(a) Assessed the needs of the schools within the district;

(b) Prioritized the identified needs; and

(3) School districts receiving moneys pursuant to this section shall expend such moneys to meet educational needs identified by the district within the following program areas:

(a) Prevention and intervention services in the elementary grades;

(b) Reduction of class size;

(d) Student-at-risk programs, including dropout prevention and retrieval, and substance abuse awareness and prevention;

(e) Staff development and in-service programs;

(f) Student logical reasoning and analytical skill development;

(g) Programs for highly capable students;

(h) Programs involving students in community services;

(i) Senior citizen volunteer programs;

(j) Those sections under this act requiring a match of local funds to state funds; and

(k) Other purposes that enhance a school district's basic education program.

(4) Program enhancements funded pursuant to this section do not fall within the definition of basic education for purposes of Article IX of the state Constitution and the state's funding duty thereunder.

(5)(a) Allocations to eligible school districts shall be calculated on the basis of average annual full time equivalent enrollment. For school districts enrolling not more than one hundred average annual full time equivalent students, and for small school plants within any school district designated as remote and necessary schools, the allocations shall be determined as follows:

(i) Enrollment of not more than sixty average annual full time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through six shall generate funding based on sixty full time equivalent students;

(ii) Enrollment of not more than twenty average annual full time equivalent students in grades seven and eight shall generate funding based on twenty full time equivalent students; and

(iii) Enrollment of sixty or fewer average annual full time equivalent students in grades nine through twelve shall generate funding based on sixty full time equivalent students.

(b) Allocations shall be distributed on a school-year basis pursuant to RCW 28A.510.250.

PART III

VOCATIONAL EDUCATION INSTRUCTION‑-STUDENT/TEACHER RATIO

NEW SECTION. Sec. 301. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

Commencing with the 1992-93 school year, the formula adopted by the legislature pursuant to RCW 28A.150.260 shall include a ratio of ninety-two one-hundredths certificated instructional staff and eight one-hundredths certificated administrative staff to sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths annual average full-time equivalent students in grades nine through twelve enrolled in vocational education programs approved by the superintendent of public instruction: PROVIDED, That any increase in funds generated by the change in the ratio of certificated personnel to annual average full-time equivalent vocational students shall be used by local school districts to provide additional state support for their vocational education programs commencing with the 1992-93 school year.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 302. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules that establish general program approval standards for determining the terms and conditions under which school districts are eligible to receive state funds for secondary vocational education. The standards shall include a provision regarding the use of extended or supplemental contracts for certificated vocational education instructors in vocational fields and provide assistance to districts in determining when to offer such contracts.

PART IV

MISCELLANEOUS

NEW SECTION. Sec. 401. Part headings as used in this act constitute no part of the law.