Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

HB 1618

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Bill

Specifies certain minimum duties for a family and community engagement coordinator within a school building or school district.
Provides that state funding allocated to school districts for family and community engagement coordinators in the prototypical school funding formula may be used only for family and community engagement purposes.
Replaces the the term "parent involvement coordinator" in the prototypical school funding formula statute and the Learning Assistance Program statute with the term"family and community engagement coordinator."

Background:

Family and Community Engagement.

State Definition. In 2016, the Legislature directed the Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) to collaborate with the Educational Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee to recommend a definition, and model or framework, for the staff position that is variously referred to as "family engagement coordinator," "parent and family engagement coordinator," and "parent involvement coordinator." The OEO submitted its report to the Legislature on December 1, 2016. The report did not recommend a definition or framework for the staff position, but did recommended certain steps that the Legislature could take to provide leadership, clarity, and vision in the development and sustainability of meaningful, culturally-responsive school and family partnerships.

Federal Requirements. The federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) continues the federal No Child Left Behind Act requirement that states and school districts develop policies and set aside funds to support parent involvement in Title I schools. Under the ESSA, school districts must set aside at least one percent of Title I funds for parent and family engagement activities. Ninety percent of the funds must go directly to schools, with priority given to "high need" schools. Funds must be spent in specified areas, for example, on training school staff regarding engagement strategies or on programs that reach families at home, in their communities, and at school.

Prototypical School Funding Formula.

Legislation adopted in 2010 (i.e. Substitute House Bill 2776, enacted as chapter 236, laws of 2010) created the prototypical school allocation formula. The use of prototypical schools is intended to illustrate the level of resources needed to operate a school of a particular size using commonly understood terms such as class size, hours of instruction, and specified staff positions. Districts have discretion over how the money is spent, subject to some limits.

This formula allocates funding to school districts based on assumed levels of staff and other resources necessary to support a "prototypical" school that serves an assumed number of students at defined elementary, middle, and high schools levels. The statute includes "parent involvement coordinators" in a list of building-level staff positions, but the allocation listed for this position is 0.00. Since 2013, the biennial operating budget has allocated 0.0825 per prototypical elementary school for parent involvement coordinators. Beginning in September 2022, the prototypical school allocation formula will include funding for one "parent involvement coordinator" per prototypical elementary, middle, and high school.

Summary of Bill:

A family and community engagement coordinator within a school building or school district has, at a minimum, the following duties:

to identify and bridge barriers to students' and families' access to needed services;
to consult with an advisory group of students' families, who reflect the demographic diversity within the school building or school district, concerning, among other things, how to support students and families in a culturally responsive manner; and
to partner with community-based organizations to increase resources for family and community engagement, including academic and nonacademic services and programs for students and families.

The funding allocated to school districts for family and community engagement coordinators in the prototypical school funding formula may be used only for family and community engagement purposes.

The term "parent involvement coordinator" in the prototypical school funding formula statute and the Learning Assistance Program statute is changed to "family and community engagement coordinator."