AN ACT Relating to equity and cultural competency in the public school system; amending RCW 28A.345.100 and 28A.415.420; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.415 RCW; creating a new section; repealing RCW 28A.657.140; providing an effective date; and providing an expiration date.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that state resources have been invested to: (a) Identify model standards for cultural competency; (b) incorporate these cultural competency standards into both the standards for effective teaching and the standards of practice for paraeducators; (c) develop cultural competency training programs for school district staff from paraeducators to administrators; and (d) develop a plan for the creation and delivery of cultural competency training for school board directors and superintendents.

(2) The legislature plans to establish a center for equity and cultural competency within the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The center must work in conjunction with, and solicit advice from, educational entities, educators, students, students' families, communities, and experts in equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency. A continuum of training materials for classified staff, certificated instructional staff, certificated administrative staff, and superintendents with various levels of competency in these subject areas will be developed and delivered in a job-embedded and ongoing manner. Biennial reports on the effectiveness of the center will be submitted to the legislature. In these manners, the legislature intends to increase equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency within all aspects of the public school system.

(1) The center for equity and cultural competency is established within the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The purpose of the center is to increase equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency within all aspects of the public school system.

(a) Identify and make available best practices research that can be used by public schools to develop and implement: Programs and practices to promote equity, diversity, and inclusion; increase the cultural sensitivity and competence of school administrators and staff, students, and students' families; and develop and maintain positive school climates;

(d) Develop a continuum of equity, diversity, inclusion, cultural competency training materials for classified staff, certificated instructional staff, certificated administrative staff, and superintendents with various levels of competency in these subject areas. The training materials must include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum. The training materials must be aligned with the standards for cultural competence developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270;

(3) The center must work in conjunction with, and solicit advice from, educational entities, educators, students, students' families, communities, and experts in equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency, such as: School districts, public schools, educational service districts, institutions of higher education, the commission on African American affairs, the commission on Asian Pacific American affairs, the commission on Hispanic affairs, the governor's office of Indian affairs, the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee created by RCW 28A.300.136, Washington state human rights commission created by RCW 49.60.050, state and community based organizations that represent people who are protected from discrimination under RCW 28A.642.010; and organizations of educators, other school staff, parents, community members, and business members.

(5) Beginning September 1, 2020, and by September 1st biennially thereafter, and in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must report to the appropriate committees of the legislature regarding the effectiveness of the center in increasing equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence within all aspects of the public school system; how the services provided by the center have been used and by whom, including the number of facilitators trained to use the training materials developed under subsection (2)(d) of this section; and with recommendations to improve the effectiveness of the center.

(1) The Washington state school directors' association, in consultation with the center for equity and cultural competency within the office of the superintendent of public instruction established in section 2 of this act, ((the professional educator standards board, the steering committee established in RCW 28A.405.100, and the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, must develop a plan for the creation and delivery of))must develop equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency training for school board directors ((and superintendents)). The training program must ((also)) include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum. The training program must instruct school board directors on examining school district policies with an equity lens and how to use school district data to identify disproportionate student outcomes. The content of the training program must be aligned with the standards for cultural competence developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270.

(2) The Washington state school directors' association must provide ongoing training to school board members using the equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competency training program developed under this section. The association must consider using the facilitators trained under section 2 of this act to provide the training.

(1) Subject to funds appropriated specifically for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, in collaboration with the educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee, the professional educator standards board, colleges of education, and representatives from diverse communities and community-based organizations, must develop a content outline for professional development and training in cultural competence for school staff.

(2) The content of the cultural competence professional development and training must be aligned with the standards developed by the professional educator standards board under RCW 28A.410.270. The training program must also include the foundational elements of cultural competence, focusing on multicultural education and principles of English language acquisition, including information regarding best practices to implement the tribal history and culture curriculum.

(3) The cultural competence professional development and training must contain components that are appropriate for classified school staff and district administrators as well as certificated instructional staff and principals at the building level. The professional development and training must also contain components suitable for delivery by individuals from the local community or community-based organizations with appropriate expertise.

(4) ((The legislature encourages))Within amounts appropriated from state and federal sources for the purpose of professional learning, educational service districts and school districts ((to))must use the cultural competence professional development and training developed under this section ((and))to provide job-embedded, ongoing opportunities for all school and school district staff, from classified staff to the superintendent, to gain knowledge and skills in cultural competence, including in partnership with their local communities.

Within amounts appropriated from state and federal sources for the purpose of professional learning, school districts and educational service districts must use the equity, diversity, inclusion, and cultural competence training materials developed under section 2 of this act to provide job-embedded, ongoing training opportunities for classified staff, certificated instructional staff, certificated administrative staff, and the superintendent. School districts and educational service districts must consider using the facilitators trained under section 2 of this act to provide the training.