2SHB 1573

SENATE BILL REPORT
2SHB 1573

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

As Reported By Senate Committee On:
Early Learning & K-12 Education, March 28, 2007
Ways & Means, April 2, 2007

Brief Description: Authorizing a statewide program for comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Quall, Priest, P. Sullivan, Pettigrew, Kenney, Kagi, Wallace, McCoy, Dickerson, Lovick, Santos, Hunt, Hasegawa, Simpson, Pedersen, Morrell, Conway, Lantz, O'Brien and Ormsby; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction).

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 3/26/07, 3/28/07 [DPA-WM, DNP, w/oRec].

Majority Report: Do pass as amended and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Tom, Vice Chair; Eide, Hobbs, Kauffman, Oemig, Rasmussen and Weinstein.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senators Holmquist, Ranking Minority Member and Clements.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Brandland, Hewitt and Zarelli.

Majority Report: Do pass as amended.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Carrell, Fairley, Hatfield, Hobbs, Honeyford, Keiser, Kohl-Welles, Oemig, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach, Rockefeller, Schoesler and Tom.

Minority Report: That it be referred without recommendation.Signed by Senators Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland and Parlette.

Background: Under current state law, each school district is required to report to the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) the number of students in grades nine through twelve who drop out of school over a four-year period. Additionally, school districts must report the dropout rates of students in each of the grades nine through twelve, disaggregated by ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, disability status, and the causes or reasons attributed to students for having dropped out of school. SPI is required to annually report these dropout statistics to the Legislature.

The State Board of Education may adopt, by rule, dropout reduction goals for students in grades seven through twelve. The board must present these goals to the Legislature in a time frame that would allow the Legislature to take statutory action if necessary.

Summary of Second Substitute Bill: The bill as referred to committee not considered.

Summary of Proposed Striking Amendment(s) As Heard In Committee (Early Learning & K-12 Education): Subject to the availability of funds, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must create a grant program to phase in a statewide comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval system. Known as the Building Bridges Program, it is a local partnership of schools, families, and communities and will identify students at risk of dropping out of school, or who have dropped out, and provide those students with assistance and support to facilitate the continuation of their education. One of the grants must be used for a two-year demonstration project focusing on three distinct communities and populations. The grant recipient must report to the Legislature by December 1, 2009.

OSPI must identify criteria for grants and evaluate proposals with the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board). OSPI must also develop and monitor requirements for grant recipients; identify and disseminate successful practices; develop requirements for grant recipients to collect and report data; and contract with a third party to evaluate the partnership. By December 1, 2008, OSPI must report to the Legislature.

In awarding grants, OSPI must prioritize schools or school districts with dropout rates above the state average and award grants in different areas of the state. Every partnership must include at least one school district and be led by one of several specified entities. To be eligible, grant applicants must build or demonstrate a commitment to building a broad-based partnership that includes a broad array of stakeholders; demonstrate how the grant will enhance dropout services already in place; provide a 25 percent match; track and report data required by the grant; and describe how the dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval system will be sustained after initial funding.

Educational Service Districts (ESDs), working with area workforce development councils, must provide partnerships with technical assistance to collect and use performance data and be available for additional assistance at the request of a local partnership.

OSPI must establish a state-level work group that consists of specified state agencies that work with at-risk youth or youth who have dropped out of school. The work group must make recommendations to the Legislature, develop and track performance measures and benchmarks for partnerships, identify research-based and emerging best practices for prevention, intervention, and retrieval. Beginning December 1, 2007, the work group must annually report to the Legislature and Governor.

Basic education dollars may be used to fund contracts with alternative educational service providers that meet certain requirements. This section of the act expires June 30, 2010.

The act is null and void if specific funding is not provided by June 30, 2007.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT(S) AS PASSED COMMITTEE (Early Learning & K-12 Education): When awarding grants, SPI must ensure that equal consideration is given to both school districts and other recipients.

EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY RECOMMENDED AMENDMENT(S) AS PASSED COMMITTEE (Ways & Means): The provisions that would have allowed "alternative education providers" to receive K-12 allocations for serving students at-risk of dropping out or who have dropped out are removed.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: High school is not for everyone; it can be difficult to maintain attendance due to family obligations or problems, but this does not mean students should have to drop out. The partnerships created in the bill will help students stay in school, but section 8 of the bill will help students when they get to a point where they cannot graduate from high school and need a second chance. ESDs can help with regional support beyond the local districts.

Persons Testifying (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Seth Dawson, YouthCare; Tienicha Lumpkin, Samantha Silva, Shoreline Community College, Learning Center North; Pat Martinez, King County Work Training Program; Mick Moore, Puget Sound ESD.