BILL REQ. #:  H-3500.1 

Read first time 01/11/2006.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to the remediation of student achievement deficiencies on the Washington assessment of student learning; and adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The graduation achievement program is established. The purpose of the program is to improve significantly the educational achievement of middle and high school students and enable them to meet state standards for high school graduation in a timely manner, including completion of a certificate of academic achievement or a certificate of individual achievement. The program is also intended to acknowledge the accomplishments of middle and high school principals, teachers, and other school staff who help students make these significant improvements.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The graduation achievement program account is created in the state treasury. All funds provided by the legislature for the graduation achievement program must be deposited in the account. Moneys in the account may be spent only after appropriation and shall be allocated to school districts by the superintendent of public instruction as provided in section 3 of this act. Moneys in the account are not part of basic education. Expenditures from the account may be used solely as provided in section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   The superintendent of public instruction shall allocate moneys from the graduation achievement program account to school districts for each school year as follows:
     (1) Five percent shall be for bonuses for principals and vice-principals of middle schools, high schools, and other schools that include any of grades seven through twelve. The bonuses are intended to reward the accomplishments of principals in schools where students have made significant improvement in student achievement, as measured by the Washington assessment of student learning. The state board of education shall develop the criteria for identifying schools whose principals are eligible for a bonus. The criteria for awarding the first bonuses under this subsection shall be developed by July 1, 2006, and may be adjusted annually thereafter. One significant criterion shall be success in improving achievement for students with limited English proficiency. The board shall determine a bonus amount for an identified school, and the principals and vice-principals of the school shall determine how the bonus shall be distributed. The board shall rank order identified schools and award bonuses until the moneys available for this purpose are exhausted;
     (2) Fifteen percent shall be for bonuses for certificated instructional staff and other staff, not including principals or vice-principals, of middle schools, high schools, and other schools that include any of grades seven through twelve. The bonuses are intended to reward the accomplishments of instructional and other staff in schools where students have made significant improvement in student achievement, as measured by the Washington assessment of student learning. The state board of education shall develop the criteria for identifying schools whose staff are eligible for a bonus. The criteria for awarding the first bonuses under this subsection shall be developed by July 1, 2006, and may be adjusted annually thereafter. One significant criterion shall be success in improving achievement for students with limited English proficiency. The board shall determine a bonus amount for each identified school, which shall vary depending on the number of staff in the school. The staff in the school shall collectively determine how the bonus shall be distributed. The board shall rank order identified schools and award bonuses until the moneys available for this purpose are exhausted; and
     (3) Eighty percent shall be allocated to school districts based on prior year student enrollment in grades seven through twelve and shall be used solely as provided in section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) Each school district with student enrollment in any of grades seven through twelve shall establish a local graduation achievement program account. Moneys allocated to the district under section 3 of this act, not including any principal or staff bonuses, shall be deposited into the account. Expenditures from the account shall be accounted for separately from other school district expenditures. Within the account, the district shall establish subaccounts for each middle school, high school, or other school that includes any of grades seven through twelve. Except for expenditures associated with the district graduation achievement program coordinator, all other expenditures under this section shall be accounted for under a school subaccount.
     (2) Allocations and expenditures from the local graduation achievement program account are not subject to collective bargaining.
     (3) Each school district under this section shall designate a district graduation achievement program coordinator. No more than twenty percent of a district's graduation achievement program funds may be expended on compensation or stipends for the district coordinator and no more than one full-time equivalent staff may be compensated as district coordinator using graduation achievement program funds.
     (4) Except in school districts with only one school containing any of grades seven through twelve, each school where more than sixty-five percent of students did not meet the state standard in all required subjects assessed by the seventh or tenth grade Washington assessment of student learning administered during the previous school year shall designate a building graduation achievement program coordinator. No more than twenty percent of a district's graduation achievement program funds may be expended on compensation or stipends for building coordinators and no more than one full-time equivalent staff per school may be compensated as a building coordinator using graduation achievement program funds.
     (5) Under the graduation achievement program, school districts shall provide instructional programs specifically designed to remediate student achievement deficiencies identified by the seventh or tenth grade Washington assessment of student learning. Programs may be offered before school, after school, on Saturdays, or during the summer. Moneys from the local graduation achievement program account may be expended on curriculum materials, diagnostic testing, school or district expenses associated with students retaking the Washington assessment of student learning, professional development for instructional staff directly related to providing remedial instruction, supplemental teaching contracts not to exceed sixty days, and other operating expenses directly associated with the remedial instructional programs. School districts may contract with third parties to provide any aspect of the graduation achievement program.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   Each school district shall submit an annual report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction on the expenditures, activities, and improvements in student achievement, by school, under the graduation achievement program. The reports shall use a common format developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and shall be posted on the office's web site. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall summarize the district reports and submit a statewide report of the graduation achievement program to the education committees of the legislature by January 15th of each year.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   Sections 1 through 5 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28A RCW.