AN ACT Relating to paraeducators; amending RCW 28A.413.040, 28A.413.060, 28A.413.070, and 28A.660.050; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 28A.660.042.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

PARAEDUCATOR REQUIREMENTS

Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.413.040 and 2017 c 237 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

((Effective September 1, 2018,)) (1)(a) A person working as a paraeducator for a school district before or during the 2017-18 school year must meet the requirements of subsection (2) of this section by the date of hire for the 2019-20 school year or any subsequent school year.

(2) The minimum employment requirements for paraeducators are as provided in this subsection. ((The)) A paraeducator must:

(((1))) (a) Be at least eighteen years of age and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent; and

(((2)(a))) (b)(i) Have received a passing grade on the education testing service paraeducator assessment; or

(((b))) (ii) Hold an associate of arts degree; or

(((c))) (iii) Have earned seventy-two quarter credits or forty-eight semester credits at an institution of higher education; or

(((d))) (iv) Have completed a registered apprenticeship program.

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.413.060 and 2017 c 237 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) ((Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, beginning September 1, 2019,)) School districts must implement this section only in school years for which state funding is appropriated specifically for the purposes of this section and only for the number of days that are funded by the appropriation.

(2) School districts must provide a four-day fundamental course of study on the state standards of practice, as defined by the board, to paraeducators who have not completed the course, either in the district or in another district within the state. School districts must use best efforts to provide the fundamental course of study before the paraeducator begins to work with students and their families, and at a minimum by the deadlines provided in subsection (((2))) (3) of this section.

(((2))) (3) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, school districts must provide the fundamental course of study required in subsection (((1))) (2) of this section ((as follows)) by the deadlines provided in (a) of this subsection:

(a)(i) For paraeducators hired on or before September 1st, by September 30th of that year, regardless of the size of the district; and

(((b))) (ii) For paraeducators hired after September 1st:

(((i))) (A) For districts with ten thousand or more students, within four months of the date of hire; and

(((ii))) (B) For districts with fewer than ten thousand students, no later than September 1st of the following year.

(((3))) (b)(i) For paraeducators hired for the 2018-19 school year, by September 1, 2020; and

(4) School districts may collaborate with other school districts or educational service districts to meet the requirements of this section.

Sec. 4.  RCW 28A.413.070 and 2017 c 237 s 8 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) School districts must implement this section only in school years for which state funding is appropriated specifically for the purposes of this section and only for the number of days that are funded by the appropriation.

(2)(a) Paraeducators may become eligible for a general paraeducator certificate by completing the four-day fundamental course of study, as required under RCW 28A.413.060, and an additional ten days of general courses, as defined by the board, on the state paraeducator standards of practice, described in RCW 28A.413.050.

(b) Paraeducators are not required to meet the general paraeducator certificate requirements under this subsection (((1))) (2) unless ((amounts are appropriated for the specific purposes of subsection (2) of this section and RCW 28A.413.060)) the courses necessary to meet the requirements are funded by the state in accordance with subsection (1) of this section and RCW 28A.413.060(1).

(((2) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose,)) (3) Beginning September 1, 2019, school districts must:

(a) Provide paraeducators with general courses on the state paraeducator standards of practice; and

(b) Ensure all paraeducators employed by the district meet the general certification requirements of this section within three years of completing the four-day fundamental course of study.

(((3))) (4) The general paraeducator certificate does not expire.

PIPELINE FOR PARAEDUCATORS CONDITIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

Sec. 5.  RCW 28A.660.050 and 2016 c 233 s 14 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the conditional scholarship programs in this chapter are created under the following guidelines:

(1) The programs shall be administered by the student achievement council. In administering the programs, the council has the following powers and duties:

(a) To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the programs;

(b) To collect and manage repayments from participants who do not meet their service obligations; and

(c) To accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the programs.

(2) Requirements for participation in the conditional scholarship programs are as provided in this subsection (2).

(a) The alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited to interns of professional educator standards board-approved alternative route teacher certification programs under ((RCW 28A.660.040)) RCW 28A.660.020. For fiscal year 2011, priority must be given to fiscal year 2010 participants in the alternative route partnership program. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment in an alternative route teacher certification program through a professional educator standards board-approved program;

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of the alternative route teacher certification program and receipt of a residency teaching certificate; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed eight thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route teacher certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The council may adjust the annual award by the average rate of resident undergraduate tuition and fee increases at the state universities as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.

(b) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is limited to ((qualified)) paraeducators ((as provided by RCW 28A.660.042)) without a college degree who have experience as defined by the professional educator standards board. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:

(i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment at a community and technical college ((for no more than two years and attain an associate of arts degree));

(ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of an associate of arts degree((. This progress requirement is a condition for eligibility into a route one program of the alternative route teacher certification program for an early childhood education, elementary education, mathematics, computer science, special education, bilingual education, or English as a second language endorsement)) with an educational plan that includes enrollment in an alternative route teacher certification program; and

(iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed four thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation ((for the alternative route teacher certification program in which the recipient is enrolled)). The ((student achievement council may adjust the annual)) award may be adjusted annually by the average rate of tuition and fee increases at the state community and technical colleges.

(c) The educator retooling conditional scholarship program is limited to current K-12 teachers. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards:

(i) Individuals currently employed as teachers shall pursue an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to mathematics, science, special education, elementary education, early childhood education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education; or

(ii) Individuals who are certificated with an elementary education endorsement shall pursue an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education; and

(iii) Individuals shall use one of the pathways to endorsement processes to receive an endorsement in a subject or geographic endorsement shortage area, as defined by the professional educator standards board, including but not limited to mathematics, science, special education, bilingual education, English language learner, computer science education, or environmental and sustainability education, which shall include passing an endorsement test plus observation and completing applicable coursework to attain the proper endorsement; and

(iv) Individuals shall receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed three thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, test fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the endorsement pathway being pursued.

(3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall select individuals to receive conditional scholarships. In selecting recipients, preference shall be given to eligible veterans or national guard members. In awarding conditional scholarships to support additional bilingual education or English language learner endorsements, the board shall also give preference to teachers assigned to schools required under state or federal accountability measures to implement a plan for improvement, and to teachers assigned to schools whose enrollment of English language learner students has increased an average of more than five percent per year over the previous three years.

(4) For the purpose of this chapter, a conditional scholarship is a loan that is forgiven in whole or in part in exchange for service as a certificated teacher employed in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive one year of loan obligation for every two years a recipient teaches in a public school. Recipients who fail to continue a course of study leading to residency teacher certification or cease to teach in a public school in the state of Washington in their endorsement area are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest.

(5) Recipients who fail to fulfill the required teaching obligation are required to repay the remaining loan principal with interest and any other applicable fees. The student achievement council shall adopt rules to define the terms for repayment, including applicable interest rates, fees, and deferments.

(6) The student achievement council may deposit all appropriations, collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in the future teachers conditional scholarship account authorized in RCW 28B.102.080.

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