BILL REQ. #:  S-1824.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/13/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to establishing the first peoples' language and culture teacher certification program; amending RCW 28A.415.020; adding a new section to chapter 28A.410 RCW; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that:
     (1) Teaching first peoples' languages and cultures is a critical factor in successful educational experiences and promoting cultural sensitivity for all students. Experience shows such teaching dramatically raises student achievement. The effect is particularly strong for Native American students;
     (2) Native American students have the highest high school dropout rate among all groups of students. Less than one-fourth of Native American students in the class of 2008 are on track to graduate based on the results of the Washington assessment of student learning. Positive and supportive educational experiences are critical for Native American students' success;
     (3) The sole expertise of sovereign tribal governments in the transmission of their indigenous languages, heritage, cultural knowledge, customs, and traditions should be honored;
     (4) Government-to-government collaboration between the state and the sovereign tribal governments whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of the state of Washington serves to implement the spirit of the 1989 centennial accord and other similar government-to-government agreements, including the 2004 accord between the federally recognized Indian tribes with treaty reserved rights in Washington state and the state of Washington;
     (5) Establishing a first peoples' language and culture teacher certification program both achieves educational objectives and models effective government-to-government relationships;
     (6) Establishing a first peoples' language and culture certification program implements the following policy objectives of P.L. 101-477, the federal Native American languages act of 1990, in a tangible way:
     (a) To preserve, protect, and promote the rights and freedom of Native Americans to use, practice, and develop Native American languages;
     (b) To allow exceptions to teacher certification requirements for federal programs and programs funded in whole or in part by the federal government, for instruction in Native American languages when such teacher certification requirements hinder the employment of qualified teachers who teach in Native American languages, and to encourage state and territorial governments to make similar exceptions;
     (c) To encourage and support the use of Native American languages as a medium of instruction in order to encourage and support Native American language survival, educational opportunity, increased student success and performance, increased student awareness and knowledge of their culture, and increased student and community pride;
     (d) To encourage state and local education programs to work with Native American parents, educators, Indian tribes, and other Native American governing bodies in the implementation of programs to put this policy into effect; and
     (e) To encourage all institutions of elementary, secondary, and higher education, where appropriate, to include Native American languages in the curriculum in the same manner as foreign languages and to grant proficiency in Native American languages the same full academic credit as proficiency in foreign languages;
     (7) Establishing a first peoples' language and culture certification program is consistent with the intent of presidential executive order number 13336 from 2004, entitled "American Indian and Alaska native education," to assist students in meeting the challenging student academic standards of P.L. 107-110, the no child left behind act of 2001, in a manner that is consistent with tribal traditions, languages, and cultures.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.410 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The Washington state first peoples' language and culture teacher certification program is established. The professional educator standards board shall adopt rules to implement the program in collaboration with the sovereign tribal governments whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of the state of Washington, including the tribal leader congress on education and the first peoples' language and culture committee. The collaboration required under this section shall be defined by a protocol for cogovernance in education developed by the professional educator standards board and the sovereign tribal governments whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of the state of Washington.
     (2) Any sovereign tribal government whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of the state of Washington may participate individually on a government-to-government basis in the program.
     (3) Under the first peoples' language and culture teacher certification program:
     (a) Only a participating sovereign tribal government may certify individuals who meet the tribe's criteria for certification as a teacher in the Washington state first peoples' language and culture program. Before certification of the individual, the participating sovereign tribal government shall conduct a background check through the tribal police departments within Washington state to determine, to the extent possible, whether the individual has been convicted of any crimes that may otherwise disqualify the person from being awarded a teacher certificate. The professional educator standards board shall not authorize or accept a certificate or endorsement in Washington state first peoples' language and culture without verification from a participating sovereign tribal government;
     (b) For each teacher to be certified in the program, the participating sovereign tribal government shall submit information and documentation necessary for the issuance of a state certificate, as defined by rule, to the professional educator standards board. The information and documentation shall include the necessary record check information as required under RCW 28A.410.010 and any information acquired when the participating sovereign tribal government conducted a background check through the tribal police departments under this section;
     (c) A Washington state first peoples' language and culture teacher certificate serves as a subject area endorsement in first peoples' language and culture. The holder of a Washington state first peoples' language and culture teacher certificate who does not also hold an initial, residency, continuing, or professional teaching certificate authorized by the professional educator standards board may be assigned to teach only the languages and cultures designated on the certificate and no other subject;
     (d) A Washington state first peoples' language and culture teacher certificate remains valid and recognized by the state of Washington under this section until modified or revoked by the participating sovereign tribal government that certified the teacher except that a certificate may be suspended or revoked by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under the authority in RCW 28A.410.090. A participating sovereign tribal government shall review the award of the certificate every five years and notify the professional educator standards board if the tribal government modifies or revokes a first peoples' language and culture teacher certificate; and
     (e) The holder of a Washington state first peoples' language and culture teacher certificate meets Washington state's definition of a highly qualified teacher under P.L. 107-110, the no child left behind act of 2001, for the purposes of teaching first peoples' language and culture, subject to approval by the United States department of education.
     (4) First peoples' language/culture teacher certificates issued by the state board of education or the professional educator standards board under a pilot program before the effective date of this section remain valid as certificates under this section, subject to modification or revocation as provided in this section.
     (5) Schools and school districts on or near tribal reservations are encouraged to contract with sovereign tribal governments whose traditional lands and territories lie within the borders of the state of Washington and first peoples' language and culture certification programs for in-service teacher training and continuing education in the culture appropriate for their geographic area, as well as suggested pedagogy and instructional strategies.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.415.020 and 2006 c 263 s 808 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Certificated personnel shall receive for each ten clock hours of approved in-service training attended the equivalent of a one credit college quarter course on the salary schedule developed by the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.
     (2) Certificated personnel shall receive for each ten clock hours of approved continuing education earned, as continuing education is defined by rule adopted by the professional educator standards board, the equivalent of a one credit college quarter course on the salary schedule developed by the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.
     (3) Certificated personnel shall receive for each forty clock hours of participation in an approved internship with a business, an industry, or government, as an internship is defined by rule of the professional educator standards board in accordance with RCW 28A.415.025, the equivalent of a one credit college quarter course on the salary schedule developed by the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee.
     (4) An approved in-service training program shall be a program approved by a school district board of directors, which meet standards adopted by the professional educator standards board, and the development of said program has been participated in by an in-service training task force whose membership is the same as provided under RCW 28A.415.040, or a program offered by an education agency approved to provide in-service for the purposes of continuing education as provided for under rules adopted by the professional educator standards board, or both.
     (5) Clock hours eligible for application to the salary schedule developed by the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee as described in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, shall be those hours acquired after August 31, 1987. Clock hours eligible for application to the salary schedule as described in subsection (3) of this section shall be those hours acquired after December 31, 1995.
     (6) In-service training or continuing education in first peoples' language or culture provided by a sovereign tribal government participating in the Washington state first peoples' language and culture program authorized under section 2 of this act shall be considered approved in-service training or approved continuing education under this section and RCW 28A.415.023.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act may be known and cited as the "First peoples' language/culture teacher certification act: Honoring our ancestors."