Washington State

House of Representatives

Office of Program Research

BILL

ANALYSIS

Education Committee

HB 1264

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.

Background:

Secondary Traumatic Stress.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services defines secondary traumatic stress disorder, or compassion fatigue, as a natural, but disruptive by-product of working with people who have been traumatized. Evidence of secondary traumatic stress can be difficult to recognize in oneself or even in others. Symptoms often include a combination of cognitive, behavioral, emotional, spiritual, and physical features, such as feelings of isolation, anxiety, dissociation, physical ailments, and sleep disturbances. Secondary traumatic stress is preventable and treatable, however, if unaddressed, the symptoms can result in problems with mental and physical health, strained personal relationships, and poor work performance.

Professional Learning.

Washington defines professional learning as a comprehensive, sustained, job-embedded, and collaborative approach to improving teachers' and principals' effectiveness in raising student achievement. Professional learning must incorporate differentiated, coherent, sustained, and evidence-based strategies that improve educator effectiveness and student achievement. It should include the work of established collaborative teams of staff members, who commit to working together on an ongoing basis to accomplish common goals and who are engaged in a continuous cycle of professional improvement. Professional learning should be facilitated by well-prepared leaders who incorporate knowledge, skills, and dispositions for leading professional learning of adults.

State funding for professional learning days for teachers and other certificated instructional staff must be provided to school districts as follows:

one professional learning day in the 2018-19 school year;

two professional learning days in the 2019-20 school year; and

three professional learning days in the 2020-21 school year.

Summary of Bill:

Secondary Traumatic Stress Modules.

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) must identify or develop online training modules to support teachers affected by secondary traumatic stress, and make the modules available on its website. At a minimum, the modules must:

describe the signs and symptoms of secondary traumatic stress and how it is different from other trauma or stress disorders;

outline the reasons why teachers and other school staff might be at risk for secondary traumatic stress;
include a self-assessment for secondary traumatic stress;
describe the impact of secondary stress on various life domains, such as the cognitive, professional, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and financial domains;
teach how to craft a self-care plan with attainable objectives, explain the barriers to self-care and how to overcome these barriers; and
include an appendix of resources on secondary traumatic stress and self-care.

Professional Learning Topics.

Beginning in fiscal year 2021, if the number of state-allocated professional learning days for either certificated instructional staff or classified staff is increased beyond the number allocated in fiscal year 2020, the OSPI must include the secondary traumatic stress training modules on the menu of professional learning topics that may be implemented on the additional professional learning days.