Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

HB 2695

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Splits the per annual average full-time equivalent student allocation formula for "other supplies and library materials" into two categories, to create a "library materials" category within the materials, supplies, and operating costs prototypical school formula.
Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to examine student access to school library information and technology resources and the associated impacts to student success, and report to the Governor, the Legislature, and the Superintendent by December 1, 2019.
Requires, subject to the appropriation of specific funds, the OSPI to create a school library information and technology office within the OSPI, and establishes duties for that office.

Background:

School Libraries and Teacher-Librarians.

School library information and technology (LIT) programs are school programs staffed by a teacher-librarian. These programs provide a broad, flexible array of services, resources, and instruction that support student mastery of the state learning standards in all subject areas, and the implementation of the district's school improvement plan. A teacher-librarian is a certificated teacher with a library media endorsement. The duties of a teacher-librarian include collaborating with schools to integrate information and technology into curriculum and instruction, provide information management and digital citizenship instruction, and create a culture of reading in the school community.

Educational Technology Learning Standards.

In 2008, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (Superintendent) adopted state learning standards and grade level expectations for educational technology literacy and technology fluency. The educational technology learning standards are: (1) students use technology within all content areas to collaborate, communicate, generate innovative ideas, investigate, and solve problems; and (2) students demonstrate a clear understanding of technology systems and operations, and practice safe, legal, and ethical behavior.

Funding Library Materials.

The state allocates funding to school districts based on assumed levels of staff and other resources necessary to support a "prototypical" school that serves an assumed number of students at defined elementary, middle, and high school levels. Prototypical schools are intended to illustrate the level of resources needed to operate a school of a particular size using commonly understood terms such as class size, hours of instruction, specified staff positions, and materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC). Districts have discretion over how the money is spent, subject to some limits.

The MSOC formula allocates $298.05 for "other supplies and library materials" per annual average full-time equivalent (FTE) student. For each annual average FTE student in grades nine through twelve (9-12), the formula allocates an additional $82.84 for other supplies and library materials. Each of these amounts is adjusted annually for inflation, as specified in the Omnibus Appropriations Act.

Summary of Bill:

Funding Library Materials.

Within the MSOC prototypical schools formula, specified amounts ($20 and $5.56) are subtracted from the existing "other supplies and library materials" categories, and new "library materials" categories are populated with the subtracted amounts (making the change cost neutral).

Report on Student Access to School Library Resources.

By December 1, 2019, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must examine and report to the Legislature, the Governor, and the Superintendent on student access to school LIT resources and the associated impacts to student success. The examination and report must include a summary of:

each school district's implementation of a school LIT program, by school building, during the 2017-18 school year;
how each district assesses achievement of the educational technology learning standards and fulfills its basic education goal of providing opportunities for every student to develop the knowledge and skills essential to integrate technology literacy and fluency when forming reasoned judgments and solving problems; and
the number and duties of teacher-librarians employed by each district, and an indication of whether and to what extent teachers who are not teacher-librarians are providing school LIT program services to students.

School Library Information and Technology Office.

Subject to the appropriation of specific funds, a School LIT Office is created within the OSPI, with the director appointed by the Superintendent. The office must be responsible for assisting districts with implementing school LIT programs, increasing access for all students to these programs, and promoting student achievement of the educational technology learning standards.