SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5117

As of February 7, 2013

Title: An act relating to family involvement coordinators in public schools.

Brief Description: Regarding family involvement coordinators in public schools.

Sponsors: Senators McAuliffe, Litzow, Rolfes, Kohl-Welles and Frockt.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 1/28/13, 2/06/13.

Staff: Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background: In 2009, the Legislature adopted a statutory framework for a funding allocation model for public schools based on prototypical schools. The statute provides that the use of prototypical schools is intended to illustrate the level of resources needed to operate a school of a particular size with particular types and grade levels of students using commonly understood terms and inputs, such as class size, hours of instruction, and specified staff positions. Actual state funding allocations are adjusted from the school prototypes based on the actual number of students in each grade level at each school in the district. When the framework was adopted, the framework did not include a parent involvement coordinator as one of the specified school staff positions.

In 2010, the Legislature adopted in statute, funding values or amounts for each of the specified elements of the framework based on recommendations from a technical working group. The adopted funding values were intended to reflect the level of state allocations provided at the time. Additionally, the 2010 Legislature added the parent involvement coordinator to the specified staff positions in the framework. Because the parent involvement coordinator had not previously been included in the framework, there was no work group recommendation regarding the appropriate baseline level of funding for the position. Therefore, the funding value was set at zero in the statute.

The 2010 Legislature also directed the Quality Education Council (QEC) to make recommendations to the Legislature regarding the adequate level of classified staffing. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction created various working groups to develop the recommendations. The working groups reported recommendations to the QEC in November 2010. Based on the working group recommendations, the QEC made recommendations to the Legislature in January 2011. The QEC recommendations included replacing the staffing position of parent involvement coordinator in the prototypical school allocation model with family involvement coordinator (FIC) to more accurately reflect the intended role and activities of this position and setting the funding values at: 1.0 full-time equivalent FIC for the prototypical elementary school; 1.0 for the prototypical middle school; and 0.8 for the prototypical high school. This recommendation was estimated to cost $98.7 million for the 2011-12 school year.

Summary of Bill: The QEC recommendations regarding the parent involvement coordinator position are implemented. The staffing category of parent involvement coordinator in the prototypical school allocation model is replaced with the FIC. The funding values for the position are established at: 10 full-time equivalent FIC for the prototypical elementary school; 1.0 for the prototypical middle school; and 0.8 for the prototypical high school.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: One of the most important things that parents can do is engage in their children's education, but many parents do not know how to engage with our schools. A family involvement coordinator can help parents with this. The prototypical school formula does not provide any funding for this position and the state should fully fund that basic education formula. As class sizes increase in our state this staff position grows in importance. We assume a family involvement coordinator would work as a team with other staff at the school such as counselors, etc. Studies show that engaging the family in a student's education is the most cost-effective strategy to improve student academic performance.

OTHER: We appreciate that you are looking at ways to get families involved in the education of their children. Counselors request that you require the family involvement coordinator to work under the school counselor.

Persons Testifying: PRO: Jim Kowalkowski, Davenport School District Superintendent; Lucinda Young, WA Education Assn.; Romana Hattendorf, WA State Parent Teacher Assn.

OTHER: Amy Brackenbury, WA School Counselors Assn.