[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to creating the comprehensive career guidance program to support parents' rights in the development of their child's educational plan; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

The comprehensive career guidance grant program is created to provide students in grades nine through twelve with career guidance and individual planning and to ensure the involvement and participation of parents and guardians in the process.

(1)(a) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute comprehensive career guidance grants to school districts for schools within the district that have comprehensive career guidance programs that meet all of the following criteria:

(i) Documentation that a school advisory or a school steering committee has been organized to evaluate the program annually;

(ii) Evidence that eighty percent of aggregate counselor time is devoted to direct services to students, with at least twenty-five percent of counselors' time devoted to individual planning and parent conferences;

(iii) A commitment to provide program benefits to all students in the school;

(iv) Approval of the program by the local board of education; and

(v) A requirement that all students be provided with individual planning that includes parental involvement consistent with sections 1 and 601, chapter 336, Laws of 1993.

(b) The superintendent shall allocate comprehensive career guidance grants to school districts based on the student population in grades nine through twelve in schools within the district that have comprehensive career guidance programs that meet qualification criteria established under this section and under rules adopted by the superintendent.

(c) The superintendent shall monitor the program and provide an annual report to the legislature on its progress and success.

(d) The superintendent shall identify best practices in the state and promote these districts' efforts.

(e) The superintendent may retain no more than two percent of the funds appropriated for the comprehensive career guidance program for administration and monitoring and evaluating progress.

(f) The superintendent may adopt rules necessary to implement this section.

(2)(a) School districts shall use moneys received under this program at the district secondary schools in grades nine through twelve to provide a guidance curriculum and an individual plan and parent conference for each student at the school and to provide system support for the comprehensive career guidance program. Such costs may include the following:

(i) Personnel costs;

(ii) Career center equipment;

(iii) Career center materials;

(iv) In-service training of personnel involved in the comprehensive career guidance program; and

(v) Guidance curriculum materials for use in classrooms.

(b) Funds provided under this program may not be used for nonguidance purposes or to supplant funds already being provided for the program.

(c) Districts shall certify on an annual basis that previously qualified schools continue to meet the program criteria and provide the superintendent with data and information on the program as required by the superintendent.

(d) Districts shall use on-site review teams to document that at least eighty percent of counselors' time is involved in direct services to students, with at least twenty-five percent of counselors' time devoted to individual planning and parent conferences.

(e) Districts shall provide training to secondary teachers on their role in assisting in the development and implementation of individual plans.

(3) As used in this section:

(a) "Comprehensive career guidance" means the organization of resources to meet the educational and occupational individual planning goals of all students and parents.

(b) "Individual planning" includes individual appraisal, individual advisement, parent/student meetings, and placement and follow-up.

(c) "Individual appraisal" means counselors or school staff working with students to analyze and evaluate students' abilities, interests, skills and achievement, test information, transcripts, extracurricular activities, competencies, leadership roles, coursework, and other data as the basis for assisting students to develop immediate and long-range plans.

(d) "Individual advisement" means information from the individual appraisal being used along with labor market information to help students plan personal, educational, and career goals.

(e) "Parent/student meetings" means counselor and staff meeting with students and their parents annually to review the goals resulting from individual advisement. Goals are to be revised as necessary to be consistent with current data.

(f) "Placement and follow-up" means counselors and staff supporting students in gathering information, overcoming barriers, and establishing necessary linkages so that transitions from one educational program to another, or from one school to another, or from school to work are successful.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The sum of two million seven hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 2003, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.