[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to balanced student achievement calendar planning grants; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The state board of education finds that research supports advantages to student learning from the use of calendars balanced for learning, instruction, and retention, such as:

(a) Reduction of summer learning loss;

(b) Opportunities for increased learning time, which helps all students;

(c) Opportunities for intervention throughout the academic year, which helps prevent learning problems and learning failure;

(d) Better attendance by students and teachers;

(e) Decreased student discipline referrals;

(f) Decreased student vandalism;

(g) Lower dropout rate; and

(h) Continuous learning and preparation for state-mandated testing.

(2) The board further finds that calendars balanced for achievement, separated by vacation and intersession enrichment and remediation periods, can provide benefits for school staff planning and professional development, facility use, and increased vacation flexibility for families and staff not otherwise available from the traditional school calendar.

(3)(a) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education, shall award planning grants to schools or school districts seeking to develop and implement a balanced student achievement calendar. For the purpose of this section, a "balanced student achievement calendar" means a school year of one hundred eighty days that are distributed over a twelve-month period, during which time the school year calendar schedules regular student instructional days of one week or more in eleven of the twelve months, and summer break is six weeks, thereby allowing for intersession instructional periods.

(b) The intent of the grant program is to facilitate the development and implementation of balanced student achievement calendars that provide more continuous periods of learning and instruction as relates to student promotion, enrichment, acceleration, and remediation, and opportunities for extended time or days for additional learning opportunities for all students to meet their individual learning needs.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education shall submit a joint report to the education committees of the legislature not later than January 30, 2004, on the number of grants awarded and the types of balanced student achievement calendars implemented.

(5) This section expires June 30, 2004.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The sum of one hundred twenty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2003, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.

(2) Not more than twenty-five thousand dollars of the appropriation in this section may be used by the superintendent of public instruction for administrative purposes.

(3) Not more than twenty-five thousand dollars of the appropriation in this section may be used for a pregrant application forum to expand public awareness of balanced student achievement calendars and provide potential grant applicants with information to assist in submitting focused and thoughtful applications.