BP BHEAD INT S

AN ACT Relating to student records for students transferring between private and public schools; and amending RCW 28A.195.010 and 28A.225.330.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.195.010 and 1993 c 336 s 1101 are each amended to read as follows:

The legislature hereby recognizes that private schools should be subject only to those minimum state controls necessary to insure the health and safety of all the students in the state and to insure a sufficient basic education to meet usual graduation requirements. The state, any agency or official thereof, shall not restrict or dictate any specific educational or other programs for private schools except as hereinafter in this section provided.

Principals of private schools or superintendents of private school districts shall file each year with the state superintendent of public instruction a statement certifying that the minimum requirements hereinafter set forth are being met, noting any deviations. After review of the statement, the state superintendent will notify schools or school districts of those deviations which must be corrected. In case of major deviations, the school or school district may request and the state board of education may grant provisional status for one year in order that the school or school district may take action to meet the requirements. Minimum requirements shall be as follows:

(1) The minimum school year for instructional purposes shall consist of no less than one hundred eighty school days or the equivalent in annual minimum program hour offerings as prescribed in RCW 28A.150.220.

(2) The school day shall be the same as that required in RCW 28A.150.030 and 28A.150.220, except that the percentages of total program hour offerings as prescribed in RCW 28A.150.220 for basic skills, work skills, and optional subjects and activities shall not apply to private schools or private sectarian schools.

(3) All classroom teachers shall hold appropriate Washington state certification except as follows:

(a) Teachers for religious courses or courses for which no counterpart exists in public schools shall not be required to obtain a state certificate to teach those courses.

(b) In exceptional cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students so long as a certified person exercises general supervision. Annual written statements shall be submitted to the office of the superintendent of public instruction reporting and explaining such circumstances.

(4) An approved private school may operate an extension program for parents, guardians, or persons having legal custody of a child to teach children in their custody. The extension program shall require at a minimum that:

(a) The parent, guardian, or custodian be under the supervision of an employee of the approved private school who is certified under chapter 28A.410 RCW;

(b) The planning by the certified person and the parent, guardian, or person having legal custody include objectives consistent with this subsection and subsections (1), (2), (5), (6), and (7) of this section;

(c) The certified person spend a minimum average each month of one contact hour per week with each student under his or her supervision who is enrolled in the approved private school extension program;

(d) Each student's progress be evaluated by the certified person; and

(e) The certified employee shall not supervise more than thirty students enrolled in the approved private school's extension program.

(5) Appropriate measures shall be taken to safeguard all permanent records against loss or damage.

(6) The physical facilities of the school or district shall be adequate to meet the program offered by the school or district: PROVIDED, That each school building shall meet reasonable health and fire safety requirements. However, the state board shall not require private school students to meet the student learning goals, obtain a certificate of mastery to graduate from high school, to master the essential academic learning requirements, or to be assessed pursuant to RCW 28A.630.885. However, private schools may choose, on a voluntary basis, to have their students master these essential academic learning requirements, take these assessments, and obtain certificates of mastery. A residential dwelling of the parent, guardian, or custodian shall be deemed to be an adequate physical facility when a parent, guardian, or person having legal custody is instructing his or her child under subsection (4) of this section.

(7) Private school curriculum shall include instruction of the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of appreciation of art and music, all in sufficient units for meeting state board of education graduation requirements.

(8) Each school or school district shall be required to maintain up-to-date policy statements related to the administration and operation of the school or school district. Policies shall include but not be limited to, requiring transmission of a student's academic performance, special placement, and records of disciplinary action within two school days after receiving a request when the student transfers from the school. The school shall subsequently send the records as soon as possible.

All decisions of policy, philosophy, selection of books, teaching material, curriculum, except as in subsection (7) above provided, school rules and administration, or other matters not specifically referred to in this section, shall be the responsibility of the administration and administrators of the particular private school involved.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.225.330 and 1994 c 304 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) When enrolling a student who has attended school in another school district, the school enrolling the student may request the parent and the student to briefly indicate in writing whether or not the student has:

(a) Any history of placement in special educational programs;

(b) Any past, current, or pending disciplinary action;

(d) Any unpaid fines or fees imposed by other schools; and

(e) Any health conditions affecting the student's educational needs.

(2) The school enrolling the student shall request the school the student previously attended to send the student's permanent record including records of disciplinary action. If the student has not paid a fine or fee under RCW 28A.635.060, the school may withhold the student's official transcript, but shall transmit information about the student's academic performance, special placement, and records of disciplinary action. If the official transcript is not sent due to unpaid fees or fines, the enrolling school shall notify both the student and parent or guardian that the official transcript will not be sent until the obligation is met, and failure to have an official transcript may result in exclusion from extracurricular activities or failure to graduate.

(3) If information is requested under subsection (2) of this section, the information shall be transmitted within two school days after receiving the request and the records shall be sent as soon as possible.

(4) If a student transfers from a public school to a private school that has been approved by the state board of education, the private school enrolling the student may request the public school the student previously attended to send the student's permanent record including records of disciplinary action. If the student has not paid a fine or fee under RCW 28A.635.060, the public school may withhold the student's official transcript, but shall transmit information about the student's academic performance, special placement, and records of disciplinary action. The public school shall transmit the information within two school days after receiving the request and shall send the records as soon as possible.