HOUSE BILL REPORT

SSB 5163

As Reported by House Committee On:

Education

Title: An act relating to providing for educational data on students from military families.

Brief Description: Providing for educational data on students from military families.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Hobbs, Roach, Rolfes, O'Ban, Hatfield, Litzow, McCoy, Mullet, Conway, Fain, Chase and Darneille).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education: 3/12/15, 3/26/15 [DPA].

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 17 members: Representatives Santos, Chair; Ortiz-Self, Vice Chair; Reykdal, Vice Chair; Magendanz, Ranking Minority Member; Muri, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Stambaugh, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Caldier, Fagan, Gregory, Hargrove, S. Hunt, Kilduff, Klippert, Orwall, Pollet and Springer.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 3 members: Representatives Griffey, Hayes and McCaslin.

Staff: Cece Clynch (786-7195).

Background:

K-12 Data Collection.

The Comprehensive Education Data and Research System is a longitudinal data warehouse of educational data. Districts report data on courses, teachers, and students to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Course data includes standardized state course codes. Teacher data includes demographics, certifications, and schedules. Student data includes demographics, enrollment information, schedules, grades, and program participation.

The K-12 Data Governance Group (Group) in the OSPI was established by the Legislature to assist in the design and implementation of the K-12 data system for financial, student, and educator data. The Group includes representatives of the Education Data Center, the OSPI, the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee, the Professional Educator Standards Board, the State Board of Education, and school district staff.

Military Presence in Washington.

There are numerous military installations across Washington, including: Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the central Puget Sound area; Fairchild Air Force Base near Spokane; Naval Air Station at Whidbey Island; and the Yakima Training Center.

The military population in this state includes active duty personnel, as well as members of the reserves and the Washington National Guard (Guard). "Active duty" means full-time duty status in the active uniformed service of the United States. Members of the reserves perform part-time duties, but rotate through mobilizations to full-time duty. When not on active duty, reserve soldiers typically train one weekend per month.

The Guard is made up of more than 8,000 citizen soldiers and airmen. At the call of the Governor, the Guard mobilizes and deploys during times of state emergency to augment local jurisdictions and responders in their efforts to protect lives and property. The Guard is also subject to the call of the United States President to serve as part of the total United States military.

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Summary of Amended Bill:

No later than the 2016-17 school year, in addition to other data that must be collected and reported to the OSPI, school districts must also report data on students from military families. The Group must develop best practice guidelines for the collection and regular updating of this data. Collection and updating of this data must use the United States Department of Education 2007 Race and Ethnicity Reporting Guidelines, including the subracial and subethnic categories within those guidelines.

"Students from military families" means:

• students with a parent or guardian who is a member of the active duty U.S. Armed Forces; or

• students with a parent or guardian who is a member of the reserves of the U.S. Armed Forces or a member of the Washington National Guard.

Data must be collected and submitted separately for each of the above categories.

In addition, the OSPI must conduct an analysis of the average number of students from military families who are special education students, including state, district, and school-level information. To protect the privacy of students, the data from schools and districts that have fewer than 10 students from military families who are special education students shall not be reported. This analysis must be reported to the appropriate committees of the Legislature by December 31, 2017.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:

The amended bill retains the content of the substitute bill, with the following changes:

• The null and void clause is removed.

• The provision which limited collection and reporting to data regarding only newly enrolled, including transfer, students from military families is removed.

• A provision is added that requires that the collection and updating of the data must use the United States Department of Education 2007 Race and Ethnicity Reporting Guidelines, including the subracial and subethnic categories within those guidelines.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is favored; as is the House version.  It doesn't matter which one is the vehicle.  The bill will allow the opportunity to verify impact aid situations where alternate moneys are coming in.  Protecting the privacy of individuals is very important.  There was a situation in a different program a few years ago in which military children were the target in an effort to affect a battle far away.  The privacy needs of military children are similar to the privacy of police.  Thirteen states have done this already, and there haven't been any reports that Freedom of Information Act requests have been misused.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Mark San Souci, Department of Defense State Liaison Office; and Deryl McCarty, Veteran Legislative Coalition.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.