Passed by the Senate April 28, 1991

Yeas 29 Nays 18

JOEL PRITCHARD

President of the Senate

Passed by the House April 28, 1991

Yeas 72 Nays 26

JOE KING

Speaker of the

House of Representatives

Approved May 16, 1991, with

the exception of section 5,

which is vetoed.

BOOTH GARDNER

Governor of the State of Washington

CERTIFICATE

I, Gordon Golob, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5474 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.

GORDON A. GOLOB Secretary

FILED

May 16, 1991 - 10:59 a.m.

Secretary of State

State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to a data collection and reporting system on children's education and well-being; amending RCW 28A.175.010; creating new sections; providing expiration dates; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A task force is created to improve the collection and reporting of data about conditions affecting the education and well-being of children. The primary objective of the task force is to provide data aggregated by school districts for use by school districts and state and local policymakers in the planning and evaluation of local and state education programs, practices, and activities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) One representative shall be appointed to the task force created in section 1 of this act from each of the following: Office of the superintendent of public instruction, department of social and health services, department of health, employment security department, department of community development, department of information services, office of financial management, the administrator for the courts, Washington association of school administrators, Washington state school directors' association, Washington state association of counties, association of Washington cities, house of representatives staff, and senate staff.

(2) The task force shall select a chair from among its members.

(3) The task force shall consult with the Washington school information processing cooperative, educational service districts, groups representing racial and ethnic minorities, and other interested parties.

(4) The Washington state institute for public policy shall coordinate and staff the task force, and may contract for technical consulting services as needed.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The task force shall, by December 1, 1991:

(1) Identify the likely uses for demographic data on the education and well-being of children, and determine what type of data is needed, or would be useful, in the planning and evaluation of local and state education programs, practices, and activities;

(2) Determine the feasibility, cost, and actions required to aggregate the data identified in subsection (1) of this section by school districts;

(3) Determine the feasibility, cost, and actions required to report the data identified in subsection (1) of this section to school districts and state and local policymakers, ensuring that quality control and appropriate confidentiality and privacy safeguards are provided;

(4) Identify measures necessary to ensure the adequate collection and reporting of the data, including the use of common data definitions and reporting timelines;

(5) Implement those actions that can be taken with little or no cost, and identify actions, with proposed timelines, in which additional resources are required;

(6) Examine related issues as the task force deems appropriate; and

(7) Report to the appropriate committees of the legislature its findings, specific actions taken to improve data collection and reporting, and what additional actions and resources are needed to further improve data collection and reporting on the well-being and education of children.

Sec. 4. 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;

(d) Disability status.

((~~(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.~~))The text of the following section has been vetoed by the Governor. It is noted in bold italic.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Section 4 of this act shall expire June 1, 1994.

*Sec. 5 was vetoed, see message at end of chapter.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. Sections 1 through 3 of this act shall expire December 1, 1991.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. Sections 1 through 3 of this act are 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.

Note: Governor's explanation of partial veto is as follows:

"I am returning herewith, without my approval as to section 5, Senate Bill No. 5474 entitled:

"AN ACT Relating to a data collection and reporting system on children's education and well-being."

This bill creates a task force with representation from a broad range of agencies to review available data sources related to children's programs and recommend methods to make such data more user-friendly to state and local policy makers. The bill also requires local school districts to report new information that will improve the accuracy of the state's annual report on drop out rates. Both objectives are to be commended and I am glad to add my support.

Section 5 of the bill, however, provides that the new reporting requirements will expire in 1994. The brief life of this reporting requirement makes it appear to be a pilot project and may cause some school districts to be hesitant about incorporating this data into their permanent data collection systems. If the state hopes to reduce its drop out rate, accurate data is essential. Eliminating section 5 establishes these new reporting provisions as permanent requirements.

For the reasons stated above, I have vetoed section 5 of Senate Bill No. 5474.

With the exception of section 5, Senate Bill No. 5474 is approved."