BILL REQ. #:  S-4349.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/11/14.   

     AN ACT Relating to holding state agencies accountable for providing opportunities for certain students to participate in transition services; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.155 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.155 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must establish interagency agreements with the department of social and health services, the department of services for the blind, and any other state agency that provides high school transition services for special education students. Such interagency agreements shall not interfere with existing individualized education programs, nor override any individualized education program team's decision-making power. The purpose of the interagency agreements is to foster effective collaboration among the multiple agencies providing transition services for special education students from the beginning of transition planning through age twenty-one, or through high school graduation, whichever occurs first. Interagency agreements are also intended to streamline services and programs, promote efficiencies, and establish a uniform focus on improved outcomes related to self-sufficiency. This subsection does not require transition services plan development in addition to what exists on the effective date of this section.
     (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must collaborate with the professional educator standards board to build into existing and ongoing educator requirements that special education teachers and school psychologists receive training to be appropriately prepared to address the transition needs of special education students.
     (3) To the extent that data is available through data-sharing agreements established by the education data center under RCW 43.41.400, the education data center must monitor the following outcomes for special education students after high school graduation:
     (a) The number of students who, within one year of high school graduation:
     (i) Enter integrated employment paid at the greater of minimum wage or competitive wage for the type of employment, with access to related employment and health benefits; or
     (ii) Enter a postsecondary education or training program focused on leading to integrated employment;
     (b) The wages and number of hours worked per pay period;
     (c) The impact of employment on any state and federal benefits for individuals with disabilities;
     (d) Indicators of the types of settings in which students who previously received transition services primarily reside;
     (e) Indicators of improved economic status and self-sufficiency;
     (f) Data on those students for whom a postsecondary or integrated employment outcome does not occur within one year of high school graduation, including:
     (i) Information on the reasons that the desired outcome has not occurred;
     (ii) The number of months the student has not achieved the desired outcome; and
     (iii) The efforts made to ensure the student achieves the desired outcome.
     (4) To the extent that the data elements in subsection (3) of this section are not available to the education data center through data-sharing agreements, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must attempt to collect the data through a single communication after the student's graduation.
     (5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must prepare an annual report on the data and outcomes in subsection (3) of this section and submit the report to the legislature.