SENATE BILL REPORT

                 E2SHB 2085

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                   Education, April 1, 1999

Title:  An act relating to programs addressing disruptive students in regular classrooms.

Brief Description:  Creating programs addressing disruptive students in regular classrooms.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Quall, Talcott, Haigh, Carlson, Santos, Linville, Cox, Kessler, Morris, Murray, McDonald, O'Brien, Anderson, Thomas, Ogden, Poulsen, Rockefeller, Lovick, Kenney, Wolfe, Stensen, Schual‑Berke, Tokuda, Ruderman, Keiser, Wood, Constantine and Lantz).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  3/18/99, 3/31/99, 4/1/99 [DPA, DNPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Eide, Vice Chair; Bauer, Brown, Finkbeiner, Goings, Kohl-Welles, Rasmussen and Swecker.

Minority Report:  Do not pass as amended.

  Signed by Senator Hochstatter.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  Since 1996, the Legislature has provided $3 million for one-year startup grants for selected school districts to provide alternative programs for students who have been truant, suspended, expelled, or subject to other disciplinary actions.  In January 1998, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) submitted a report to the Legislature recommending increased funding of the program to enable more school districts to receive grants to start alternative programs and to provide training for teachers in effective strategies for working with at risk students.

Summary of Amended Bill:  Beginning in the 1999-2000 school year, elementary, junior high and middle school regular and special education staff are encouraged to share successful practices for managing disruptive students.

If money is provided in the budget, the SPI must conduct training institutes during the summer of 2000 for teams of school staff to learn effective research based strategies for handling disruptive students.  If a school district participates in an institute, then the team must develop a district plan addressing disruptive students.  Elementary and middle schools that participate in an institute are encouraged to develop building level plans.

Amended Bill Compared to Second Substitute Bill:  The requirement that the institutes be two days and conducted at each ESD is deleted.  The grant program is deleted.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  Disruptive students can destroy the learning environment for other children who want to be academically engaged.  There are many different programs and effective ways of redirecting disruptive students.  Teachers should be trained in those best-practices so the needs of the  disruptive students can be addressed and the students can be taught to behave properly.  Additionally, alternative programs should be provided to provide an different learning environment for those disruptive students who cannot achieve in a classroom setting.

Testimony Against:  The bill should be expanded to address K-12 students and not just K-8.  The requirements in the application for the grants need to reflect more clearly how the grants can be spent and the criteria on which the grants will be awarded.

Testified:  PRO: Brad Hawkins, student teacher; Bob Butts, Denise Fitch, OSPI; Lisa Griebel, Howard King, Ron Swanson, AWSP; Lloyd Gardner, citizen; Judy Hartmann, Tacoma School District.