H-4014.1
HOUSE BILL 2816
State of Washington | 66th Legislature | 2020 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Corry, Steele, Caldier, Van Werven, Eslick, Chambers, and Boehnke
Read first time 01/23/20.Referred to Committee on Education.
AN ACT Relating to nurturing positive social and emotional school and classroom climates; adding a new section to chapter
28A.345 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that each school community member should be treated with dignity, should have the opportunity to learn, work, interact, and socialize in physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe, respectful, and positive school environments, and should have the opportunity to experience high quality relationships. The legislature recognizes that schools have the responsibility to promote conditions designed to create, maintain, and nurture a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate. Therefore, the legislature intends to require the Washington state school directors' association to develop a model policy and procedure for nurturing a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate and to require school districts to adopt a policy and procedures consistent with the model policy and procedures.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
28A.345 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The Washington state school directors' association shall develop a model policy and procedure for nurturing a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate. The goal of the policy and procedure is to support and promote school and school district action plans that create, maintain, and nurture physically, emotionally, and intellectually safe, respectful, and positive school and classroom environments that foster equitable, ethical, social, emotional, and academic education for all students.
(2) The model policy and procedure must:
(a) Recognize that there is not one best way to create, maintain, and nurture a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate and consider each school's history, strengths, needs, and goals;
(b) Define and describe the essential elements of a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate;
(c) Recognize the important role that students' families plan in collaborating with the school and school district in creating, maintaining, and nurturing a positive social and emotional school and classroom climate; and
(d) Describe a framework for an effective and informed positive social and emotional school and classroom climate improvement process that includes a continuous cycle of planning and preparation, evaluation, action planning, and implementation.
(3) In developing the model policy and procedure described in subsection (1) of this section, the Washington state school directors' association must:
(a) Consult with staff at the office of the superintendent of public instruction and school districts who have expertise in developing and implementing policies that create, maintain, and nurture positive social and emotional school and classroom climates;
(b) Consider the relationship between the model policy and procedure and policies related to student behaviors and student discipline; and
(c) Review research on, and examples of effective implementation of, restorative practices, collaborative and proactive practices, trauma-sensitive and trauma-informed practices, classroom management, and other topics related to the goal of the policy as identified in subsection (1) of this section.
(4) The model policy and procedure developed under subsection (1) of this section must be posted publicly on the Washington state school directors' association's web site by December 1, 2020.
(5) School districts shall adopt and implement a policy and procedure for promoting a positive school and classroom climate consistent with the model policy developed under subsection (1) of this section by September 1, 2021.
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