S-0232.1
SENATE BILL 5291
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State of Washington | 65th Legislature | 2017 Regular Session |
By Senators Pearson, McCoy, Warnick, Hobbs, Fain, Hasegawa, Palumbo, Wellman, Hunt, Kuderer, and Conway
Read first time 01/19/17. Referred to Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education.
AN ACT Relating to creating a pilot project to provide middle and junior high school students strategic and intentional academic support beyond the traditional school day to promote accountability and responsibility and to ensure high school readiness; adding new sections to chapter
43.330 RCW; creating new sections; making appropriations; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature acknowledges that all students do not learn in the same way or in the same amount of time. The legislature recognizes that students in middle and junior high schools would greatly benefit from additional academic support beyond the traditional school day to meet or exceed grade level learning standards, pass classes, and be ready for high school. The legislature finds that learning labs provide a space within schools beyond the traditional school day where students learn accountability and responsibility through teaming with parents, completing homework, monitoring classwork, passing classes and state tests, and gaining mentorship as they work toward college and career readiness. The legislature acknowledges that learning labs can also provide ongoing classes for parents and guardians, with students focused on teaching the skills needed to support academic success. The legislature intends to create a pilot project that establishes learning labs in middle and junior high schools to provide students the strategic and intentional support they need to achieve academically.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:
The definitions in this section apply throughout this section and sections 3 through 5 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
(1) "Academic support entity" means an entity that is exempt from taxation under 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, as of the effective date of this section, and that partners with public middle or junior high schools to provide academic support to students beyond the traditional school day within the schools. The academic support entity must have a proven track record of successfully implementing learning labs and have a program operation manual.
(2) "Lab director" means a part-time independent contractor who has teaching experience or the equivalent. The lab director supervises and is responsible for a learning lab. The lab director plays an active role in supporting student achievement through working with parents, monitoring grades, rewarding success, and creating an academic culture.
(3) "Learning lab" means a program that provides additional academic support to public middle or junior high school students beyond the traditional school day. A learning lab is housed in a room with computer access such as a library or computer room in a public middle or junior high school building and is led by a lab director.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:
(1) A pilot project is established to create learning labs in public middle and junior high schools. The pilot project must start at the beginning of the 2017-18 school year and end at the conclusion of the 2019-20 school year.
(2) The purpose of the pilot project is to provide public middle and junior high school students with an organized and consistent learning environment to support them in meeting or exceeding grade-level standards, obtaining the skills to be successful high school students, and being well prepared for postsecondary education.
(3)(a) The department shall administer the pilot project. No more than four percent of the funding provided for the pilot project may be used by the department for administrative purposes.
(b) An academic support entity shall implement the pilot project in up to ten public middle or junior high schools strategically placed within the state.
(c) Public middle and junior high schools participating in the pilot project must agree to partner with the academic support entity.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:
(1) Each middle or junior high school participating in the pilot project must have a learning lab that is open to students from after school until 6:00 p.m. each day that school is in session unless this time has to be adjusted for the school calendar.
(2) Each middle or junior high school participating in the pilot project must have a lab director. The lab director must be contracted with district input, trained, and supported by the academic support entity that implements the pilot project under section 3(3) of this act. This training must include the following topics:
(a) Involving parents and guardians;
(b) Monitoring grades and state test scores;
(c) Recognizing student academic improvement;
(d) Recruiting and training learning lab volunteers; and
(e) Teaming with students, parents, and teachers.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 43.330 RCW to read as follows:
The department, in collaboration with the academic support entity that implements the pilot project under section 3(3) of this act, shall submit a report regarding the pilot project to the governor, the appropriate committees of the legislature, and the superintendent of public instruction. The report shall be submitted by December 1, 2020, and must include a recommendation on whether the pilot project should be continued, expanded, or discontinued.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. This act may be known and cited as the accountability, responsibility, academic achievement, and opportunity act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The sum of six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, from the general fund to the department of commerce for the purposes of this act.
(2) The sum of six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019, from the general fund to the department of commerce for the purposes of this act.
(3) The sum of six hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020, from the general fund to the department of commerce for the purposes of this act.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 1 through 6 of this act expire June 30, 2021.
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