READ FIRST TIME 04/20/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to achieving savings in education programs by revising provisions relating to diagnostic assessments, classified staff training, conditional scholarships, certain professional development programs, coordination for career and technical student organizations, and national board certification bonuses; amending RCW 28A.655.200, 28A.415.315, 28A.660.050, 28A.415.350, 28A.415.250, and 28A.405.415; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.655.200 and 2007 c 354 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The legislature intends to permit school districts to offer norm-referenced assessments, make diagnostic tools available to school districts, and provide funding for diagnostic assessments to enhance student learning at all grade levels and provide early intervention before the high school Washington assessment of student learning.
     (2) In addition to the diagnostic assessments provided under this section, school districts may, at their own expense, administer norm-referenced assessments to students.
     (3) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall post on its web site for voluntary use by school districts, a guide of diagnostic assessments. The assessments in the guide, to the extent possible, shall include the characteristics listed in subsection (4) of this section.
     (4) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, beginning September 1, 2007, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall make diagnostic assessments in reading, writing, mathematics, and science in elementary, middle, and high school grades available to school districts. Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall also provide funding to school districts for administration of diagnostic assessments to help improve student learning, identify academic weaknesses, enhance student planning and guidance, and develop targeted instructional strategies to assist students before the high school Washington assessment of student learning. To the greatest extent possible, the assessments shall be:
     (a) Aligned to the state's grade level expectations;
     (b) Individualized to each student's performance level;
     (c) Administered efficiently to provide results either immediately or within two weeks;
     (d) Capable of measuring individual student growth over time and allowing student progress to be compared to other students across the country;
     (e) Readily available to parents; and
     (f) Cost-effective.
     (5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall offer training at statewide and regional staff development activities in:
     (a) The interpretation of diagnostic assessments; and
     (b) Application of instructional strategies that will increase student learning based on diagnostic assessment data.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.415.315 and 2008 c 65 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with various groups representing school district classified employees, shall develop and offer a training strand through the summer institutes and the winter conference targeted to classified instructional assistants and designed to help them maximize their effectiveness in improving student achievement.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.660.050 and 2007 c 396 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for these purposes, the conditional scholarship programs in this chapter are created under the following guidelines:
     (1) The programs shall be administered by the higher education coordinating board. In administering the programs, the higher education coordinating board has the following powers and duties:
     (a) To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the programs;
     (b) To collect and manage repayments from participants who do not meet their service obligations; and
     (c) To accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the programs.
     (2) Requirements for participation in the conditional scholarship programs are as provided in this subsection (2).
     (a) The alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited to interns of the partnership grant programs under RCW 28A.660.040. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:
     (i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment in alternative certification routes through the partnership grant program;
     (ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of the alternative route certification program and receipt of a residency teaching certificate; and
     (iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed eight thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The board may adjust the annual award by the average rate of resident undergraduate tuition and fee increases at the state universities as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.
     (b) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is limited to qualified paraeducators as provided by RCW 28A.660.042. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:
     (i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment at a community and technical college for no more than two years and attain an associate of arts degree;
     (ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of an associate of arts degree. This progress requirement is a condition for eligibility into a route one program of the alternative routes to teacher certification program for a mathematics, special education, or English as a second language endorsement; and
     (iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed four thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The board may adjust the annual award by the average rate of tuition and fee increases at the state community and technical colleges.
     (c) The retooling to teach mathematics and science conditional scholarship program is limited to current K-12 teachers and individuals having an elementary education certificate but who are not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate as provided by RCW 28A.660.045. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards:
     (i) Individuals currently employed as teachers shall pursue a middle level mathematics or science, or secondary mathematics or science endorsement; or
     (ii) Individuals who are certificated with an elementary education endorsement, but not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate, shall pursue an endorsement in middle level mathematics or science, or both; and
     (iii) Individuals shall use one of the pathways to endorsement processes to receive a mathematics or science endorsement, or both, which shall include passing a mathematics or science endorsement test, or both tests, plus observation and completing applicable coursework to attain the proper endorsement; and
     (iv) Individuals shall receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed three thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, test fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the endorsement pathway being pursued.
     (3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall select individuals to receive conditional scholarships.
     (4) For the purpose of this chapter, a conditional scholarship is a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part in exchange for service as a certificated teacher employed in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive one year of loan obligation for every two years a recipient teaches in a public school. Recipients who fail to continue a course of study leading to residency teacher certification or cease to teach in a public school in the state of Washington in their endorsement area are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest.
     (5) Recipients who fail to fulfill the required teaching obligation are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest and any other applicable fees. The higher education coordinating board shall adopt rules to define the terms for repayment, including applicable interest rates, fees, and deferments.
     (6) The higher education coordinating board may deposit all appropriations, collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in the future teachers conditional scholarship account authorized in RCW 28B.102.080.

Sec. 4   RCW 28A.415.350 and 2007 c 402 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall:
     (1) Create partnerships with the educational service districts or public or private institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation programs to develop and deliver professional development learning opportunities for educators that fulfill the goals and address the activities described in sections 3 through 6 of this act and RCW 28A.415.360. The partnerships shall:
     (a) Support school districts by providing professional development leadership, courses, and consultation services to school districts in their implementation of professional development activities, including the activities described in sections 3 through 6 of this act and RCW 28A.415.360; and
     (b) Support one another in the delivery of state-level and regional-level professional development activities such as state conferences and regional accountability institutes; and
     (2) Enter into a performance agreement with each educational service district to clearly articulate partner responsibilities and assure fidelity for the delivery of professional development initiatives including job-embedded practices. Components of such performance agreements shall include:
     (a) Participation in the development of various professional development workshops, programs, and activities;
     (b) Characteristics and qualifications of professional development staff supported by the program;
     (c) Methods to ensure consistent delivery of professional development services; and
     (d) Reporting responsibilities related to services provided, program participation, outcomes, and recommendations for service improvement.

Sec. 5   RCW 28A.415.250 and 1993 c 336 s 401 are each amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to establish and operate a teacher assistance program. For the purposes of this section, the terms "mentor teachers," "beginning teachers," and "experienced teachers" may include any person possessing any one of the various certificates issued by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.410.010. Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose, the program shall provide for:
     (1) Assistance by mentor teachers who will provide a source of continuing and sustained support to beginning teachers, or experienced teachers who are having difficulties, or both, both in and outside the classroom. A mentor teacher may not be involved in evaluations under RCW 28A.405.100 of a teacher who receives assistance from said mentor teacher under the teacher assistance program established under this section. The mentor teachers shall also periodically inform their principals respecting the contents of training sessions and other program activities;
     (2) Stipends for mentor teachers and beginning and experienced teachers which shall not be deemed compensation for the purposes of salary lid compliance under RCW 28A.400.200: PROVIDED, That stipends shall not be subject to the continuing contract provisions of this title;
     (3) Workshops for the training of mentor and beginning teachers;
     (4) The use of substitutes to give mentor teachers, beginning teachers, and experienced teachers opportunities to jointly observe and evaluate teaching situations and to give mentor teachers opportunities to observe and assist beginning and experienced teachers in the classroom;
     (5) Mentor teachers who are superior teachers based on their evaluations, pursuant to RCW ((28A.405.010)) 28A.410.025 and 28A.405.030 through 28A.405.240, and who hold valid continuing certificates;
     (6) Mentor teachers shall be selected by the district and may serve as mentors up to and including full time. If a bargaining unit, certified pursuant to RCW 41.59.090 exists within the district, classroom teachers representing the bargaining unit shall participate in the mentor teacher selection process; and
     (7) Periodic consultation by the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee with representatives of educational organizations and associations, including educational service districts and public and private institutions of higher education, for the purposes of improving communication and cooperation and program review.

Sec. 6   RCW 28A.405.415 and 2008 c 175 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Certificated instructional staff who have attained certification from the national board for professional teaching standards shall receive a bonus each year in which they maintain the certification. The bonus shall be calculated as follows: The annual bonus shall be five thousand dollars in the 2007-08 school year. Thereafter, the annual bonus shall increase by inflation. For the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years the annual bonus shall be subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this purpose. During the 2011-2013 and 2013-2015 fiscal biennia, in addition to annual adjustments for inflation, the bonus amount shall be additionally increased such that, by the end of the 2014-15 school year, national board bonus amounts are, at a minimum, equal to what they would have been if annual adjustments for inflation had not been suspended during the 2009-10 or 2010-11 school year.
     (2) Certificated instructional staff who have attained certification from the national board for professional teaching standards shall be eligible for bonuses in addition to that provided by subsection (1) of this section if the individual is in an instructional assignment in a school in which at least seventy percent of the students qualify for the free and reduced-price lunch program.
     (3) The amount of the additional bonus under subsection (2) of this section for those meeting the qualifications of subsection (2) of this section is five thousand dollars.
     (4) The bonuses provided under this section are in addition to compensation received under a district's salary schedule adopted in accordance with RCW 28A.405.200 and shall not be included in calculations of a district's average salary and associated salary limitations under RCW 28A.400.200.
     (5) The bonuses provided under this section shall be paid in a lump sum amount.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2009.