AN ACT Relating to music education in elementary schools; amending RCW 28A.150.315 and 28A.300.040; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.230 RCW.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.150.315 and 2012 c 51 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Beginning with the 2007-08 school year, funding for voluntary all-day kindergarten programs shall be phased-in beginning with schools with the highest poverty levels, defined as those schools with the highest percentages of students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunch support in the prior school year. During the 2011-2013 biennium, funding shall continue to be phased-in each year until full statewide implementation of all-day kindergarten is achieved in the 2017-18 school year. Once a school receives funding for the all-day kindergarten program, that school shall remain eligible for funding in subsequent school years regardless of changes in the school's percentage of students eligible for free and reduced-price lunches as long as other program requirements are fulfilled. Additionally, schools receiving all-day kindergarten program support shall agree to the following conditions:

(a) Provide at least a one thousand-hour instructional program;

(b) Provide a curriculum that offers a rich, varied set of experiences that assist students in:

(i) Developing initial skills in the academic areas of reading, mathematics, and writing;

(ii) Developing a variety of communication skills;

(iii) Providing experiences in science, social studies, arts including music, health and physical education, and a world language other than English;

(iv) Acquiring large and small motor skills;

(v) Acquiring social and emotional skills including successful participation in learning activities as an individual and as part of a group; and

(vi) Learning through hands-on experiences;

(c) Establish learning environments that are developmentally appropriate and promote creativity;

(d) Demonstrate strong connections and communication with early learning community providers; and

(e) Participate in kindergarten program readiness activities with early learning providers and parents.

(2)(a) It is the intent of the legislature that administration of the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills as required in this subsection (2) and RCW 28A.655.080 replace administration of other assessments being required by school districts or that other assessments only be administered if they seek to obtain information not covered by the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.

(b) In addition to the requirements in subsection (1) of this section and to the extent funds are available, beginning with the 2011-12 school year on a voluntary basis, schools must identify the skills, knowledge, and characteristics of kindergarten students at the beginning of the school year in order to support social-emotional, physical, and cognitive growth and development of individual children; support early learning provider and parent involvement; and inform instruction. Kindergarten teachers shall administer the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills, as directed by the superintendent of public instruction in consultation with the department of early learning and in collaboration with the nongovernmental private-public partnership designated in RCW 43.215.070, and report the results to the superintendent. The superintendent shall share the results with the director of the department of early learning.

(c) School districts shall provide an opportunity for parents and guardians to excuse their children from participation in the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills.

(3) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall designate one or more school districts to serve as resources and examples of best practices in designing and operating a high-quality all-day kindergarten program. Designated school districts shall serve as lighthouse programs and provide technical assistance to other school districts in the initial stages of implementing an all-day kindergarten program. Examples of topics addressed by the technical assistance include strategic planning, developing the instructional program and curriculum, working with early learning providers to identify students and communicate with parents, and developing kindergarten program readiness activities.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.230 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Beginning in the 2017-18 school year, districts not already offering at least one hundred minutes per week of instruction in music in all of their elementary schools shall begin to increase the number of hours of music offered in elementary schools so that, by the 2022-23 school year, every elementary student has the opportunity to receive at least one hundred minutes per week of instruction in music. Nothing in this provision may be read to require an increase in the number of total instructional hours or days already offered by a district.

(2) Second class districts, for which provision of at least one hundred minutes of music per week in elementary schools would be an undue hardship, may apply to have this requirement modified or waived pursuant to rules adopted by the superintendent of public instruction.

(3) Instruction of music is to be taught by a certified music specialist. In exceptional cases, in accordance with RCW 28A.150.203, people of unusual competence but without a teaching certificate may teach students music in the elementary school so long as a certificated person exercises general supervision.

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.300.040 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 43 s 302 are each amended to read as follows:

In addition to any other powers and duties as provided by law, the powers and duties of the superintendent of public instruction shall be:

(1) To have supervision over all matters pertaining to the public schools of the state;

(2) To report to the governor and the legislature such information and data as may be required for the management and improvement of the schools;

(3) To prepare and have printed such forms, registers, courses of study, rules for the government of the common schools, and such other material and books as may be necessary for the discharge of the duties of teachers and officials charged with the administration of the laws relating to the common schools, and to distribute the same to educational service district superintendents;

(4) To travel, without neglecting his or her other official duties as superintendent of public instruction, for the purpose of attending educational meetings or conventions, of visiting schools, and of consulting educational service district superintendents or other school officials;

(5) To prepare and from time to time to revise a manual of the Washington state common school code, copies of which shall be made available online and which shall be sold at approximate actual cost of publication and distribution per volume to public and nonpublic agencies or individuals, said manual to contain Titles 28A and 28C RCW, rules related to the common schools, and such other matter as the state superintendent or the state board of education shall determine;

(6) To file all papers, reports and public documents transmitted to the superintendent by the school officials of the several counties or districts of the state, each year separately. Copies of all papers filed in the superintendent's office, and the superintendent's official acts, may, or upon request, shall be certified by the superintendent and attested by the superintendent's official seal, and when so certified shall be evidence of the papers or acts so certified to;

(7) To require annually, on or before the 15th day of August, of the president, manager, or principal of every educational institution in this state, a report as required by the superintendent of public instruction; and it is the duty of every president, manager, or principal, to complete and return such forms within such time as the superintendent of public instruction shall direct;

(8) To keep in the superintendent's office a record of all teachers receiving certificates to teach in the common schools of this state;

(9) To issue certificates as provided by law;

(10) To keep in the superintendent's office at the capital of the state, all books and papers pertaining to the business of the superintendent's office, and to keep and preserve in the superintendent's office a complete record of statistics, as well as a record of the meetings of the state board of education;

(11) With the assistance of the office of the attorney general, to decide all points of law which may be submitted to the superintendent in writing by any educational service district superintendent, or that may be submitted to the superintendent by any other person, upon appeal from the decision of any educational service district superintendent; and the superintendent shall publish his or her rulings and decisions from time to time for the information of school officials and teachers; and the superintendent's decision shall be final unless set aside by a court of competent jurisdiction;

(12) To administer oaths and affirmations in the discharge of the superintendent's official duties;

(13) To deliver to his or her successor, at the expiration of the superintendent's term of office, all records, books, maps, documents and papers of whatever kind belonging to the superintendent's office or which may have been received by the superintendent's for the use of the superintendent's office;

(14) To administer family services and programs to promote the state's policy as provided in RCW 74.14A.025;

(15) To promote the adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality, daily physical education for all students, and to encourage policies that provide all students with opportunities for physical activity outside of formal physical education classes;

(16) To promote the adoption of school-based curricula and policies that provide quality daily music education for all elementary school students, and to encourage policies that provide all elementary school students with opportunities for musical activities;

(17) To perform such other duties as may be required by law.

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