AN ACT Relating to eliminating the quality education council; amending RCW 28A.175.075, 28A.230.090, 28A.300.136, and 28A.400.201; and repealing RCW 28A.290.010 and 28A.290.020.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.175.075 and 2013 c 23 s 46 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a state-level building bridges work group that includes K-12 and state agencies that work with youth who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of school. The following agencies shall appoint representatives to the work group: The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the department of early learning, the employment security department, the state board for community and technical colleges, the department of health, the community mobilization office, and the children's services and behavioral health and recovery divisions of the department of social and health services. The work group should also consist of one representative from each of the following agencies and organizations: A statewide organization representing career and technical education programs including skill centers; the juvenile courts or the office of juvenile justice, or both; the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys; the Washington state office of public defense; accredited institutions of higher education; the educational service districts; the area workforce development councils; parent and educator associations; educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee; office of the education ombuds; local school districts; agencies or organizations that provide services to special education students; community organizations serving youth; federally recognized tribes and urban tribal centers; each of the major political caucuses of the senate and house of representatives; and the minority commissions.

(2) To assist and enhance the work of the building bridges programs established in RCW 28A.175.025, the state-level work group shall:

(a) Identify and make recommendations to the legislature for the reduction of fiscal, legal, and regulatory barriers that prevent coordination of program resources across agencies at the state and local level;

(b) Develop and track performance measures and benchmarks for each partner agency or organization across the state including performance measures and benchmarks based on student characteristics and outcomes specified in RCW 28A.175.035(1)(e); and

(c) Identify research-based and emerging best practices regarding prevention, intervention, and retrieval programs.

(3)(a) The work group shall report to the ((quality education council,)) appropriate committees of the legislature((,)) and the governor on an annual basis beginning December 1, 2007, with proposed strategies for building K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems in local communities throughout the state including, but not limited to, recommendations for implementing emerging best practices, needed additional resources, and eliminating barriers.

(b) By September 15, 2010, the work group shall report on:

(i) A recommended state goal and annual state targets for the percentage of students graduating from high school;

(ii) A recommended state goal and annual state targets for the percentage of youth who have dropped out of school who should be reengaged in education and be college and work ready;

(iii) Recommended funding for supporting career guidance and the planning and implementation of K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems in school districts and a plan for phasing the funding into the program of basic education, beginning in the 2011-2013 biennium; and

(iv) A plan for phasing in the expansion of the current school improvement planning program to include state-funded, dropout-focused school improvement technical assistance for school districts in significant need of improvement regarding high school graduation rates.

(4) State agencies in the building bridges work group shall work together, wherever feasible, on the following activities to support school/family/community partnerships engaged in building K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems:

(a) Providing opportunities for coordination and flexibility of program eligibility and funding criteria;

(b) Providing joint funding;

(c) Developing protocols and templates for model agreements on sharing records and data;

(d) Providing joint professional development opportunities that provide knowledge and training on:

(i) Research-based and promising practices;

(ii) The availability of programs and services for vulnerable youth; and

(iii) Cultural competence.

(5) The building bridges work group shall make recommendations to the governor and the legislature by December 1, 2010, on a state-level and regional infrastructure for coordinating services for vulnerable youth. Recommendations must address the following issues:

(a) Whether to adopt an official conceptual approach or framework for all entities working with vulnerable youth that can support coordinated planning and evaluation;

(b) The creation of a performance-based management system, including outcomes, indicators, and performance measures relating to vulnerable youth and programs serving them, including accountability for the dropout issue;

(c) The development of regional and/or county-level multipartner youth consortia with a specific charge to assist school districts and local communities in building K-12 comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems;

(d) The development of integrated or school-based one-stop shopping for services that would:

(i) Provide individualized attention to the neediest youth and prioritized access to services for students identified by a dropout early warning and intervention data system;

(ii) Establish protocols for coordinating data and services, including getting data release at time of intake and common assessment and referral processes; and

(iii) Build a system of single case managers across agencies;

(e) Launching a statewide media campaign on increasing the high school graduation rate; and

(f) Developing a statewide database of available services for vulnerable youth.

Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.230.090 and 2014 c 217 s 202 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students, except as provided in RCW 28A.230.122 and except those equivalencies established by local high schools or school districts under RCW 28A.230.097. The purpose of a high school diploma is to declare that a student is ready for success in postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship, and is equipped with the skills to be a lifelong learner.

(a) Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements shall consider including information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.

(b) The certificate of academic achievement requirements under RCW 28A.655.061 or the certificate of individual achievement requirements under RCW 28A.155.045 are required for graduation from a public high school but are not the only requirements for graduation.

(c) Any decision on whether a student has met the state board's high school graduation requirements for a high school and beyond plan shall remain at the local level. Effective with the graduating class of 2015, the state board of education may not establish a requirement for students to complete a culminating project for graduation.

(d)(i) The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement the career and college ready graduation requirement proposal adopted under board resolution on November 10, 2010, and revised on January 9, 2014, to take effect beginning with the graduating class of 2019 or as otherwise provided in this subsection (1)(d). The rules must include authorization for a school district to waive up to two credits for individual students based on unusual circumstances and in accordance with written policies that must be adopted by each board of directors of a school district that grants diplomas. The rules must also provide that the content of the third credit of mathematics and the content of the third credit of science may be chosen by the student based on the student's interests and high school and beyond plan with agreement of the student's parent or guardian or agreement of the school counselor or principal.

(ii) School districts may apply to the state board of education for a waiver to implement the career and college ready graduation requirement proposal beginning with the graduating class of 2020 or 2021 instead of the graduating class of 2019. In the application, a school district must describe why the waiver is being requested, the specific impediments preventing timely implementation, and efforts that will be taken to achieve implementation with the graduating class proposed under the waiver. The state board of education shall grant a waiver under this subsection (1)(d) to an applying school district at the next subsequent meeting of the board after receiving an application.

(2)(a) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board.

(b) The state board shall reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous career and technical education programs, particularly those programs that lead to a certificate or credential that is state or nationally recognized. The purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that students enrolled in these programs have sufficient opportunity to earn a certificate of academic achievement, complete the program and earn the program's certificate or credential, and complete other state and local graduation requirements.

(c) The state board shall forward any proposed changes to the high school graduation requirements to the education committees of the legislature for review ((and to the quality education council established under RCW 28A.290.010)). The legislature shall have the opportunity to act during a regular legislative session before the changes are adopted through administrative rule by the state board. Changes that have a fiscal impact on school districts, as identified by a fiscal analysis prepared by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall take effect only if formally authorized and funded by the legislature through the omnibus appropriations act or other enacted legislation.

(3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.

(4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:

(a) The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or

(b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.

(5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit.

(6) At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours equals one high school credit.

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.300.136 and 2013 c 23 s 49 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) An educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee is created to synthesize the findings and recommendations from the 2008 achievement gap studies into an implementation plan, and to recommend policies and strategies to the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, and the state board of education to close the achievement gap.

(2) The committee shall recommend specific policies and strategies in at least the following areas:

(a) Supporting and facilitating parent and community involvement and outreach;

(b) Enhancing the cultural competency of current and future educators and the cultural relevance of curriculum and instruction;

(c) Expanding pathways and strategies to prepare and recruit diverse teachers and administrators;

(d) Recommending current programs and resources that should be redirected to narrow the gap;

(e) Identifying data elements and systems needed to monitor progress in closing the gap;

(f) Making closing the achievement gap part of the school and school district improvement process; and

(g) Exploring innovative school models that have shown success in closing the achievement gap.

(3) Taking a multidisciplinary approach, the committee may seek input and advice from other state and local agencies and organizations with expertise in health, social services, gang and violence prevention, substance abuse prevention, and other issues that disproportionately affect student achievement and student success.

(4) The educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee shall be composed of the following members:

(a) The chairs and ranking minority members of the house and senate education committees, or their designees;

(b) One additional member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house and one additional member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate;

(c) A representative of the office of the education ombuds;

(d) A representative of the center for the improvement of student learning in the office of the superintendent of public instruction;

(e) A representative of federally recognized Indian tribes whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of Washington state, designated by the federally recognized tribes; and

(f) Four members appointed by the governor in consultation with the state ethnic commissions, who represent the following populations: African-Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islander Americans.

(5) The governor and the tribes are encouraged to designate members who have experience working in and with schools.

(6) The committee may convene ad hoc working groups to obtain additional input and participation from community members. Members of ad hoc working groups shall serve without compensation and shall not be reimbursed for travel or other expenses.

(7) The chair or cochairs of the committee shall be selected by the members of the committee. Staff support for the committee shall be provided by the center for the improvement of student learning. Members of the committee shall serve without compensation but must be reimbursed as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Legislative members of the committee shall be reimbursed for travel expenses in accordance with RCW 44.04.120.

(8) The superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, and the professional educator standards board((, and the quality education council)) shall work collaboratively with the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee to close the achievement gap.

Sec. 4.  RCW 28A.400.201 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 468 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature recognizes that providing students with the opportunity to access a world-class educational system depends on our continuing ability to provide students with access to world-class educators. The legislature also understands that continuing to attract and retain the highest quality educators will require increased investments. The legislature intends to enhance the current salary allocation model and recognizes that changes to the current model cannot be imposed without great deliberation and input from teachers, administrators, and classified employees. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature to begin the process of developing an enhanced salary allocation model that is collaboratively designed to ensure the rationality of any conclusions regarding what constitutes adequate compensation.

(2) Beginning July 1, 2011, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the human resources director in the office of financial management, shall convene a technical working group to recommend the details of an enhanced salary allocation model that aligns state expectations for educator development and certification with the compensation system and establishes recommendations for a concurrent implementation schedule. In addition to any other details the technical working group deems necessary, the technical working group shall make recommendations on the following:

(a) How to reduce the number of tiers within the existing salary allocation model;

(b) How to account for labor market adjustments;

(c) How to account for different geographic regions of the state where districts may encounter difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers;

(d) The role of and types of bonuses available;

(e) Ways to accomplish salary equalization over a set number of years; and

(f) Initial fiscal estimates for implementing the recommendations including a recognition that staff on the existing salary allocation model would have the option to grandfather in permanently to the existing schedule.

(3) As part of its work, the technical working group shall conduct or contract for a preliminary comparative labor market analysis of salaries and other compensation for school district employees to be conducted and shall include the results in any reports to the legislature. For the purposes of this subsection, "salaries and other compensation" includes average base salaries, average total salaries, average employee basic benefits, and retirement benefits.

(4) The analysis required under subsection (1) of this section must:

(a) Examine salaries and other compensation for teachers, other certificated instructional staff, principals, and other building-level certificated administrators, and the types of classified employees for whom salaries are allocated;

(b) Be calculated at a statewide level that identifies labor markets in Washington through the use of data from the United States bureau of the census and the bureau of labor statistics; and

(c) Include a comparison of salaries and other compensation to the appropriate labor market for at least the following subgroups of educators: Beginning teachers and types of educational staff associates.

(5) The working group shall include representatives of the office of financial management, the professional educator standards board, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the Washington education association, the Washington association of school administrators, the association of Washington school principals, the Washington state school directors' association, the public school employees of Washington, and other interested stakeholders with appropriate expertise in compensation related matters. The working group may convene advisory subgroups on specific topics as necessary to assure participation and input from a broad array of diverse stakeholders.

(6) The working group shall be monitored and overseen by the legislature ((and the quality education council created in RCW 28A.290.010)). The working group shall make an initial report to the legislature by June 30, 2012, and shall include in its report recommendations for whether additional further work of the group is necessary.

(1) RCW 28A.290.010 (Quality education council—Purpose—Membership and staffing—Reports) and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 25 s 7 & 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 s 54; and

(2) RCW 28A.290.020 (Funding formulas to support instructional program—Technical working group) and 2010 c 236 s 5 & 2009 c 548 s 112.

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