SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 6352
BYSenators Bailey, Gaspard, Rinehart, Bender, Williams, Murray, Anderson, Conner, von Reichbauer, Lee and Bauer;by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Establishing the fair start program.
Senate Committee on Education
Senate Hearing Date(s):January 9, 1990; January 18, 1990
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6352 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Lee, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Bender, Benitz, Gaspard, Metcalf, Murray, Rinehart.
Senate Staff:Larry Davis (786-7422)
January 22, 1990
Senate Committee on Ways & Means
Senate Hearing Date(s):January 24, 1990; January 25, 1990
Majority Report: That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 6352 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators McDonald, Chairman; Craswell, Vice Chairman; Amondson, Bailey, Bauer, Cantu, Fleming, Johnson, Lee, Moore, Newhouse, Niemi, Saling, Talmadge, Warnke, Williams, Wojahn.
Senate Staff:Ken Kanikeberg (786-7715)
February 9, 1990
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS, JANUARY 25, 1990
BACKGROUND:
Research findings from national and state studies and demographic data indicate that an increasing number of children are at risk of not performing up to their potential in school and even dropping out of school. Contributing reasons include: child abuse and neglect, poverty, family transiency, substance abuse, and poor health and nutrition. It is proposed that providing counseling and related prevention and intervention services at the elementary grade level will enhance the educational experience for students and educators.
SUMMARY:
The Superintendent of Public Instruction will establish a voluntary grant program to assist school districts in providing prevention and intervention programs and services for children in preschool through grade six. The name of the program is Fair Start.
State funds will be allocated on a matching basis. Grant applicants must provide a minimum 20 percent of the cost of the program. The district match may consist of identified state or federal funds, local funds, or contributions of services, materials, supplies, or physical facilities. Grant funds may not be used to replace funding for existing activities.
The superintendent will award grants on a priority basis. A priority one district is one where there is at least one elementary school in which 50 percent or more of the students are eligible for free or reduced price lunches. A priority two district must have between 40 and 50 percent eligible students, priority three will have between 25 and 40 percent, and priority four less than 25 percent. The criteria is solely for the purpose of allocation. Any student in the building needing prevention and intervention services is eligible to receive the services.
The superintendent will award grants on a phase-in schedule. Commencing with the 1990-91 school year, grants will be awarded to priority one districts. In 1991-92, grants will be awarded to priority two districts. Priority three districts will receive grants in 1992-93, and in 1993-94, grants will be awarded to priority four districts.
Districts may apply for a grant to develop or enhance an elementary grades prevention and intervention program using child intervention specialists: school counselors, school psychologists, school nurses, school social workers, mental health professionals, child psychiatrists, children's mental health specialists, or appropriate public or private providers of professional health care. Districts may contract with governmental or nongovernmental or community-based providers of professional health care to provide the prevention and intervention services.
Grant applications must include the district's policy on prevention and intervention services or commitment to adopt such a policy, district goals, referral procedures, liability issues, program evaluation procedures, how child intervention specialists will be used, and how grant funds will be used for related in-service purposes.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction will appoint an advisory committee to assist the superintendent in establishing possible additional grant application criteria. The committee may make recommendations regarding the selection of applicants for grant awards.
The superintendent will submit a report to the Legislature and the Governor on the Fair Start program by December 1, 1992, and biennially thereafter. The superintendent will study and report to the Legislature and Governor by December 1, 1990, on additional factors which might be appropriate criteria for determining eligibility priorities.
The State Board of Education will study and report to the Legislature and Governor by December 1, 1990, on: the supply of and demand for certain educational staff associates (school counselors, psychologists, nurses and social workers); the effect of current out-of-state certification policies for educational staff associates; the potential for developing a prevention and intervention in-service program; the possible relationship between the potential in-service program and the development of an Associate of Arts degree program for educational paraprofessionals; and the feasibility of developing a child intervention specialist certificate.
EFFECT OF EDUCATION COMMITTEE PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:
Child intervention specialists employed by the state may be used by districts to provide prevention/intervention services to students, and districts may count the use of these specialists toward the local district match of 20 percent.
District funds currently used for prevention/intervention services may count toward the local district match.
A representative of school directors is added to the advisory committee and included among the groups the State Board will consult in conducting the study of prevention/intervention related issues.
The SPI is directed to develop specific measures to evaluate the success of the grant projects and the Fair Start program.
The report date for the State Board study is changed to June 1, 1991.
Appropriation: $10,075,000 to the Superintendent of Public Instruction for the Fair Start Program; $75,000 to the State Board of Education
Revenue: none
Fiscal Note: available
EFFECT OF WAYS & MEANS COMMITTEE PROPOSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE:
The appropriation is deleted and the bill is contingent on funding in the budget.
Senate Committee - Testified: EDUCATION: Suzy Mygatt Wakefield, HARK Coalition; David Addicott, Washington School Counselors Association; Don Johnson, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Karyn Clarke, Tacoma School District; Ken Watson, Audrey Williams, Seattle School District; Dwayne Slate, Washington State School Directors' Association; Carol Mason, Washington Association of Child Abuse Councils; Judy Hartmann, Washington Education Association; Donna Shy, Washington State Parent-Teacher Association; Ronn Robinson, Office of the Governor; Margaret Casey, Children's Budget Coalition
Senate Committee - Testified: WAYS & MEAN: PRO: Linda McGee, Washington School Counselor's Association; Norm Walker, Washington School Counselor's Association; Margaret Casey, Children's Budget Coalition & the Alliance; Chris Van Gorkom, Washington Association School Administrators; Walter Ball, Association Washington School Principals; Don Johnson, State Superintendent of Public Instruction; John Quamme, Tacoma Public Schools