AN ACT Relating to implementing strategies to close the educational opportunity gap, based on the recommendations of the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee; amending RCW 28A.600.490, 28A.600.015, 28A.600.020, 28A.600.022, 28A.600.460, 43.41.400, 28A.405.106, 28A.405.120, 28A.660.045, 28A.660.050, 28A.180.040, 28A.180.090, 28A.300.042, 28A.300.505, 28A.300.507, 28A.165.035, and 28A.165.055; reenacting and amending RCW 13.50.010; adding a new section to chapter 28A.600 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.345 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.415 RCW; adding new sections to chapter 28A.657 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 43.215 RCW; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates.

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

(2) In its 2015 report to the legislature, the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee made the following recommendations in keeping with its statutory purpose, which is to recommend specific policies and strategies to close the educational opportunity gap:

(a) Reduce the length of time students of color are excluded from school due to suspension and expulsion and provide students support for reengagement plans;

(b) Enhance the cultural competence of current and future educators and classified staff;

(c) Endorse all educators in English language learner and second language acquisition;

(d) Account for the transitional bilingual instruction program instructional services provided to English language learner students;

(e) Analyze the opportunity gap through deeper disaggregation of student demographic data;

(f) Invest in the recruitment, hiring, and retention of educators of color;

(g) Incorporate integrated student services and family engagement; and

(h) Strengthen student transitions at each stage of the education development pathway: Early learning to elementary, elementary to secondary, secondary to college and career.

(3) The legislature finds that these recommendations represent a holistic approach to making progress toward closing the opportunity gap. The recommendations are interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Closing the opportunity gap requires highly skilled, culturally competent, and diverse educators who understand the communities and cultures that students come from; it requires careful monitoring of not only the academic performance but also the educational environment for all students, at a fine grain of detail to assure adequate accountability; and it requires a robust program of instruction, including appropriately trained educators, to help English language learners gain language proficiency as well as academic proficiency.

(4) Therefore, the legislature intends to adopt policies and programs to implement the six recommendations of the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee and fulfill its promise of excellence and opportunity for all students.

PART I

DISPROPORTIONALITY IN STUDENT DISCIPLINE

Sec. 101.  RCW 28A.600.490 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 301 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene a discipline task force to develop standard definitions for causes of student disciplinary actions taken at the discretion of the school district. The task force must also develop data collection standards for disciplinary actions that are discretionary and for disciplinary actions that result in the exclusion of a student from school. The data collection standards must include data about education services provided while a student is subject to a disciplinary action, the status of petitions for readmission to the school district when a student has been excluded from school, credit retrieval during a period of exclusion, and school dropout as a result of disciplinary action.

(2) The discipline task force shall include representatives from the K-12 data governance group, the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, the state ethnic commissions, the governor's office of Indian affairs, the office of the education ((ombudsman [ombuds])) ombuds, school districts, tribal representatives, and other education and advocacy organizations.

(3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and the K-12 data governance group shall revise the statewide student data system to incorporate the student discipline data collection standards recommended by the discipline task force, and begin collecting data based on the revised standards in the 2015-16 school year.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 102.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.600 RCW to read as follows:

School districts shall annually disseminate any changes in school discipline policies and procedures to students, families, and the community.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 103.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.345 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Washington state school directors' association shall create model school district discipline policies and procedures and post these models publicly by December 1, 2015. In developing these model policies and procedures, the association shall request technical assistance and guidance from the equity and civil rights office within the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the Washington state human rights commission. The model policies and procedures shall be updated as necessary.

(2) School districts shall adopt discipline policies and procedures consistent with the model policy by April 1, 2016.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 104.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a training program to support the implementation of discipline policies and procedures under chapter 28A.600 RCW.

(2) The trainings must be provided annually to all school and district staff interacting with students, including instructional staff and noninstructional staff, as well as within a reasonable time following any substantive change to school discipline policies or procedures.

(3) To the maximum extent feasible, the trainings must incorporate or adapt existing online training or curriculum, including securing materials or curriculum under contract or purchase agreements within available funds.

(4) The trainings must be developed in modules that allow:

(a) Access to material over a reasonable number of training sessions;

(b) Delivery in person or online; and

(c) Use in a self-directed manner.

Sec. 105.  RCW 28A.600.015 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt and distribute to all school districts lawful and reasonable rules prescribing the substantive and procedural due process guarantees of pupils in the common schools. Such rules shall authorize a school district to use informal due process procedures in connection with the short-term suspension of students to the extent constitutionally permissible: PROVIDED, That the superintendent of public instruction deems the interest of students to be adequately protected. When a student suspension or expulsion is appealed, the rules shall authorize a school district to impose the suspension or expulsion temporarily after an initial hearing for no more than ten consecutive school days or until the appeal is decided, whichever is earlier. Any days that the student is temporarily suspended or expelled before the appeal is decided shall be applied to the term of the student suspension or expulsion and shall not limit or extend the term of the student suspension or expulsion. An expulsion or suspension of a student may not be for an indefinite period of time.

(2) Short-term suspension procedures may be used for suspensions of students up to and including, ten consecutive school days.

(3) Emergency expulsions must end or be converted to another form of corrective action within ten school days from the date of the emergency removal from school. Notice and due process rights must be provided when an emergency expulsion is converted to another form of corrective action.

Sec. 106.  RCW 28A.600.020 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 303 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The rules adopted pursuant to RCW 28A.600.010 shall be interpreted to ensure that the optimum learning atmosphere of the classroom is maintained, and that the highest consideration is given to the judgment of qualified certificated educators regarding conditions necessary to maintain the optimum learning atmosphere.

(2) Any student who creates a disruption of the educational process in violation of the building disciplinary standards while under a teacher's immediate supervision may be excluded by the teacher from his or her individual classroom and instructional or activity area for all or any portion of the balance of the school day, or up to the following two days, or until the principal or designee and teacher have conferred, whichever occurs first. Except in emergency circumstances, the teacher first must attempt one or more alternative forms of corrective action. In no event without the consent of the teacher may an excluded student return to the class during the balance of that class or activity period or up to the following two days, or until the principal or his or her designee and the teacher have conferred.

(3) In order to preserve a beneficial learning environment for all students and to maintain good order and discipline in each classroom, every school district board of directors shall provide that written procedures are developed for administering discipline at each school within the district. Such procedures shall be developed with the participation of parents and the community, and shall provide that the teacher, principal or designee, and other authorities designated by the board of directors, make every reasonable attempt to involve the parent or guardian and the student in the resolution of student discipline problems. Such procedures shall provide that students may be excluded from their individual classes or activities for periods of time in excess of that provided in subsection (2) of this section if such students have repeatedly disrupted the learning of other students. The procedures must be consistent with the rules of the superintendent of public instruction and must provide for early involvement of parents in attempts to improve the student's behavior.

(4) The procedures shall assure, pursuant to RCW 28A.400.110, that all staff work cooperatively toward consistent enforcement of proper student behavior throughout each school as well as within each classroom.

(5)(a) A principal shall consider imposing long-term suspension or expulsion as a sanction when deciding the appropriate disciplinary action for a student who, after July 27, 1997:

(i) Engages in two or more violations within a three-year period of RCW 9A.46.120, ((28A.320.135,)) 28A.600.455, 28A.600.460, 28A.635.020, 28A.600.020, 28A.635.060, or 9.41.280((, or 28A.320.140)); or

(ii) Engages in one or more of the offenses listed in RCW 13.04.155.

(b) The principal shall communicate the disciplinary action taken by the principal to the school personnel who referred the student to the principal for disciplinary action.

(6) Any corrective action involving a suspension or expulsion from school for more than ten days must have an end date of not more than one ((calendar year)) semester or quarter from the time of corrective action. Districts shall make reasonable efforts to assist students and parents in returning to an educational setting prior to and no later than the end date of the corrective action. Where warranted based on public health or safety, a school may petition the superintendent of the school district, pursuant to policies and procedures adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, for authorization to exceed the one ((calendar year)) semester or quarter limitation provided in this subsection. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules outlining the limited circumstances in which a school may petition to exceed the one ((calendar year)) semester or quarter limitation, including safeguards to ensure that the school district has made every effort to plan for the student's return to school. School districts shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction the number of petitions made to the school board and the number of petitions granted on an annual basis.

(7) As provided in RCW 28A.600.015, for any circumstance where disciplinary action is discretionary on the part of the school district, a school district may not impose a suspension that results in the exclusion of a student from school.

(8) Nothing in this section prevents a public school district, educational service district, the Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss, or the state school for the blind if it has suspended or expelled a student from the student's regular school setting from providing educational services to the student in an alternative setting or modifying the suspension or expulsion on a case-by-case basis. An alternative setting should be comparable, equitable, and appropriate to the regular education services a student would have received without the exclusionary discipline. Example alternative settings include alternative high schools, one-on-one tutoring, and online learning.

Sec. 107.  RCW 28A.600.022 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 308 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) School districts should make efforts to have suspended or expelled students return to an educational setting as soon as possible. School districts ((should)) must convene a meeting with the student and the student's parents or guardians within twenty days of the student's long-term suspension or expulsion, but no later than five days before the student's enrollment, to discuss a plan to reengage the student in a school program. Families must have access to, provide meaningful input on, and participate in a culturally sensitive and culturally responsive reengagement plan.

(2) In developing a reengagement plan, school districts should consider shortening the length of time that the student is suspended or expelled, other forms of corrective action, and supportive interventions that aid in the student's academic success and keep the student engaged and on track to graduate. School districts must create a reengagement plan tailored to the student's individual circumstances, including consideration of the incident that led to the student's long-term suspension or expulsion. The plan should aid the student in taking the necessary steps to remedy the situation that led to the student's suspension or expulsion.

(3) Any reengagement meetings conducted by the school district involving the suspended or expelled student and his or her parents or guardians are not intended to replace a petition for readmission.

Sec. 108.  RCW 28A.600.460 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 305 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) School district boards of directors shall adopt policies that restore discipline to the classroom. Such policies must provide for at least the following: Allowing each teacher to take disciplinary action to correct a student who disrupts normal classroom activities, abuses or insults a teacher as prohibited by RCW 28A.635.010, willfully disobeys a teacher, uses abusive or foul language directed at a school district employee, school volunteer, or another student, violates school rules, or who interferes with an orderly education process. Disciplinary action may include but is not limited to: Oral or written reprimands; written notification to parents of disruptive behavior, a copy of which must be provided to the principal.

(2) A student committing an offense under chapter 9A.36, 9A.40, 9A.46, or 9A.48 RCW when the activity is directed toward the teacher, shall not be assigned to that teacher's classroom for the duration of the student's attendance at that school or any other school where the teacher is assigned.

(3) A student who commits an offense under chapter 9A.36, 9A.40, 9A.46, or 9A.48 RCW, when directed toward another student, may be removed from the classroom of the victim for the duration of the student's attendance at that school or any other school where the victim is enrolled. A student who commits an offense under one of the chapters enumerated in this section against a student or another school employee, may be expelled or suspended.

(4) Nothing in this section is intended to limit the authority of a school under existing law and rules to expel or suspend a student for misconduct or criminal behavior. However, as provided in RCW 28A.600.015, for any circumstance where disciplinary action is discretionary on the part of the school district, a school district may not impose a suspension that results in the exclusion of a student from school.

(5) All school districts must collect data on disciplinary actions taken in each school and must record these actions using the statewide student data system, based on the data collection standards established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the K-12 data governance group. The information shall be made available to the public, but public release of the data shall not include personally identifiable information including, but not limited to, a student's social security number, name, or address.

Sec. 109.  RCW 43.41.400 and 2012 c 229 s 585 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An education data center shall be established in the office of financial management. The education data center shall jointly, with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, conduct collaborative analyses of early learning, K-12, and higher education programs and education issues across the P-20 system, which includes the department of early learning, the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the student achievement council, public and private nonprofit four-year institutions of higher education, and the employment security department. The education data center shall conduct collaborative analyses under this section with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and provide data electronically to the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, to the extent permitted by state and federal confidentiality requirements. The education data center shall be considered an authorized representative of the state educational agencies in this section under applicable federal and state statutes for purposes of accessing and compiling student record data for research purposes.

(2) The education data center shall:

(a) In consultation with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and the agencies and organizations participating in the education data center, identify the critical research and policy questions that are intended to be addressed by the education data center and the data needed to address the questions;

(b) Coordinate with other state education agencies to compile and analyze education data, including data on student demographics that is disaggregated by distinct ethnic categories within racial subgroups, and complete P-20 research projects;

(c) Collaborate with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature in identifying the data to be compiled and analyzed to ensure that legislative interests are served;

(d) Annually provide to the K-12 data governance group a list of data elements and data quality improvements that are necessary to answer the research and policy questions identified by the education data center and have been identified by the legislative committees in (c) of this subsection. Within three months of receiving the list, the K-12 data governance group shall develop and transmit to the education data center a feasibility analysis of obtaining or improving the data, including the steps required, estimated time frame, and the financial and other resources that would be required. Based on the analysis, the education data center shall submit, if necessary, a recommendation to the legislature regarding any statutory changes or resources that would be needed to collect or improve the data;

(e) Monitor and evaluate the education data collection systems of the organizations and agencies represented in the education data center ensuring that data systems are flexible, able to adapt to evolving needs for information, and to the extent feasible and necessary, include data that are needed to conduct the analyses and provide answers to the research and policy questions identified in (a) of this subsection;

(f) Track enrollment and outcomes through the public centralized higher education enrollment system;

(g) Assist other state educational agencies' collaborative efforts to develop a long-range enrollment plan for higher education including estimates to meet demographic and workforce needs;

(h) Provide research that focuses on student transitions within and among the early learning, K-12, and higher education sectors in the P-20 system; ((and))

(i) Prepare a regular report on the educational and workforce outcomes of youth in the juvenile justice system, using data disaggregated by age, and by ethnic categories and racial subgroups in accordance with RCW 28A.300.042; and

(j) Make recommendations to the legislature as necessary to help ensure the goals and objectives of this section and RCW 28A.655.210 and 28A.300.507 are met.

(3) The department of early learning, superintendent of public instruction, professional educator standards board, state board of education, state board for community and technical colleges, workforce training and education coordinating board, student achievement council, public four-year institutions of higher education, and employment security department shall work with the education data center to develop data-sharing and research agreements, consistent with applicable security and confidentiality requirements, to facilitate the work of the center. The education data center shall also develop data-sharing and research agreements with the administrative office of the courts to conduct research on educational and workforce outcomes using data maintained under RCW 13.50.010(12) related to juveniles. Private, nonprofit institutions of higher education that provide programs of education beyond the high school level leading at least to the baccalaureate degree and are accredited by the Northwest association of schools and colleges or their peer accreditation bodies may also develop data-sharing and research agreements with the education data center, consistent with applicable security and confidentiality requirements. The education data center shall make data from collaborative analyses available to the education agencies and institutions that contribute data to the education data center to the extent allowed by federal and state security and confidentiality requirements applicable to the data of each contributing agency or institution.

Sec. 110.  RCW 13.50.010 and 2014 c 175 s 2 and 2014 c 117 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) For purposes of this chapter:

(a) "Juvenile justice or care agency" means any of the following: Police, diversion units, court, prosecuting attorney, defense attorney, detention center, attorney general, the legislative children's oversight committee, the office of the family and children's ombuds, the department of social and health services and its contracting agencies, schools; persons or public or private agencies having children committed to their custody; and any placement oversight committee created under RCW 72.05.415;

(b) "Official juvenile court file" means the legal file of the juvenile court containing the petition or information, motions, memorandums, briefs, findings of the court, and court orders;

(c) "Records" means the official juvenile court file, the social file, and records of any other juvenile justice or care agency in the case;

(d) "Social file" means the juvenile court file containing the records and reports of the probation counselor.

(2) Each petition or information filed with the court may include only one juvenile and each petition or information shall be filed under a separate docket number. The social file shall be filed separately from the official juvenile court file.

(3) It is the duty of any juvenile justice or care agency to maintain accurate records. To this end:

(a) The agency may never knowingly record inaccurate information. Any information in records maintained by the department of social and health services relating to a petition filed pursuant to chapter 13.34 RCW that is found by the court to be false or inaccurate shall be corrected or expunged from such records by the agency;

(b) An agency shall take reasonable steps to assure the security of its records and prevent tampering with them; and

(c) An agency shall make reasonable efforts to insure the completeness of its records, including action taken by other agencies with respect to matters in its files.

(4) Each juvenile justice or care agency shall implement procedures consistent with the provisions of this chapter to facilitate inquiries concerning records.

(5) Any person who has reasonable cause to believe information concerning that person is included in the records of a juvenile justice or care agency and who has been denied access to those records by the agency may make a motion to the court for an order authorizing that person to inspect the juvenile justice or care agency record concerning that person. The court shall grant the motion to examine records unless it finds that in the interests of justice or in the best interests of the juvenile the records or parts of them should remain confidential.

(6) A juvenile, or his or her parents, or any person who has reasonable cause to believe information concerning that person is included in the records of a juvenile justice or care agency may make a motion to the court challenging the accuracy of any information concerning the moving party in the record or challenging the continued possession of the record by the agency. If the court grants the motion, it shall order the record or information to be corrected or destroyed.

(7) The person making a motion under subsection (5) or (6) of this section shall give reasonable notice of the motion to all parties to the original action and to any agency whose records will be affected by the motion.

(8) The court may permit inspection of records by, or release of information to, any clinic, hospital, or agency which has the subject person under care or treatment. The court may also permit inspection by or release to individuals or agencies, including juvenile justice advisory committees of county law and justice councils, engaged in legitimate research for educational, scientific, or public purposes. Each person granted permission to inspect juvenile justice or care agency records for research purposes shall present a notarized statement to the court stating that the names of juveniles and parents will remain confidential.

(9) The court shall release to the caseload forecast council the records needed for its research and data-gathering functions. Access to caseload forecast data may be permitted by the council for research purposes only if the anonymity of all persons mentioned in the records or information will be preserved.

(10) Juvenile detention facilities shall release records to the caseload forecast council upon request. The commission shall not disclose the names of any juveniles or parents mentioned in the records without the named individual's written permission.

(11) Requirements in this chapter relating to the court's authority to compel disclosure shall not apply to the legislative children's oversight committee or the office of the family and children's ombuds.

(12) For the purpose of research only, the administrative office of the courts shall maintain an electronic research copy of all records in the judicial information system related to juveniles. Access to the research copy is restricted to the ((Washington state center for court research)) administrative office of the courts for research purposes as authorized by the supreme court or by state statute. The ((Washington state center for court research)) administrative office of the courts shall maintain the confidentiality of all confidential records and shall preserve the anonymity of all persons identified in the research copy. Data contained in the research copy may be shared with other governmental agencies as authorized by state statute, pursuant to data-sharing and research agreements, and consistent with applicable security and confidentiality requirements. The research copy may not be subject to any records retention schedule and must include records destroyed or removed from the judicial information system pursuant to RCW 13.50.270 and 13.50.100(3).

(13) The court shall release to the Washington state office of public defense records needed to implement the agency's oversight, technical assistance, and other functions as required by RCW 2.70.020. Access to the records used as a basis for oversight, technical assistance, or other agency functions is restricted to the Washington state office of public defense. The Washington state office of public defense shall maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information included in the records.

PART II

EDUCATOR CULTURAL COMPETENCE

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 201.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.345 RCW to read as follows:

The Washington state school directors' association, in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, the steering committee established in RCW 28A.405.100, and the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, must develop a plan for the creation and delivery of cultural competency training for school board directors and superintendents. The training program must also include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum. The content of the training must be aligned with the standards for cultural competence developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270.

Sec. 202.  RCW 28A.405.106 and 2012 c 35 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must develop and make available a professional development program to support the implementation of the evaluation systems required by RCW 28A.405.100. The program components may be organized into professional development modules for principals, administrators, and teachers. The professional development program shall include a comprehensive online training package.

(2) The training program must include, but not be limited to, the following topics:

(a) Introduction of the evaluation criteria for teachers and principals and the four-level rating system;

(b) Orientation to and use of instructional frameworks;

(c) Orientation to and use of the leadership frameworks;

(d) Best practices in developing and using data in the evaluation systems, including multiple measures, student growth data, classroom observations, and other measures and evidence;

(e) Strategies for achieving maximum rater agreement;

(f) Evaluator feedback protocols in the evaluation systems;

(g) Examples of high quality teaching and leadership; and

(h) Methods to link the evaluation process to ongoing educator professional development.

(3) The training program must also include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum. The content of the training must be aligned with the standards for cultural competence developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the professional educator standards board, the steering committee established in RCW 28A.405.100, and the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, must integrate the content for cultural competence into the overall training for principals, administrators, and teachers to support the revised evaluation systems.

(4) To the maximum extent feasible, the professional development program must incorporate or adapt existing online training or curriculum, including securing materials or curriculum under contract or purchase agreements within available funds. Multiple modes of instruction should be incorporated including videos of classroom teaching, participatory exercises, and other engaging combinations of online audio, video, and print presentation.

(((4))) (5) The professional development program must be developed in modules that allow:

(a) Access to material over a reasonable number of training sessions;

(b) Delivery in person or online; and

(c) Use in a self-directed manner.

(((5))) (6) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must maintain a web site that includes the online professional development materials along with sample evaluation forms and templates, links to relevant research on evaluation and on high quality teaching and leadership, samples of contract and collective bargaining language on key topics, examples of multiple measures of teacher and principal performance, suggestions for data to measure student growth, and other tools that will assist school districts in implementing the revised evaluation systems.

(((6))) (7) The office of the superintendent of public instruction must identify the number of in-service training hours associated with each professional development module and develop a way for users to document their completion of the training. Documented completion of the training under this section is considered approved in-service training for the purposes of RCW 28A.415.020.

(((7))) (8) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall periodically update the modules to reflect new topics and research on performance evaluation so that the training serves as an ongoing source of continuing education and professional development.

(((8))) (9) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall work with the educational service districts to provide clearinghouse services for the identification and publication of professional development opportunities for teachers and principals that align with performance evaluation criteria.

Sec. 203.  RCW 28A.405.120 and 2012 c 35 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) School districts shall require each administrator, each principal, or other supervisory personnel who has responsibility for evaluating classroom teachers or principals to have training in evaluation procedures.

(2) Before school district implementation of the revised evaluation systems required under RCW 28A.405.100, principals and administrators who have evaluation responsibilities must engage in professional development designed to implement the revised systems and maximize rater agreement. The professional development to support the revised evaluation systems must also include foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 204.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, the professional educator standards board, colleges of education, and representatives from diverse communities and community-based organizations, must develop a content outline for professional development and training in cultural competence for school staff.

(2) The content of the cultural competence professional development and training must be aligned with the standards developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270. The training program must also include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum.

(3) The cultural competence professional development and training must contain components that are appropriate for classified school staff and district administrators as well as certificated instructional staff and principals at the building level. The professional development and training must also contain components suitable for delivery by individuals from the local community or community-based organizations with appropriate expertise.

(4) The legislature encourages educational service districts and school districts to use the cultural competence professional development and training developed under this section and provide opportunities for all school and school district staff to gain knowledge and skills in cultural competence, including in partnership with their local communities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 205.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.657 RCW to read as follows:

Schools that are required under state or federal accountability measures to implement a plan for improvement must provide the cultural competence professional development and training developed under RCW 28A.405.106, 28A.405.120, and section 204 of this act for classified, certificated instructional, and administrative staff of the school. The professional development and training may be delivered by an educational service district, through district in-service, or by another qualified provider, including in partnership with the local community.

PART III

INSTRUCTING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Sec. 301.  RCW 28A.660.045 and 2007 c 396 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The educator retooling (to teach mathematics and science)) conditional scholarship program is created. Participation is limited to current K-12 teachers and individuals having an elementary education certificate but who are not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate. It is anticipated that candidates enrolled in this program will complete the requirements for a mathematics ((or)), science, special education, bilingual education, or English language learner endorsement((, or both,)) in two years or less.

(2) Entry requirements for candidates include:

(a) Current K-12 teachers shall pursue a middle level mathematics or science, ((or)) secondary mathematics or science, special education, bilingual education, or English language learner endorsement.

(b) Individuals having an elementary education certificate but who are not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate shall pursue an endorsement only in middle level mathematics or science ((only)), special education, bilingual education, or English language learner.

Sec. 302.  RCW 28A.660.050 and 2012 c 229 s 507 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for these purposes, the conditional scholarship programs in this chapter are created under the following guidelines:

(1) The programs shall be administered by the student achievement council. In administering the programs, the council has the following powers and duties:

(a) To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the programs;

(b) To collect and manage repayments from participants who do not meet their service obligations; and

(c) To accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the programs.

(2) Requirements for participation in the conditional scholarship programs are as provided in this subsection (2).

(a) The alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited to interns of professional educator standards board-approved alternative routes to teaching programs under RCW 28A.660.040. For fiscal year 2011, priority must be given to fiscal year 2010 participants in the alternative route partnership program. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment in alternative certification routes through a professional educator standards board-approved program;

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of the alternative route certification program and receipt of a residency teaching certificate; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed eight thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The council may adjust the annual award by the average rate of resident undergraduate tuition and fee increases at the state universities as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(b) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is limited to qualified paraeducators as provided by RCW 28A.660.042. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment at a community and technical college for no more than two years and attain an associate of arts degree;

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of an associate of arts degree. This progress requirement is a condition for eligibility into a route one program of the alternative routes to teacher certification program for a mathematics, special education, or English as a second language endorsement; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed four thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The student achievement council may adjust the annual award by the average rate of tuition and fee increases at the state community and technical colleges.

(c) The educator retooling ((to teach mathematics and science)) conditional scholarship program is limited to current K-12 teachers. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards:

(i) Individuals currently employed as teachers shall pursue a middle level mathematics or science, ((or)) secondary mathematics or science, special education, bilingual education, or English language learner endorsement; or

(ii) Individuals who are certificated with an elementary education endorsement shall pursue an endorsement in middle level mathematics or science, ((or both)) special education, bilingual education, or English language learner; and

(iii) Individuals shall use one of the pathways to endorsement processes to receive ((a mathematics or science)) the endorsement, ((or both,)) which shall include passing ((a mathematics or science)) the associated endorsement test((,)) or ((both)) tests, plus observation and completing applicable coursework to attain the proper endorsement; and

(iv) Individuals shall receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed three thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, test fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the endorsement pathway being pursued.

(3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall select individuals to receive conditional scholarships. In selecting recipients, preference shall be given to eligible veterans or national guard members. In awarding conditional scholarships to support additional bilingual education or English language learner endorsements, the board shall also give preference to teachers assigned to schools required under state or federal accountability measures to implement a plan for improvement, and to teachers assigned to schools whose enrollment of English language learner students has increased an average of more than five percent per year over the previous three years.

(4) For the purpose of this chapter, a conditional scholarship is a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part in exchange for service as a certificated teacher employed in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive one year of loan obligation for every two years a recipient teaches in a public school. Recipients who fail to continue a course of study leading to residency teacher certification or cease to teach in a public school in the state of Washington in their endorsement area are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest.

(5) Recipients who fail to fulfill the required teaching obligation are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest and any other applicable fees. The student achievement council shall adopt rules to define the terms for repayment, including applicable interest rates, fees, and deferments.

(6) The student achievement council may deposit all appropriations, collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in the future teachers conditional scholarship account authorized in RCW 28B.102.080.

Sec. 303.  RCW 28A.180.040 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 9 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Every school district board of directors shall:

(a) Make available to each eligible pupil transitional bilingual instruction to achieve competency in English, in accord with rules of the superintendent of public instruction;

(b) Wherever feasible, ensure that communications to parents emanating from the schools shall be appropriately bilingual for those parents of pupils in the bilingual instruction program;

(c) Determine, by administration of an English test approved by the superintendent of public instruction the number of eligible pupils enrolled in the school district at the beginning of a school year and thereafter during the year as necessary in individual cases;

(d) Ensure that a student who is a child of a military family in transition and who has been assessed as in need of, or enrolled in, a bilingual instruction program, the receiving school shall initially honor placement of the student into a like program.

(i) The receiving school shall determine whether the district's program is a like program when compared to the sending school's program; and

(ii) The receiving school may conduct subsequent assessments pursuant to RCW 28A.180.090 to determine appropriate placement and continued enrollment in the program;

(e) Before the conclusion of each school year, measure each eligible pupil's improvement in learning the English language by means of a test approved by the superintendent of public instruction;

(f) Provide in-service training for teachers, counselors, and other staff, who are involved in the district's transitional bilingual program. Such training shall include appropriate instructional strategies for children of culturally different backgrounds, use of curriculum materials, and program models; and

(g) Make available a program of instructional support for up to two years immediately after pupils exit from the program, for exited pupils who need assistance in reaching grade-level performance in academic subjects even though they have achieved English proficiency for purposes of the transitional bilingual instructional program.

(2) Beginning in the 2019-20 school year, all classroom teachers assigned using funds for the transitional bilingual instruction program to provide supplemental instruction for eligible pupils must hold an endorsement in bilingual education or English language learner, or both.

(3) The definitions in Article II of RCW 28A.705.010 apply to subsection (1)(d) of this section.

PART IV

ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER ACCOUNTABILITY

Sec. 401.  RCW 28A.180.090 and 2001 1st sp.s. c 6 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The superintendent of public instruction shall develop an evaluation system designed to measure increases in the English and academic proficiency of eligible pupils. When developing the system, the superintendent shall:

(1) Require school districts to assess potentially eligible pupils within ten days of registration using an English proficiency assessment or assessments as specified by the superintendent of public instruction. Results of these assessments shall be made available to both the superintendent of public instruction and the school district;

(2) Require school districts to annually assess all eligible pupils at the end of the school year using an English proficiency assessment or assessments as specified by the superintendent of public instruction. Results of these assessments shall be made available to both the superintendent of public instruction and the school district;

(3) Develop a system to evaluate increases in the English and academic proficiency of students who are, or were, eligible pupils. This evaluation shall include students when they are in the program and after they exit the program until they finish their K-12 career or transfer from the school district. The purpose of the evaluation system is to inform schools, school districts, parents, and the state of the effectiveness of the transitional bilingual programs in school and school districts in teaching these students English and other content areas, such as mathematics and writing; and

(4) ((Report to the education and fiscal committees of the legislature by November 1, 2002, regarding the development of the systems described in this section and a timeline for the full implementation of those systems. The legislature shall approve and provide funding for the evaluation system in subsection (3) of this section before any implementation of the system developed under subsection (3) of this section may occur.)) Provide school districts with technical assistance and support in selecting research-based program models, instructional materials, and professional development for program staff, including disseminating information about best practices and innovative programs. The information must include research about the differences between conversational language proficiency, academic language proficiency, and subject-specific language proficiency and the implications this research has on instructional practices and evaluation of program effectiveness.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 402.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.657 RCW to read as follows:

At the beginning of each school year, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall identify schools that experienced a significant increase during the previous two school years in enrollment of English language learner students as compared to previous enrollment trends. The office shall notify the identified schools, and the school districts in which the schools are located must provide the cultural competence professional development and training developed under RCW 28A.405.106, 28A.405.120, and section 204 of this act for classified, certificated instructional, and administrative staff of the schools, unless it has been provided within the last two years. The professional development and training may be delivered by an educational service district, through district in-service, or by another qualified provider, including in partnership with the local community.

PART V

DISAGGREGATED STUDENT DATA

Sec. 501.  RCW 28A.300.042 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 307 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, the superintendent of public instruction must collect and school districts must submit all student-level data using the United States department of education 2007 race and ethnicity reporting guidelines, including the subracial and subethnic categories within those guidelines, with the following modifications:

(2) All student data-related reports required of the superintendent of public instruction in this title must be disaggregated by at least the following subgroups of students: White, Black, Hispanic, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Pacific Islander/Hawaiian Native, low income, transitional bilingual, migrant, special education, and students covered by section 504 of the federal rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794).

(((2))) (3) All student data-related reports ((required of)) prepared by the superintendent of public instruction regarding student suspensions and expulsions as required ((in RCW 28A.300.046)) under this title are subject to disaggregation by subgroups including:

(a) Gender;

(b) Foster care;

(c) Homeless, if known;

(d) School district;

(e) School;

(f) Grade level;

(g) Behavior infraction code, including:

(i) Bullying;

(ii) Tobacco;

(iii) Alcohol;

(iv) Illicit drug;

(v) Fighting without major injury;

(vi) Violence without major injury;

(vii) Violence with major injury;

(viii) Possession of a weapon; and

(ix) Other behavior resulting from a short-term or long-term suspension, expulsion, or interim alternative education setting intervention;

(h) Intervention applied, including:

(i) Short-term suspension;

(ii) Long-term suspension;

(iii) Emergency expulsion;

(iv) Expulsion;

(v) Interim alternative education settings;

(vi) No intervention applied; and

(vii) Other intervention applied that is not described in this subsection (2)(h);

(i) Number of days a student is suspended or expelled, to be

counted in half or full days; and

(j) Any other categories added at a future date by the data governance group.

(((3))) (4) All student data-related reports required of the superintendent of public instruction regarding student suspensions and expulsions as required in RCW 28A.300.046 are subject to cross-tabulation at a minimum by the following:

(a) School and district;

(b) Race, low income, special education, transitional bilingual, migrant, foster care, homeless, students covered by section 504 of the federal rehabilitation act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. Sec. 794), and categories to be added in the future;

(c) Behavior infraction code; and

(d) Intervention applied.

Sec. 503.  RCW 28A.300.505 and 2007 c 401 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop standards for school data systems that focus on validation and verification of data entered into the systems to ensure accuracy and compatibility of data. The standards shall address but are not limited to the following topics:

(a) Date validation;

(b) Code validation, which includes gender, race or ethnicity, and other code elements;

(c) Decimal and integer validation; and

(d) Required field validation as defined by state and federal requirements.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop a reporting format and instructions for school districts to collect and submit data on student demographics that is disaggregated ((by distinct ethnic categories within racial subgroups so that analyses may be conducted on student achievement using the disaggregated data)) as required under RCW 28A.300.042.

(2) This section expires August 1, 2017.

PART VI

RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF EDUCATORS

(2) The revised careers in education courses must incorporate:

(a) Standards for cultural competence developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270;

(b) The most recent competency standards established by the professional educator standards board and new research on best practices for educator preparation and development; and

(c) Curriculum and activities used by the recruiting Washington teachers program under RCW 28A.415.370.

(3) The revisions must be completed before the 2016-17 school year.

(4) This section expires September 1, 2017.

Sec. 602.  RCW 28A.300.507 and 2009 c 548 s 203 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) A K-12 data governance group shall be established within the office of the superintendent of public instruction to assist in the design and implementation of a K-12 education data improvement system for financial, student, and educator data. It is the intent that the data system reporting specifically serve requirements for teachers, parents, superintendents, school boards, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the legislature, and the public.

(2) The K-12 data governance group shall include representatives of the education data center, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, the professional educator standards board, the state board of education, and school district staff, including information technology staff. Additional entities with expertise in education data may be included in the K-12 data governance group.

(3) The K-12 data governance group shall:

(a) Identify the critical research and policy questions that need to be addressed by the K-12 education data improvement system;

(b) Identify reports and other information that should be made available on the internet in addition to the reports identified in subsection (5) of this section;

(c) Create a comprehensive needs requirement document detailing the specific information and technical capacity needed by school districts and the state to meet the legislature's expectations for a comprehensive K-12 education data improvement system as described under RCW 28A.655.210;

(d) Conduct a gap analysis of current and planned information compared to the needs requirement document, including an analysis of the strengths and limitations of an education data system and programs currently used by school districts and the state, and specifically the gap analysis must look at the extent to which the existing data can be transformed into canonical form and where existing software can be used to meet the needs requirement document;

(e) Focus on financial and cost data necessary to support the new K-12 financial models and funding formulas, including any necessary changes to school district budgeting and accounting, and on assuring the capacity to link data across financial, student, and educator systems; and

(f) Define the operating rules and governance structure for K-12 data collections, ensuring that data systems are flexible and able to adapt to evolving needs for information, within an objective and orderly data governance process for determining when changes are needed and how to implement them. Strong consideration must be made to the current practice and cost of migration to new requirements. The operating rules should delineate the coordination, delegation, and escalation authority for data collection issues, business rules, and performance goals for each K-12 data collection system, including:

(i) Defining and maintaining standards for privacy and confidentiality;

(ii) Setting data collection priorities;

(iii) Defining and updating a standard data dictionary;

(iv) Ensuring data compliance with the data dictionary;

(v) Ensuring data accuracy; and

(vi) Establishing minimum standards for school, student, financial, and teacher data systems. Data elements may be specified "to the extent feasible" or "to the extent available" to collect more and better data sets from districts with more flexible software. Nothing in RCW 43.41.400, this section, or RCW 28A.655.210 should be construed to require that a data dictionary or reporting should be hobbled to the lowest common set. The work of the K-12 data governance group must specify which data are desirable. Districts that can meet these requirements shall report the desirable data. Funding from the legislature must establish which subset data are absolutely required.

(4)(a) The K-12 data governance group shall provide updates on its work as requested by the education data center and the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.

(b) The work of the K-12 data governance group shall be periodically reviewed and monitored by the educational data center and the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.

(5) To the extent data is available, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall make the following minimum reports available on the internet. The reports must either be run on demand against current data, or, if a static report, must have been run against the most recent data:

(a) The percentage of data compliance and data accuracy by school district;

(b) The magnitude of spending per student, by student estimated by the following algorithm and reported as the detailed summation of the following components:

(i) An approximate, prorated fraction of each teacher or human resource element that directly serves the student. Each human resource element must be listed or accessible through online tunneling in the report;

(ii) An approximate, prorated fraction of classroom or building costs used by the student;

(iii) An approximate, prorated fraction of transportation costs used by the student; and

(iv) An approximate, prorated fraction of all other resources within the district. District-wide components should be disaggregated to the extent that it is sensible and economical;

(c) The cost of K-12 basic education, per student, by student, by school district, estimated by the algorithm in (b) of this subsection, and reported in the same manner as required in (b) of this subsection;

(d) The cost of K-12 special education services per student, by student receiving those services, by school district, estimated by the algorithm in (b) of this subsection, and reported in the same manner as required in (b) of this subsection;

(e) Improvement on the statewide assessments computed as both a percentage change and absolute change on a scale score metric by district, by school, and by teacher that can also be filtered by a student's length of full-time enrollment within the school district;

(f) Number of K-12 students per classroom teacher on a per teacher basis;

(g) Number of K-12 classroom teachers per student on a per student basis;

(h) Percentage of a classroom teacher per student on a per student basis; ((and))

(i) Percentage of classroom teachers of color per school district and per school;

(k) The cost of K-12 education per student by school district sorted by federal, state, and local dollars.

(6) The superintendent of public instruction shall submit a preliminary report to the legislature by November 15, 2009, including the analyses by the K-12 data governance group under subsection (3) of this section and preliminary options for addressing identified gaps. A final report, including a proposed phase-in plan and preliminary cost estimates for implementation of a comprehensive data improvement system for financial, student, and educator data shall be submitted to the legislature by September 1, 2010.

(7) All reports and data referenced in this section and RCW 43.41.400 and 28A.655.210 shall be made available in a manner consistent with the technical requirements of the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and the education data center so that selected data can be provided to the legislature, governor, school districts, and the public.

(8) Reports shall contain data to the extent it is available. All reports must include documentation of which data are not available or are estimated. Reports must not be suppressed because of poor data accuracy or completeness. Reports may be accompanied with documentation to inform the reader of why some data are missing or inaccurate or estimated.

PART VII

INTEGRATED STUDENT SERVICES AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 701.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The Washington integrated student supports program is established. The program shall be developed by the office of the superintendent of public instruction based on the framework described in this section. The purposes of the program include:

(a) Supporting a school-based approach to promoting the success of all students by coordinating academic and nonacademic supports to reduce barriers to academic achievement and educational attainment;

(b) Fulfilling a vision of public education where educators focus on education, students focus on learning, and auxiliary supports enable teaching and learning to occur unimpeded;

(c) Encouraging the creation, expansion, and quality improvement of community-based supports that can be integrated into the academic environment of schools and school districts;

(d) Increasing public awareness of the evidence showing that academic outcomes are a result of both academic and nonacademic factors; and

(e) Supporting statewide and local organizations in their efforts to provide leadership, coordination, technical assistance, professional development, and advocacy to implement high-quality, evidence-based, student-centered, coordinated approaches throughout the state.

(2)(a) The Washington integrated student supports program must be sufficiently flexible to adapt to the unique needs of schools and districts across the state, yet sufficiently structured to provide all students with the individual support they need for academic success.

(b) The essential framework of the Washington integrated student supports program includes:

(i) Needs assessments: The integrated student support staff must conduct a needs assessment for all at-risk students, develop or identify needed academic and nonacademic supports in the school and in the community, and work with providers to coordinate these supports to provide students with a package of mutually reinforcing supports designed to meet the individual needs of each student.

(ii) Integration and coordination: The integrated student support staff must develop close relationships with school and district leadership and staff to enhance the effectiveness of the program; basing the integrated student support staff within a school or district allows the integration and coordination of academic and nonacademic supports.

(iii) Community partnerships: The integrated student support staff must work with community partners to offer nonacademic supports to reduce barriers to students' academic success, including supports to students' families.

(iv) Data driven: The integrated student support staff must track students' needs and outcomes over time to determine whether the program is working, and how it could be more successful.

(c) The framework must facilitate the ability of any academic or nonacademic provider to support the needs of at-risk students, including: Mental health counselors, social emotional learning experts, physicians, dentists, speech therapists, and audiologists.

(2) The work group must be composed of the following members, who must reflect the geographic diversity across the state:

(a) The superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee;

(b) Three principals and three superintendents representing districts with diverse characteristics, selected by state associations of principals and superintendents, respectively;

(c) A representative from a statewide organization specializing in out-of-school learning;

(d) A representative from an organization with expertise in the needs of homeless students;

(e) A school counselor from an elementary school, a middle school, and a high school, selected by a state association of school counselors;

(f) A representative of an organization that is an expert on a multitiered system of supports; and

(g) A representative from a career and technical student organization.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction shall consult and may contract for services with a national nonpartisan, nonprofit research center that provides data and analyses to improve policies and programs serving children and youth for over thirty-five years.

(4) The work group must submit to the appropriate committee of the legislature a report recommending policies that need to be adopted or revised to implement the framework described in section 701 of this act throughout the state by October 1, 2016. The work group must submit a preliminary report by October 1, 2015, and a final report by October 1, 2016.

(5) This section expires August 1, 2017.

Sec. 703.  RCW 28A.165.035 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 203 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) ((Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, expenditure of funds from the learning assistance program must be consistent with the provisions of RCW 28A.655.235.

(2))) Use of best practices that have been demonstrated through research to be associated with increased student achievement magnifies the opportunities for student success. To the extent they are included as a best practice or strategy in one of the state menus or an approved alternative under this section or RCW 28A.655.235, the following are services and activities that may be supported by the learning assistance program:

(a) Extended learning time opportunities occurring:

(i) Before or after the regular school day;

(ii) On Saturday; and

(iii) Beyond the regular school year;

(b) Services under RCW 28A.320.190;

(c) Integrated student support programs and services under section 701 of this act;

(d) Professional development for certificated and classified staff that focuses on:

(i) The needs of a diverse student population;

(ii) Specific literacy and mathematics content and instructional strategies; and

(iii) The use of student work to guide effective instruction and appropriate assistance;

(((d))) (e) Consultant teachers to assist in implementing effective instructional practices by teachers serving participating students;

(((e))) (f) Tutoring support for participating students;

(((f))) (g) Outreach activities and support for parents of participating students, including employing parent and family engagement coordinators; and

(((g))) (h) Up to five percent of a district's learning assistance program allocation may be used for development of partnerships with community-based organizations, educational service districts, and other local agencies to deliver academic and nonacademic supports to participating students who are significantly at risk of not being successful in school to reduce barriers to learning, increase student engagement, and enhance students' readiness to learn. The ((office of the superintendent of public instruction)) school board must approve in an open meeting any community-based organization or local agency before learning assistance funds may be expended.

(((3))) (2) In addition to the state menu developed under RCW 28A.655.235, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall convene a panel of experts, including the Washington state institute for public policy, to develop additional state menus of best practices and strategies for use in the learning assistance program to assist struggling students at all grade levels in English language arts and mathematics ((and reduce disruptive behaviors in the classroom)). The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall publish the state menus by July 1, 2015, and update the state menus by each July 1st thereafter.

(((4))) (3)(a) Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, except as provided in (b) of this subsection, school districts must use a practice or strategy that is on a state menu developed under subsection (3) of this section or RCW 28A.655.235.

(b) Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, school districts may use a practice or strategy that is not on a state menu developed under subsection (3) of this section for two school years initially. If the district is able to demonstrate improved outcomes for participating students over the previous two school years at a level commensurate with the best practices and strategies on the state menu, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall approve use of the alternative practice or strategy by the district for one additional school year. Subsequent annual approval by the superintendent of public instruction to use the alternative practice or strategy is dependent on the district continuing to demonstrate increased improved outcomes for participating students.

(c) Beginning in the 2016-17 school year, school districts may enter cooperative agreements with state agencies, local governments, or school districts for administrative or operational costs needed to provide services in accordance with the state menus developed under this section and RCW 28A.655.235.

(((5))) (4) School districts are encouraged to implement best practices and strategies from the state menus developed under this section and RCW 28A.655.235 before the use is required.

Sec. 704.  RCW 28A.165.055 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 205 are each amended to read as follows:

The funds for the learning assistance program shall be appropriated in accordance with RCW 28A.150.260 and the omnibus appropriations act. The distribution formula is for school district allocation purposes only, but funds appropriated for the learning assistance program must be expended for the purposes of RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065 and 28A.655.235. The funds may also be appropriated for integrated student support programs and services under section 701 of this act.

PART VIII

TRANSITIONS

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 801.  A new section is added to chapter 43.215 RCW to read as follows:

The department, in collaboration with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall create a community information and involvement plan to inform home-based, tribal, and family early learning providers of the early achievers program under RCW 43.215.100.

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