Background: Music Standards and Endorsements. One of Washington's statutory goals for basic education is to provide every student the opportunity to develop knowledge and skills in the arts. The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has developed essential academic learning requirements (EALRs) for grades K–12 in four of the arts: music, dance, theatre, and visual arts. All school districts must provide instruction in the EALRs. The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) developed standards for three music endorsements for educators, which include general music, choral music, and instrumental music.

Minimum Instructional Hours and Days. Currently districts must provide a minimum of 180 days and at least 1000 hours of instructional time per year to students in grades 1–12, which may be calculated using a district-wide annual average over grades 1–12. Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, the district-wide annual average for instructional time will increase to 1080 hours for students in grades 9–12 and 1000 hours for students in grades one through eight.

For students in kindergarten, current law requires a minimum of 180 half days, or its equivalent, and 450 hours of instructional time until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten is achieved in the 2017-18 school year, at which time the minimum requirements will be 180 days and 1000 hours of instructional time.

Second-Class School Districts. Second-class school districts are defined in statute as any school district that has an enrollment of fewer than 2000 students in its public schools. Currently 190 of 295 districts in the state are classified as second-class districts.

Duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. Several powers and duties of the Superintendent of Public Instruction are specified in statute, ranging from supervision over all matters pertaining to the public schools of the state to the duty to promote the adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality, daily physical education for all students.

Summary of Bill: Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, districts must phase in additional time for instruction in music in all elementary schools until every elementary student has the opportunity to receive at least 100 minutes of music instruction per week by the 2022-23 school year. The requirement for at least 100 minutes of music instruction for elementary students does not require an increase in the total number of instructional hours or days.

Second-class districts may apply to have this requirement modified or waived under rules adopted by OSPI if the provision of 100 minutes of music instruction per week would be an undue hardship.

Instruction of music must be taught by a certified music specialist. However, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students in exceptional cases so long as a certificated person exercises general supervision.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction's duties are expanded to include the duty to promote the adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality daily music education for all students, and to encourage policies that provide all elementary students with opportunities for musical activities.