READ FIRST TIME 01/18/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to improving student performance through student-centered planning; creating new sections; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   Helping students succeed is about both defining the skills they need in order to succeed beyond high school as well as ensuring students know how to relate and apply those skills to their daily lives. The legislature recognizes that students must be able to personalize their educational experience in order to understand how what they are learning is a foundation for their future. Additionally, the legislature recognizes that effective guidance and counseling programs are essential to creating a learning environment where staff, students, and their families work cooperatively to create a personalized educational experience for every student. In order to create an environment where all students and parents are empowered and motivated to take a greater role in charting their own educational experiences, the legislature intends to strengthen schools' planning and guidance systems.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and disseminate a comprehensive student-centered planning program to all districts by August 2006. The superintendent of public instruction shall provide professional development for staff and ongoing technical assistance to schools that implement the program. The program elements shall include, but not be limited to:
     (a) A long-term mentor-student relationship for every student at the school;
     (b) Curriculum to be used by the mentor in helping the student develop, implement, and maintain a plan for meeting long-term learning objectives with an emphasis on how those objectives impact the student's current and future goals;
     (c) An annual student-led parent and mentor conference;
     (d) A data collection requirement that allows schools to monitor student progress.
     (2) To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to selected schools for the purpose of implementing the student-centered planning program established under subsection (1) of this section. The superintendent of public instruction shall develop and publish the grant selection criteria, the number of awards, and the award amount. Grant recipients shall be selected and notified by December 2006. To the extent possible, the superintendent of public instruction shall attempt to include representation from first and second class school districts and from different geographic regions of the state in its grant allocation.
     (3) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules as necessary to implement this section. The rules shall require school districts receiving grants from the implementation of the student-centered planning program to make every effort, to the extent possible, to insure adequate capacity in the courses selected by the students.
     (4) By January 1, 2009, the superintendent of public instruction shall report to appropriate committees of the legislature regarding the impact of the student-centered planning program on student performance.
     (5) This section expires July 1, 2009.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2006, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.