READ FIRST TIME 03/02/09.   

     AN ACT Relating to closing the achievement gap in order to provide all students an excellent and equitable education; amending RCW 28A.300.137; adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.410 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.660 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds compelling evidence from five commissioned studies that additional progress must be made to address the achievement gap. Many students are in demographic groups that are overrepresented in measures such as school disciplinary sanctions; failure to meet state academic standards; failure to graduate; enrollment in special education and underperforming schools; enrollment in advanced placement courses, honors programs, and college preparatory classes; and enrollment in and completion of college. The studies contain specific recommendations that are data-driven and drawn from education research, as well as the personal, professional, and cultural experience of those who contributed to the studies. The legislature finds there is no better opportunity to make a strong commitment to closing the achievement gap and to affirm the state's constitutional obligation to provide opportunities to learn for all students without distinction or preference on account of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or gender.
     (2) The legislature further finds that access to comprehensive and consistent data that is disaggregated in the smallest units allowable by law is important in closing the achievement gap. Policymakers and educators need as much information as possible not only about students' academic progress, but also about other factors across multiple disciplines that affect student performance.
     (3) A consistent and powerful theme throughout the achievement gap studies was the need for cultural competency in instruction, curriculum, assessment, and professional development. Cultural competency forms a foundation for efforts to address the achievement gap, and more work is needed to embed it into the public school system.
     (4) Therefore, following the priority recommendations from the achievement gap studies, the legislature intends to:
     (a) Provide resources to support parent and community involvement and outreach efforts by public schools, including such items as additional notices and communication to parents, translations, translators, parent and community meetings, and school events within the community. The legislature encourages school districts to consult with the office of the education ombudsman in developing plans for parent and community involvement and outreach;
     (b) Require that teachers demonstrate cultural competency in the classroom and with students at each level of state teacher certification, and provide additional opportunities for professional development in cultural competency for current teachers;
     (c) Create local alternative routes to teacher certification for paraeducators and individuals in the communities surrounding schools and school districts that are struggling to address the achievement gap;
     (d) Reexamine the study recommendations regarding data and accountability and identify ways for the education data system to address these needs; and
     (e) Sustain efforts to close the achievement gap over the long term by creating a high profile achievement gap oversight and accountability committee that will provide ongoing advice to education agencies and report annually to the legislature and the governor.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) An achievement gap oversight and accountability committee is created to synthesize the findings and recommendations from the 2008 achievement gap studies into an implementation plan, and to recommend policies and strategies to the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, and the state board of education to close the achievement gap.
     (2) The committee shall recommend specific policies and strategies in at least the following areas:
     (a) Supporting and facilitating parent and community involvement and outreach;
     (b) Enhancing the cultural competency of current and future educators and the cultural relevance of curriculum and instruction;
     (c) Expanding pathways and strategies to prepare and recruit diverse teachers and administrators;
     (d) Recommending current programs and resources that should be redirected to narrow the gap;
     (e) Identifying data elements and systems needed to monitor progress in closing the gap;
     (f) Making closing the achievement gap part of the school and school district improvement process; and
     (g) Exploring innovative school models that have shown success in closing the achievement gap.
     (3) Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the committee may seek input and advice from other state and local agencies and organizations with expertise in health, social services, gang and violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, and other issues that disproportionately affect student achievement and student success.
     (4) The achievement gap oversight and accountability committee shall be composed of the following members:
     (a) The chairs and ranking minority members of the house and senate education committees, or their designees;
     (b) One additional member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house and one additional member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;
     (c) A representative of the office of the education ombudsman;
     (d) A representative of the center for the improvement of student learning in the office of the superintendent of public instruction;
     (e) A representative of federally recognized Indian tribes whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of Washington state, designated by the federally recognized tribes; and
     (f) Four members appointed by the governor in consultation with the state ethnic commissions, who represent the following populations: African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans.
     (5) The governor and the tribes are encouraged to designate members who have experience working in and with schools.
     (6) The committee may convene ad hoc working groups to obtain additional input and participation from community members. Members of ad hoc working groups shall serve without compensation and shall not be reimbursed for travel or other expenses.
     (7) The chair or cochairs of the committee shall be selected by the members of the committee. Staff support for the committee shall be provided by the center for the improvement of student learning. Members of the committee shall serve without compensation but must be reimbursed as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.300.137 and 2008 c 298 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     Beginning in January 2010, the ((center for the improvement of student learning)) achievement gap oversight and accountability committee shall report annually to the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, the professional educator standards board, the governor, ((the P-20 council,)) and the education committees of the legislature on the ((implementation status of)) strategies to address the achievement gap ((for African-American students)) and on the progress in improvement of education performance measures for African-American, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, and Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native students.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:
     All student data related reports required of the superintendent of public instruction in this title must be disaggregated by at least the following subgroups of students: White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native, low income, transitional bilingual, migrant, special education, and students covered by section 504 of the federal rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794).

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 28A.410 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The professional educator standards board, in consultation and collaboration with the achievement gap oversight and accountability committee established under section 2 of this act, shall identify a list of model standards for cultural competency and make recommendations to the education committees of the legislature on the strengths and weaknesses of those standards.
     (2) For the purposes of this section, "cultural competency" includes knowledge of student cultural histories and contexts, as well as family norms and values in different cultures; knowledge and skills in accessing community resources and community and parent outreach; and skills in adapting instruction to students' experiences and identifying cultural contexts for individual students.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 28A.660 RCW to read as follows:
     The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall identify school districts that have the most significant achievement gaps among subgroups of students and for large numbers of those students, and districts that should receive priority for assistance in advancing cultural competency skills in their workforce. The professional educator standards board shall provide assistance to the identified school districts to develop partnership grant programs between the districts and teacher preparation programs to provide one or more of the four alternative route programs under RCW 28A.660.040 and to recruit paraeducators and other individuals in the local community to become certified as teachers. A partnership grant program proposed by an identified school district shall receive priority eligibility for partnership grants under RCW 28A.660.020. To the maximum extent possible, the board shall coordinate the recruiting Washington teachers program under RCW 28A.415.370 with the alternative route programs under this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   The superintendent of public instruction shall take all actions necessary to secure federal funds to support enhancing data collection and data system capacity in order to monitor progress in closing the achievement gap and to support other innovations and model programs that align education reform and address disproportionality in the public school system.