READ FIRST TIME 03/05/07.   

     AN ACT Relating to educator preparation, professional development, and compensation; amending RCW 28A.310.350; adding new sections to chapter 28A.415 RCW; creating new sections; and repealing RCW 28A.300.350, 28A.415.200, and 28A.415.205.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. (1) Research supports the value of quality school and school district leadership. Effective leadership is critical to improving student learning and transforming underperforming schools and school districts into world-class learning centers.
     (2) A public-private partnership is established to develop, pilot, and implement the Washington state leadership academy to focus on the development and enhancement of personal leadership characteristics and the teaching of effective practices and skills demonstrated by school and district administrators who are successful managers and instructional leaders. It is the goal of the academy to provide state-of-the-art programs and services across the state.
     (3) Academy partners include the state superintendent and principal professional associations, private nonprofit foundations, institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation programs, the professional educator standards board, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, educational service districts, the state school business officers' association, and other entities identified by the partners. The partners shall designate an independent organization to act as the fiscal agent for the academy and shall establish a board of directors to oversee and direct the academy's finances, services, and programs. The academy shall be supported by a national research institution with demonstrated expertise in educational leadership.
     (4) Initial development of academy course content and activities shall be supported by private funds. Initial tasks of the academy are to:
     (a) Finalize a comprehensive design of the academy and the development of the curriculum frameworks for a comprehensive leadership development program that includes coursework, practicum, mentoring, and evaluation components;
     (b) Develop curriculum for individual leadership topics;
     (c) Pilot the curriculum and all program components; and
     (d) Modify the comprehensive design, curriculum coursework, practicum, and mentoring programs based on the research results gained from pilot activities.
     (5) The board of directors shall report semiannually to the superintendent of public instruction on the financial contributions provided by foundations and other organizations to support the work of the academy. The board of directors shall report by December 31st each year to the superintendent of public instruction on the programs and services provided, numbers of participants in the various academy activities, evaluation activities regarding program and participant outcomes, and plans for the academy's future development.
     (6) The board of directors shall make recommendations for changes in superintendent and principal preparation programs, the administrator licensure system, and continuing education requirements.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR STANDARDS BOARD DUTIES. (1) The purpose of the duties in this section for the professional educator standards board is to take the next steps in developing quality teaching knowledge and skill in the state's teaching ranks. The duties build upon the current teacher development foundation that requires demonstrated teaching competency, requires evidence of positive impact on student learning, and focuses on furthering state kindergarten through twelfth grade learning goals through instructional skill alignment.
     (2) The professional educator standards board shall:
     (a) By December 2007:
     (i) Adopt new knowledge and skill standards that prepare all individuals seeking residency teacher certification to integrate mathematics across all content areas; and
     (ii) Adopt new certification requirements for individuals seeking residency teacher certification as elementary education or middle level and secondary mathematics teachers to assure adequate content and instructional strategy preparation to teach to the kindergarten through twelfth grades state mathematics and science standards;
     (b) By June 2009:
     (i) Set performance standards and develop, pilot, and implement a uniform and externally administered professional-level certification assessment based on demonstrated teaching skill. In the development of this assessment, consideration shall be given to changes in professional certification program components such as the culminating seminar;
     (ii) Summarize its work in the development of the assessment in (b)(i) of this subsection in the annual reports required by RCW 28A.410.240; and
     (iii) Review and revise the standards for higher education teacher preparation programs to incorporate updated practices to enhance teacher success in a knowledge and skill-based performance system that emphasizes strong content, applied learning, and personal, meaningful connections with students; and
     (c) By December 2009, review and revise as needed teacher preparation standards and requirements to focus on diversity in cultural knowledge and respect.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     MATH, SCIENCE, AND TARGETED SECONDARY READING INITIATIVE. Sections 3 through 6 of this act represent core components of a comprehensive initiative to improve mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading education and achievement through educator professional development and support. The initiative focuses on:
     (1) A regional delivery system to provide professional development and support to schools and school districts through the educational service districts;
     (2) A tiered support system that provides resources, services, assistance, and intervention for schools and districts, depending on their levels of need;
     (3) Leveraging existing public and private resources and district-initiated activities; and
     (4) Accountability through outcome-oriented performance agreements, contracts, reporting, and data collection.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     MATH, SCIENCE, AND TARGETED SECONDARY READING INITIATIVE. (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative shall provide the capacity and resources for the superintendent of public instruction, educational service districts, school districts, and schools to conduct a broad range of activities, depending on the level of need and priority of the school or district. The focus of the initiative is on building and enhancing the quality of mathematics and science instruction.
     (2) Activities supported by the initiative include, but are not limited to:
     (a) Targeted professional development in content knowledge, content-specific pedagogy, differentiated instruction, effective teaching strategies, learning modules, and mathematics and science standards and curriculum;
     (b) Use and analysis of diagnostic assessments and other data on student achievement to improve instruction;
     (c) Curriculum alignment and development or purchase of supplemental materials;
     (d) Integration of technology; and
     (e) Mentors and instructional coaches.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     MATH, SCIENCE, AND TARGETED SECONDARY READING INITIATIVE. (1) In support of the mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall:
     (a) In collaboration with the educational service districts, develop a methodology for distributing funds appropriated for activities under the tiered support system in this section among the educational service districts and among the three tiers of support. The methodology shall take into account the anticipated demand and need for services by school districts in each tier and the size of those school districts. The methodology shall also reflect a higher priority and greater need for support and resources for schools and districts in tier three;
     (b) Develop guidelines for educational service districts in administering grants, developing district improvement agreements, and implementing intensive intervention and support services. The guidelines shall not require all educational service districts to follow the same procedures in all circumstances, but shall ensure general equity for school districts across the state in how the districts may access resources under the initiative and the activities and services that are provided by the educational service districts;
     (c) Identify the schools and school districts eligible for tier three intensive intervention and support, based on low student performance in mathematics and science. The superintendent shall consider whether the school has the capacity to feasibly integrate additional resources with any existing state or federal improvement funds. To the maximum extent possible, the identification of and the intensive intervention services provided to tier three schools and districts shall align with the accountability plan developed by the state board of education; and
     (d) In collaboration with the educational service districts, develop guidelines and a common reporting format for collecting data and information about the activities and outcomes under the initiative and designate one or more common diagnostic assessments for districts to use in reporting and monitoring student achievement.
     (2)(a) If funds are appropriated, resources for the mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative shall be provided through the office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts to schools and school districts based on a tiered support system. The legislature's intent is that resources from the mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative are provided over a four-year period.
     (b) Tier one: Initiative grants. School districts may apply on a competitive basis to their educational service district for grants to support activities to improve mathematics, science, and secondary reading instruction. A district may contract with the educational service district for services, use the grant for district-initiated activities, or both. Tier one districts must demonstrate how district resources and resources from public-private partnerships shall be used to leverage the grant funds. Tier one grant recipients must identify measurable outcomes from the activities supported by the grant and report results in a prescribed format, including student achievement data from designated diagnostic assessments.
     (c) Tier two: Improvement agreements. School districts may work with the office of the superintendent of public instruction and educational service districts to plan, develop, and implement a mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative tailored to the needs of the district. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the educational service district, and the school district shall develop a joint agreement that identifies the services and support to be provided by the educational service district, the activities to be conducted by the district using improvement agreement funds, and the expected measurable outcomes from the activities. Recipients of funds under a tier two improvement agreement must report results of the activities supported by the agreement in a prescribed format, including student achievement data from designated diagnostic assessments.
     (d) Tier three: Intensive intervention and support. School districts and schools with low student performance in mathematics, science, and/or secondary reading as identified by the superintendent of public instruction under subsection (1) of this section are eligible for intensive intervention and support coordinated by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and/or the educational service district. School districts or individual schools may receive tier three support. Recipients of funds under tier three support must:
     (i) Participate in an audit of the mathematics, science, and secondary reading instructional delivery system, including policies and practices, curriculum alignment, teacher pedagogy and content knowledge, and assessment of overall climate and practice compared to best practices;
     (ii) Develop, with assistance from the educational service district, a school or district intervention plan that focuses on areas of highest need and provides intensive professional development in those areas;
     (iii) Participate in professional development using the services of a technical assistance team that includes a trained and experienced facilitator and mathematics, science, or reading instructional coaches to provide job-embedded professional development; and
     (iv) Identify measurable outcomes from the activities supported by the grant and report results in a prescribed format, including student achievement data from designated diagnostic assessments.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     MATH, SCIENCE, AND TARGETED SECONDARY READING INITIATIVE. (1) Educational service districts shall coordinate with the superintendent of public instruction to develop and maintain the capacity to provide administrative, professional development, technical assistance, and intervention services under the mathematics, science, and targeted secondary reading improvement initiative to support school districts as required under section 5 of this act, including:
     (a) Administering, reviewing, and monitoring grants for tier one grant recipients and providing contracted services;
     (b) Developing, administering, and monitoring tier two improvement agreements and providing support and services under the terms of the agreements; and
     (c) Coordinating and providing the intensive intervention and support for tier three schools and districts, including the instructional audit, intervention plan, and intervention team.
     (2) Educational service districts shall also:
     (a) Develop public-private partnerships and seek external grants and funds to leverage the state resources provided to support the mathematics and science improvement initiative;
     (b) Collect, compile, and disseminate data and information about the activities and outcomes under the initiative, including student achievement data from designated diagnostic assessments; and
     (c) Develop appropriate reporting and monitoring procedures to ensure accountability for the use of funds distributed to school districts through the tiered support system and for the achievement of desired outcomes.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     REGIONAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIPS. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall:
     (1) Create partnerships with the educational service districts or public or private institutions of higher education with approved educator preparation programs to develop and deliver professional development learning opportunities for educators that fulfill the goals and address the activities described in sections 3 through 6 and 9 of this act. The partnerships shall:
     (a) Support school districts by providing professional development leadership, courses, and consultation services to school districts in their implementation of professional development activities, including the activities described in sections 3 through 6 and 9 of this act; and
     (b) Support one another in the delivery of state-level and regional-level professional development activities such as state conferences and regional accountability institutes; and
     (2) Enter into a performance agreement with each educational service district to clearly articulate partner responsibilities and assure fidelity for the delivery of professional development initiatives including job-embedded practices. Components of such performance agreements shall include:
     (a) Participation in the development of various professional development workshops, programs, and activities;
     (b) Characteristics and qualifications of professional development staff supported by the program;
     (c) Methods to ensure consistent delivery of professional development services; and
     (d) Reporting responsibilities related to services provided, program participation, outcomes, and recommendations for service improvement.

Sec. 8   RCW 28A.310.350 and 1977 ex.s. c 283 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICTS. The basic core services and cost upon which educational service districts are budgeted shall include, but not be limited to, the following:
     (1) Educational service district administration and facilities such as office space, maintenance and utilities;
     (2) Cooperative administrative services such as assistance in carrying out procedures to abolish sex and race bias in school programs, fiscal services, grants management services, special education services and transportation services;
     (3) Personnel services such as certification/registration services;
     (4) Learning resource services such as audio visual aids;
     (5) Cooperative curriculum services such as health promotion and health education services, in-service training, workshops and assessment; ((and))
     (6) Professional development services identified by statute or the omnibus appropriations act; and
     (7) Special needs of local education agencies.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 9   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. (1) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, targeted professional development programs, to be known as learning improvement days, are authorized to further the development of outstanding mathematics, science, and reading teaching and learning opportunities in the state of Washington. The intent of this section is to provide guidance for the learning improvement days in the omnibus appropriations act. The learning improvement days authorized in this section shall not be considered part of the definition of basic education.
     (2) The expected outcomes of these programs are:
     (a) Provision of meaningful, targeted professional development for all teachers in mathematics, science, or reading;
     (b) Increased knowledge and instructional skill for mathematics, science, or reading teachers;
     (c) Increased use of curriculum materials with supporting diagnostic and supplemental materials that align with state standards;
     (d) Skillful guidance for students participating in alternative assessment activities;
     (e) Increased rigor of course offerings especially in mathematics, science, and reading;
     (f) Increased student opportunities for focused, applied mathematics and science classes;
     (g) Increased student success on state achievement measures; and
     (h) Increased student appreciation of the value and uses of mathematics, science, and reading knowledge and exploration of related careers.
     (3) School districts receiving resources under this section shall submit reports to the superintendent of public instruction regarding the use of the funds; how the use of the funds is associated with measurable improvement in the expected outcomes described under subsection (2) of this section; and how other professional development resources and programs authorized in statute or in the omnibus appropriations act contribute to the expected outcomes. The superintendent of public instruction and the office of financial management shall collaborate on required report content and format.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 10   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     RECRUITING WASHINGTON TEACHERS. (1) The recruiting Washington teachers program is established to recruit and provide training and support for high school students to enter the teaching profession, especially in teacher shortage areas and among under-represented groups and multilingual, multicultural students. The program shall be administered by the professional educator standards board.
     (2) The program shall consist of the following components:
     (a) Targeted recruitment of diverse students, including but not limited to students from under-represented groups and multilingual, multicultural students in grades nine through twelve through outreach and communication strategies. The focus of recruitment efforts shall be on encouraging students to consider and explore becoming future teachers in mathematics, science, bilingual education, special education, and English as a second language. Program enrollment is not limited to students from under-represented groups or multilingual, multicultural students;
     (b) A curriculum that provides future teachers with opportunities to observe classroom instruction at all grade levels; includes preteaching internships at all grade levels with a focus on shortage areas; and covers such topics as lesson planning, learning styles, student learning data and information, the achievement gap, cultural competency, and education policy;
     (c) Academic and community support services for students to help them overcome possible barriers to becoming future teachers, such as supplemental tutoring; advising on college readiness, applications, and financial aid processes; and mentoring; and
     (d) Future teacher camps held on college campuses where students can attend workshops and interact with college faculty and current teachers.
     (3) As part of its administration of the program, the professional educator standards board shall:
     (a) Develop the curriculum and program guidelines in consultation with an advisory group of teachers, representatives of teacher preparation programs, teacher candidates, students, and representatives of diverse communities;
     (b) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, allocate grant funds through a competitive process to partnerships of high schools, teacher preparation programs, and community-based organizations to design and deliver programs that include the components under subsection (2) of this section; and
     (c) Conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of current strategies and programs for recruiting teachers, especially multilingual, multicultural teachers, in Washington and in other states. The board shall use the findings from the evaluation to revise the recruiting Washington teachers program as necessary and make other recommendations to teacher preparation programs or the legislature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 11   The following acts or parts of acts are each repealed:
     (1) RCW 28A.300.350 (Excellence in mathematics training program) and 1999 c 347 s 2;
     (2) RCW 28A.415.200 (Minority teacher recruitment program -- Intent) and 1989 c 146 s 1; and
     (3) RCW 28A.415.205 (Minority teacher recruitment program) and 2005 c 497 s 211, 1991 c 238 s 75, & 1989 c 146 s 2.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 12   Captions used in this act are not any part of the law.