FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1812

C 147 L 13

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Extending the time frame for making expenditures under the urban school turnaround initiative.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Haigh, Pettigrew, Springer, Haler, Hunt, Fagan, Morrell, Hunter, Hudgins and Santos).

House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Education

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Senate Committee on Ways & Means

Background:

The Urban School Turnaround Initiative (USTI) was created in the 2012 Supplemental Budget to improve learning achievement of students in low-performing urban schools. Under the grant, two schools are selected from the largest urban school district in the state. The selected schools are required to be among the state's lowest-performing schools. Additionally, the selected schools are required to be within the same community, have significant educational achievement gaps, and be a mix of elementary, middle, or high schools.

The USTI grant is one-time and must be used in the 2012-13 school year for intensive supplemental instruction, services, and materials in the selected schools. Certain specific expenditure categories are permitted. These permitted expenditures include: professional development for school staff; updated curriculum, materials, and technology; extended learning opportunities for students; reductions to class sizes; summer enrichment activities; school-based health clinics; and other research-based initiatives to turn around the performance and close the achievement gap in the selected schools.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) is required to monitor the activities in the selected schools. Additionally, the OSPI must submit a report to the Legislature by December 1, 2013, detailing the outcomes that resulted from the USTI grant and including a comparison of student learning achievement in the selected schools as compared with schools of comparable demographics that were not recipients of the grant.

The two schools selected to receive the USTI grant were Aki Kurose Middle School Academy and Rainier Beach High School. Each school received $1 million to be spent in the 2012-13 school year, for which each has submitted a spending plan for the grant funds.

Summary:

The requirement that the Urban School Turnaround Initiative (USTI) grant selected schools utilize the funds in the 2012-13 school year is removed. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction is directed to enter into an expenditure agreement with the selected schools. The agreement requires that any USTI grant funds remaining unspent on August 31, 2015, be returned to the state.

Votes on Final Passage: