BILL REQ. #:  H-0540.1 

Read first time 01/14/09.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to social emotional learning in public schools; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that basic education instruction in public schools in Washington state should include not only instruction in core academic skills, but also core social emotional learning skills. Students with strong social emotional learning skills do better in school. They are able to manage their emotions and behavior, form and maintain healthy relationships, and make positive and ethical decisions. Healthy relationships are key to learning and essential for students' future success in the workplace and in the community. These students have significantly better attendance records, their classroom behavior is more constructive and less often disruptive, they like school more, and they have better grade point averages. They are also less likely to be suspended or disciplined. The overall result is a more effective and successful classroom experience for all students.
     (2) Therefore social emotional learning skills should be incorporated into basic education instruction through appropriate learning standards, research-based curriculum and programs, classroom-based assessment, and professional development for educators. The legislature intends to support this goal through a social emotional learning public-private partnership and initiate the process through pilot school districts.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply throughout sections 3 through 6 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Partnership" means the social emotional learning public-private partnership established under section 3 of this act.
     (2) "Social emotional learning" includes age-appropriate behavioral and emotional management, relationship skills, conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, cooperation, decision making, and planning.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) A social emotional learning public-private partnership is established, composed of the following members:
     (a) Two members of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;
     (b) Two members of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
     (c) One member from the office of the superintendent of public instruction appointed by the superintendent;
     (d) One member from the department of early learning appointed by the director of early learning;
     (e) One member from a college of education appointed by the Washington association of colleges of teacher education;
     (f) Four members with private or community expertise in social emotional learning, two appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and two appointed by the president of the senate; and
     (g) Four educators, appointed by the remaining members of the partnership after they have been initially convened.
     (2) The chair of the partnership shall be selected by the members of the partnership.
     (3) The superintendent of public instruction shall compile the initial list of members and convene the first meeting of the partnership.
     (4) To the extent sufficient funds are available for this purpose in the social emotional learning public-private partnership account under section 6 of this act, the partnership may hire a staff person who shall reside in the office of the superintendent of public instruction only for administrative purposes.
     (5) The goal of the partnership is to support and provide leadership for the incorporation of social emotional learning into basic education instruction in the public schools. The partnership shall be responsible for:
     (a) Developing clear definitions and guidelines for how school districts can incorporate social emotional learning into basic education instruction at all grade levels, which shall serve as a foundation for model policies and plans adopted by pilot school districts and the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (b) Developing criteria for selection and evaluation of the pilot school districts under section 5 of this act;
     (c) Providing oversight and policy guidance for the development of social emotional learning standards and classroom-based assessments, the development and offering of social emotional learning professional development opportunities for educators, and other activities by the superintendent of public instruction in support of social emotional learning;
     (d) Seeking private matching resources to support the partnership and the pilot school districts, including seeking grants from private foundations and other nonstate agencies and organizations; and
     (e) Convening and engaging stakeholders across education, early learning, higher education, social service, community, and private sectors to promote social emotional learning.
     (6) Legislative members of the partnership shall receive per diem and travel under RCW 44.04.120. Nonlegislative members, except those representing an employer or organization, are entitled to be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   Subject to funds appropriated for the purposes of sections 3 through 5 of this act and equally matched by private sources from the partnership account under section 6 of this act, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall support the goal of the partnership by:
     (1) Conducting a comprehensive baseline survey of school districts to determine the extent that social emotional learning is incorporated into basic education instruction in public schools, the various curricula and programs used for instruction, and the type and level of professional development for educators in social emotional learning;
     (2) Administering grants and providing technical assistance to the pilot school districts under section 5 of this act;
     (3) Providing for professional development opportunities in social emotional learning for educators in the pilot school districts and for other educators on a statewide and regional basis;
     (4) Compiling and disseminating a list of research-based curricula, programs, and activities to support social emotional learning at all grade levels;
     (5) Developing essential academic learning requirements and grade level expectations in social emotional learning, which shall be adopted for statewide use in school districts by September 1, 2012;
     (6) Developing model policies and plans for school districts to incorporate social emotional learning into basic education instruction; and
     (7) With assistance from the pilot school districts, developing classroom-based assessments in social emotional learning knowledge and skills and posting the assessments on the web site of the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   (1) Subject to funds appropriated for the purposes of this section and equally matched by private sources from the partnership account under section 6 of this act, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide grant funds for pilot projects in up to three school districts to incorporate social emotional learning into basic education instruction. The pilot projects shall operate for a three-year period, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall contract for a third-party evaluation of the pilot school districts.
     (2) The partnership shall develop the requests for proposal and the criteria for reviewing proposals. A significant criterion shall be the quality of the research design for the pilot project. The partnership shall select the pilot school districts on the basis of competitive applications submitted by school districts.
     (3) The social emotional learning pilot school districts shall:
     (a) Develop a policy and plan for incorporation of social emotional learning into basic education instruction for students at all grade levels;
     (b) Implement a model program of social emotional learning instruction, based on a research-based curriculum or program selected by the district;
     (c) Select school teams of educators to participate in professional development made available through the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (d) Provide professional development opportunities in social emotional learning to other educators in the district;
     (e) Assign social emotional learning specialists to provide resources and technical assistance to educators throughout the district and to collaborate with community organizations to support social emotional learning in the district; and
     (f) Administer classroom-based assessments in social emotional learning knowledge and skills.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   The social emotional learning public-private partnership account is created in the custody of the state treasurer. The purpose of the account is to support the activities and responsibilities of the partnership, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the pilot school districts under sections 3 through 5 of this act. Revenues to the account include any appropriations made by the legislature for the purposes of sections 3 through 5 of this act, federal funds, gifts or grants from the private sector or foundations, and other sources. Grants to the pilot school districts and their administration shall be paid from the account. Only the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee may authorize expenditures from the account, and only at the direction of the partnership. Up to twenty-five thousand dollars of appropriations made by the legislature to the account may be expended for start-up costs of the partnership without a required match of funds from other sources. Thereafter, moneys in the account may be expended only if the amount expended is an equal match of appropriations by the legislature and other sources of revenue to the account. The account is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW, but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   Sections 2 through 6 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.300 RCW.