[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to the reduction of class size in Washington's public elementary schools; adding new sections to chapter 28A.150 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that:

(a) Washington's students are being asked to meet new and rigorous academic standards;

(b) Schools and school districts may have considerable difficulty in helping all students reach the high standard on the Washington assessment of student learning;

(c) Young students need significant assistance at the very earliest grade levels to acquire the basic foundational skills they will need in order to achieve the high standard on the fourth grade Washington assessment of student learning;

(d) Substantial and extensive research studies consistently demonstrate that reducing class size in the early grades can significantly improve student achievement;

(e) The research findings on improving student achievement through class size reduction confirms the common sense views of parents and teachers that smaller class sizes give students more individual attention and better opportunities to excel academically; and

(f) Some studies associate smaller classes with lower retention rates, lower levels of special education diagnoses and referrals, fewer disruptions in classrooms, higher teacher satisfaction, and a better overall classroom environment.

(2) The legislature intends to help schools reduce class size through a phased plan that targets funding first to schools encountering the greatest struggles helping students achieve the state's essential academic learning requirements.

(a) Initially, priority for assistance will be offered to elementary schools that are encountering the greatest challenge in their efforts to help struggling students achieve the essential academic learning requirements. The legislature intends to offer this assistance through a grant program intended to assist, in the 1999-2001 biennium, approximately the lowest quartile of elementary schools as measured by the percentage of students who met the standard in all four subjects on the Washington assessment of student learning administered to fourth grade students in 1998.

(b) Subject to available funding, the legislature intends to expand the program in the 2001-03 biennium to include a priority for any elementary school in the lowest or second lowest quartiles as measured by the percentage of students who met the standard in all four subjects on the Washington assessment of student learning administered to fourth grade students in 2000.

(c) Subject to available funding, the legislature intends to expand the program in the 2003-05 biennium to include a priority for any elementary school in the lowest three quartiles as measured by the percentage of students who met the standard in all four subjects on the Washington assessment of student learning administered to fourth grade students in 2002.

(d) Subject to available funding, the legislature intends to expand eligibility for this program in the 2005-07 biennium to include all elementary schools.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The class size reduction voluntary grant program is established. The purpose of the program is to target state assistance to struggling schools that wish to participate in the program in order to help the students in those schools achieve the state's essential academic learning requirements.

(2) The program shall be administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. In its administration of the program, the responsibilities of the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Adoption and distribution of rules and program guidelines;

(b) Use of simple, brief, and clear application processes, forms, and reporting requirements that help make the program accessible to schools with minimal administrative teams;

(d) Approval of the release of funds from the smaller classes for struggling schools account under section 5 of this act;

(e) The annual adjustment of grant amounts, which may reflect compensation increases and other fiscal changes adopted by the legislature;

(f) Preparation of a study that evaluates the effect of the program on student achievement, classroom environment, and teacher satisfaction. The study shall include, but need not be limited to, a class size study of participating and nonparticipating elementary schools, using a representative sampling technique of actual student-teacher classroom ratios for both types of schools. The results of the study shall be provided to the governor and the house of representatives and senate education and fiscal committees by December 1, 2002; and

(g) Distribution of a report by November 15th of each even-numbered year to the governor, and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, the educational community, and other interested parties. The report shall focus primarily on the results of grant recipients and the program as a whole, and shall include any recommendations for program improvements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

Subject to the conditions of section 4 of this act, any public elementary school may participate in the program subject to the following requirements:

(1) The school must reduce actual class size in kindergarten through second grade classes to a ratio of no more than sixteen students to each classroom teacher. If a school already has achieved a ratio of sixteen students or fewer to each classroom teacher, the school may use grant funds either to further reduce class size in kindergarten through second grade classes, or to reduce class size in any or all third through fifth grade classrooms.

(2) The school shall provide to the office of the superintendent of public instruction a plan that indicates how the school will meet the requirements of subsection (1) of this section. In addition to any required elements, the school is encouraged to integrate its class reduction plan with plans for any federal funds designated for class size reduction in elementary schools.

(3) At the request of the office of the superintendent of public instruction, no more often than once annually, the school shall provide data on the actual ratio of students to classroom teacher in each classroom in the school.

(4) Grant recipients that meet the requirements of subsections (1) through (3) of this section are eligible to retain grant funds for a minimum of five years. At the end of the five-year period, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may require the recipients to reapply for future funding.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

Subject to available funding, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall select grant recipients based on the requirements in section 3 of this act and on the following priorities:

(1) During the 1999-2001 biennium, priority shall be given to an elementary school that was in the lowest quartile of elementary schools as measured by the percentage of its fourth grade students who met the standard in all four subjects on the 1998 Washington assessment of student learning.

(2) During the 2001-03 biennium, priority shall be given to any elementary school that was in one of the two lowest quartiles of elementary schools as measured by the percentage of its fourth grade students who met the standard in all four subjects on the 2000 Washington assessment of student learning.

(3) During the 2003-05 biennium, priority shall be given to any elementary school that was in one of the three lowest quartiles of elementary schools as measured by the percentage of its fourth grade students who met the standard in all four subjects on the 2002 Washington assessment of student learning.

(4) During the 2005-07 biennium, all elementary schools shall have equal priority in applying for grant funds.

(5) No school receiving a grant under this program shall lose eligibility for continued funding based solely on improved test scores on the Washington assessment of student learning.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 28A.150 RCW to read as follows:

The smaller classes for struggling schools account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. All receipts from appropriations and funds received from public and private sources must be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account may be used only to reduce class size in elementary schools in accordance with sections 2 through 4 of this act. Only the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee may authorize expenditures from the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.