FINAL BILL REPORT

2SHB 1163

C 185 L 11

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Creating a work group on preventing bullying, intimidation, and harassment and increasing student knowledge on mental health and youth suicide.

Sponsors: House Committee on Education Appropriations & Oversight (originally sponsored by Representatives Liias, Johnson, Maxwell, Santos, Sullivan, Walsh, Orwall, Moeller, Van De Wege, Pedersen, McCoy, Ladenburg, Goodman, Hunt, Jinkins, Reykdal, Ormsby, Sells, Frockt, Upthegrove, Kagi, Blake, Fitzgibbon, Kenney, Stanford, Ryu, Miloscia, Carlyle, Pettigrew, Moscoso, Probst, Seaquist, Finn, Roberts, Appleton, Billig, Hasegawa, Clibborn, Hurst, Hudgins, Jacks, Dunshee, Green, Tharinger, Darneille and Rolfes).

House Committee on Education

House Committee on Education Appropriations & Oversight

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying. Since 2003 school districts have been required to maintain a district policy prohibiting harassment, intimidation, and bullying of any student. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) developed a model prevention policy and training materials to assist school districts.

In 2010 legislation was enacted requiring the OSPI to revise and update the model policy, create a model procedure, and adopt rules regarding communication to parents, students, and employees. The 2010 law requires school districts to amend their policies by August 1, 2011, to, at a minimum, incorporate the new OSPI policy and procedure. School districts must also designate a primary contact person in the district for their policies and procedures. The Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO) is designated as the lead agency to provide resources and tools to parents and families about anti-harassment policies and strategies.

The OSPI convened a workgroup of stakeholders to assist in developing the new model policy and procedure. In November 2010 the OSPI conveyed the new policy and procedures to the Education Committees of the Legislature, and included the following additional recommendations from the workgroup:

1. A continuing state-level anti-bullying workgroup is needed to advise the Legislature on the next steps in addressing bullying.

2. Training is needed for all school staff and should be required where resources permit.

3. School districts should periodically analyze their data on harassment, intimidation, and bullying and remediate where there are high incidents of bullying.

4. Funding should be provided to assist districts with training, data collection, best practices, and additional personnel to monitor areas with low supervision.

Health and Fitness Standards. The OSPI has developed learning standards for health and fitness that require students to gain knowledge and skills in:

• movement, physical fitness, and nutrition;

• dimensions of health, stages of growth and development, reduced health risks, and promotion of safe living;

• analysis and evaluation of the impact of real-life influences on health; and

• analysis of personal information to develop an individualized fitness plan.

School districts make curriculum decisions and determine what materials are used to provide health and fitness instruction. School districts must have classroom-based assessments or other strategies in place for elementary, middle, and high school to assure that students have an opportunity to learn the health and fitness standards.

Parents of students who have been bullied or harassed often testify that their children become depressed and sometimes suicidal as a result of their experiences.

Summary:

The OSPI and the OEO must convene a school bullying and harassment prevention workgroup to develop, recommend, and implement strategies to improve school climate and create respectful learning environments in public schools. The Superintendent of Public Instruction or a designee serves as Chair. Organizations to be represented in the workgroup are specified.

The workgroup must:

• consider whether additional disaggregated data on incidents of bullying and harassment should be collected and make recommendations to the OSPI on data collection;

• examine procedures for anonymous reporting of incidents;

• identify curriculum and best practices for improving school climate; incorporating instruction about mental health, youth suicide prevention, and prevention of bullying and harassment; and training staff and students in de-escalation techniques;

• recommend best practices for informing and involving parents;

• recommend training for school district primary contacts;

• recommend pre-service training for educators;

• examine and recommend policies for discipline of students and staff; and

• in collaboration with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), examine and recommend policies to protect K-12 students attending community and technical colleges from bullying and harassment.

A biennial report is required beginning December 1, 2011, until the workgroup expires January 1, 2016.

The SBCTC and the Higher Education Coordinating Board must compile and analyze college and university policies and procedures regarding harassment, intimidation, and bullying prevention. Each must submit a report to the Education and Higher Education Committees of the Legislature with recommendations for improvement by December 1, 2011. The report must also include recommendations about disaggregated data, training for personnel who are primary contacts regarding policies, and policies for disciplining students and staff who harass, intimidate, or bully.

Beginning July 1, 2012, issues of mental health and suicide prevention education are included in health and fitness learning standards for purposes of classroom based assessments. The OSPI is directed to work with other agencies to develop pilot projects to assist schools in implementing youth suicide prevention activities.

Votes on Final Passage: