BILL REQ. #:  H-2868.1 

Prefiled 01/07/14. Read first time 01/13/14.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement activities by educational service districts; amending RCW 28A.310.350 and 28A.230.125; adding a new section to chapter 28A.175 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.310 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that educational service districts are uniquely positioned to play an important role in convening school districts and other partners to develop and deliver dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement services throughout their region. The legislature intends that these activities be considered a basic core service for all educational service districts.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.175 RCW to read as follows:
     In fulfillment of their mission under RCW 28A.310.340 to assist in providing pupils with equal educational opportunities, each educational service district must, as a basic core service:
     (1) Coordinate and convene school, family, and community partnerships to develop and implement comprehensive K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems as defined under RCW 28A.175.074;
     (2) Facilitate and assist local partnerships in using dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement system assessment tools; and
     (3) Develop dropout reengagement programs to be offered under contract with school districts as provided under RCW 28A.175.100 through 28A.175.110.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.310.350 and 2007 c 402 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:
     The basic core services and cost upon which educational service districts are budgeted shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
     (1) Educational service district administration and facilities such as office space, maintenance, and utilities;
     (2) Cooperative administrative services such as assistance in carrying out procedures to abolish sex and race bias in school programs, fiscal services, grants management services, special education services, and transportation services;
     (3) Personnel services such as certification/registration services;
     (4) Learning resource services such as audiovisual aids;
     (5) Cooperative curriculum services such as health promotion and health education services, in-service training, workshops, and assessment;
     (6) Professional development services identified by statute or the omnibus appropriations act; ((and))
     (7) Special needs of local education agencies; and
     (8) Dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement services under section 2 of this act.

Sec. 4   RCW 28A.230.125 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 130 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the four-year institutions as defined in RCW 28B.76.020, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall develop for use by all public school districts and educational service districts under section 5 of this act a standardized high school transcript. The superintendent shall establish clear definitions for the terms "credits" and "hours" so that school programs operating on the quarter, semester, or trimester system can be compared.
     (2) The standardized high school transcript shall include a notation of whether the student has earned a certificate of individual achievement or a certificate of academic achievement.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 28A.310 RCW to read as follows:
     An educational service district that offers a dropout reengagement program under contract with one or more school districts as provided under RCW 28A.175.100 through 28A.175.110 may award high school credit to students who successfully complete courses eligible for credit under the program, based on the standards for award of credit adopted by the state board of education, to be recorded using the standardized high school transcript under RCW 28A.230.125.