BILL REQ. #:  S-3271.2 

Read first time 01/11/12.   Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.

     AN ACT Relating to academic performance audits of lowest-achieving schools in required action districts; and amending RCW 28A.657.040.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.657.040 and 2010 c 235 s 104 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall contract with an external review team to conduct an academic performance audit of the district and each persistently lowest-achieving school in a required action district to identify the potential reasons for the school's low performance and lack of progress. The review team must consist of persons under contract with the superintendent who have expertise in comprehensive school and district reform and may not include staff from the agency, the school district that is the subject of the audit, or members or staff of the state board of education.
     (2) The audit must be conducted based on criteria developed by the superintendent of public instruction and must include but not be limited to an examination of the following:
     (a) Student demographics;
     (b) Mobility patterns;
     (c) School feeder patterns;
     (d) The performance of different student groups on assessments;
     (e) Effective school leadership;
     (f) Strategic allocation of resources;
     (g) Clear and shared focus on student learning;
     (h) High standards and expectations for all students;
     (i) High level of collaboration and communication;
     (j) Aligned curriculum, instruction, and assessment to state standards;
     (k) Frequency of monitoring of learning and teaching;
     (l) Focused professional development;
     (m) Supportive learning environment;
     (n) High level of family and community involvement;
     (o) The level of student participation in school activities and extracurricular activities;
     (p) The level of social emotional learning provided;
     (q) Alternative secondary schools best practices; and
     (((p))) (r) Any unique circumstances or characteristics of the school or district.
     (3) Audit findings must be made available to the local school district, its staff, the community, and the state board of education.
     (4) For the purposes of this section, "social emotional learning" includes age-appropriate and culturally responsive behavioral and emotional management, relationship skills, conflict resolution, interpersonal communication, cooperation, decision making, and planning.