_______________________________________________
ENGROSSED
SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2085
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AS
AMENDED BY THE SENATE
Passed
Legislature - 1999 Regular Session
State of Washington 56th
Legislature 1999 Regular Session
By
Read first time 03/08/1999.
Creating
programs addressing disruptive students in regular classrooms.
AN
ACT Relating to programs addressing disruptive students in regular classrooms;
adding a new section to chapter 28A.415 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 disruptive students can significantly impede effective
teaching and learning in the classroom. Training in effective strategies for
handling disruptive students will help principals, teachers, and other staff
gain additional skills to provide a classroom environment that is conducive to
teaching and learning. Schools and school districts should be encouraged to
provide staff with the training necessary to respond to disruptions
effectively.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. A
new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
(1)
To the extent funds are appropriated, the superintendent of public instruction
shall conduct professional development institutes to provide opportunities for teachers,
principals, and other school staff to learn effective research-based strategies
for handling disruptive students. The institutes shall be conducted during the
summer of 2000. The training institutes shall emphasize methods for handling
disruptions in regular classrooms and how to design and implement alternative
learning settings and programs that have been proven to be effective in
providing for the educational needs of students who exhibit frequent and
prolonged disruptive behavior when placed in a regular classroom setting.
(2)
The superintendent may enter into contracts with public or private entities
that provide training in effective research-based methods for dealing with
disruptive students. In developing the institutes, the superintendent shall
work with school staff who have had experience working effectively with
disruptive students. The institutes shall be open to teams of teachers,
principals, and other school staff from each school district choosing to
participate. However, as a condition of participating in the institutes,
school district teams shall be required to develop during or immediately
following the institute a district plan for carrying out the purposes of this
section. Elementary schools and junior high and middle schools in districts
that send teams to participate in institutes conducted under this section are
encouraged to formulate school building-level plans for addressing the
educational needs of disruptive students and the needs of students and teachers
in the regular classrooms for an orderly and disciplined environment that is
optimally conducive to learning. Individual participants in the institutes
shall agree to provide assistance as needed to other school staff in their
school building or school district, consistent with their other normal duties.
(3) Beginning with the 1999-2000 school year, elementary and junior
high schools are encouraged to provide staff from both the regular education
and special education programs opportunities to work together to share
successful practices for managing disruptive students.
