AN ACT Relating to preventing public identification or stigmatization of public school students based on unsatisfactory attendance, academic performance, or behavior; amending RCW 28A.400.110; adding a new section to chapter 28A.320 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

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

(2) The legislature finds that, despite putting an emphasis on improving school climate and creating a safe, respectful learning environment, some public school staff are publicly identifying and stigmatizing students based on attendance, academic performance, or behavior that is unsatisfactory.

(3) In order to develop and sustain school climates that create a safe, respectful learning environment, the legislature intends to:

(a) Prohibit public identification or stigmatization of a public school student based on unsatisfactory attendance, academic performance, or behavior;

(b) Require principals, classroom teachers, and paraeducators to review, annually, policies and practices designed to improve school climate and create a safe, respectful learning environment; and

(c) Task experts with developing recommendations on school climate and safe, respectful learning environment training requirements for educators.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.320 RCW to read as follows:

No school or district may publicly identify or stigmatize, or take any action that would likely publicly identify or stigmatize, a student based on attendance, academic performance, or behavior that is unsatisfactory.

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.400.110 and 1997 c 266 s 12 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Within each school the school principal shall determine that appropriate student discipline is established and enforced. In order to assist the principal in carrying out the intent of this section, the principal and the certificated employees in a school building shall confer at least annually in order to develop and/or review building disciplinary standards and uniform enforcement of those standards. Such building standards shall be consistent with the provisions of RCW 28A.600.020(3).

(2) School principals and certificated employees shall ((also)) confer annually((,)) to establish criteria for determining when certificated employees must complete classes to improve classroom management skills.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The center for the improvement of student learning, under RCW 28A.300.130, must convene a work group to make recommendations on school climate and safe, respectful learning environment training requirements for educators. These recommendations must emphasize that public identification or stigmatization, prohibited under section 2 of this act, are counterproductive to the state's goal of improving school climate and creating a safe, respectful learning environment.

(2) The work group must include a representative from each of the following agencies or organizations: The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, the paraeducator board, a school administrator association, a school principal association, and an association of teacher preparation programs.

 (3) By November 1, 2018, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the work group must report to the appropriate committees of the legislature. The report must include the following:

(a) The components of school climate and safe, respectful learning environment training that are common to all types of educators at all levels of experience, as agreed upon by the majority of the work group members;

(b) Best practices for making principals and administrators accountable for improving school climate and creating a safe, respectful learning environment; and

(c) Options for incorporating the common components agreed upon in (a) of this subsection into: (i) Various educator preparation programs; (ii) initial and renewal educator certification and paraeducator certificate requirements; (iii) evaluations and training on the components of evaluation criteria; and (iv) other trainings or professional development.

(4) In developing its recommendations, the work group shall:

(a) Consider teacher and principal evaluation training materials developed to address criteria related to: (i) Fostering and managing a safe, positive learning environment; (ii) creating a school culture that promotes the ongoing improvement of learning and teaching for students and staff; and (iii) providing for school safety; and

(b) Consider the variety of school climates and cultures across the state and the variety of methods by which educators receive new information, with the goal of developing recommendations that will work for most, if not all, schools.

(5) This section expires August 1, 2019.

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