Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. DEFINITIONS.The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.

(1) "Board" means the Washington professional educator standards board.

(2) "Cohort" means a group of residents enrolled in the same teacher preparation program who begin their residencies at the same time and have the same anticipated completion date.

(3) "Consortium" means a group of school districts, state-tribal education compact schools, or both, that partner with a teacher preparation program to support a cohort of residents.

(4) "Office" means the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

(5) "Preservice mentor" means a teacher who:

(a) Has at least three years' teaching experience;

(b) Has at least three consecutive years of performance evaluations under RCW 28A.405.100 with a performance rating of level 3 or above; and

(c) To the extent possible, has an endorsement deemed by the board to be equivalent to the endorsement area sought by the preservice mentor's resident or has at least three years' experience teaching in the content area of the resident's desired endorsement.

(6) "Residency" means a yearlong preservice clinical practice in a public elementary or secondary school in which the resident coteaches with a preservice mentor, while the resident concurrently completes teacher preparation program coursework.

(7) "Resident" means a person enrolled in a board-approved teacher preparation program who is participating in a teacher residency program.

(8) "Teacher preparation program" means a teacher preparation program approved by the board.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND APPROVAL PROCESS.(1) The office and the board shall collaborate to establish an application and approval process for a school district, state-tribal education compact school, or consortium, in partnership with a teacher preparation program seeking approval to operate a teacher residency program.

(2) At a minimum, a teacher residency program must meet the following requirements:

(a) Residents receive compensation equivalent to first year paraeducators, as defined in RCW 28A.413.010;

(b) Each resident is assigned a preservice mentor;

(c)(i) Except as provided in (c)(ii) of this subsection (2), each preservice mentor is assigned to one resident.

(ii) On a case-by-case basis, the office and the board may approve an individual preservice mentor to be assigned up to two residents;

(d) Preservice mentors receive a stipend of $2,500 per year;

(e) Residents receive at least 900 hours of preservice clinical practice over the course of the school year;

(f) At least half of the residency hours specified in (e) of this subsection are in a coteaching setting with the resident's preservice mentor and the other half of the residency hours are in a coteaching setting with another teacher;

(g) Residents may not be assigned the lead or primary responsibility for student learning;

(h) Residents are in a cohort of 15 to 20;

(i) Coursework taught during the residency is codesigned by the teacher preparation program and the school district, state-tribal education compact school, or consortium, tightly integrated with residents' preservice clinical practice, and focused on developing culturally responsive teachers;

(j) The program must prepare residents to meet or exceed the knowledge, skills, performance, and competency standards described in RCW 28A.410.270(1); and

(k) Any additional requirements in the partnership agreement entered into as required under section 4 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3. GRANTS.(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, and as required by this section, the office, in collaboration with the board, shall award grants to school districts, state-tribal education compact schools, or consortia, with teacher residency programs approved under section 2 of this act. Grants must be prioritized to communities that are anticipated to be most positively impacted by teacher residents who fill teacher vacancies upon completing the teacher residency program and who remain in the communities in which they are mentored.

(2) For the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years, grants must be prioritized to teacher residency programs at school districts, state-tribal education compact schools, or consortia, with the highest percentages of teachers with limited certificates, and to support three cohorts of residents seeking an endorsement in special education or early childhood special education.

(3) Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, the office and the board shall collaborate to determine additional grant award criteria.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4. PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.(1)(a) The office and the board shall collaborate to develop and publish a model agreement for school districts, state-tribal education compact schools, or consortia, and teacher preparation programs partnering to operate teacher residency programs.

(b) The model agreement must include the following provisions:

(i) The teacher preparation program must provide feedback and instructional support to preservice mentors and to residents in curricula, instructional design and planning, and pedagogical practice;

(ii) The school district, state-tribal education compact school, or consortium must support residents in navigating the teacher residency program, as well as school processes and structures; and

(iii) An affirmation by the school district, state-tribal education compact school, or consortium of its capacity and intent to hire its residents into teaching positions, with preference for positions in the resident's endorsement area.

(2) A school district, state-tribal education compact school, or consortium, and a teacher preparation program intending to operate a teacher residency program shall enter into a partnership agreement using the model agreement developed under subsection (1) of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5. DATA COLLECTION.School districts, state-tribal education compact schools, consortia, and teacher preparation programs partnering to operate teacher residency programs shall submit teacher residency program data at the time and in the manner required by the office and the board.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6. ADVISORY COUNCIL.(1) The board, in collaboration with the office, shall coordinate and regularly convene an advisory council of education partners. The advisory council must include representatives of state associations representing teachers, principals, administrators, school board members, and families. The advisory council must study problems of practice within the teacher residency programs and to guide and steer decisions for continuous improvement of the teacher residency programs that result in positive outcomes for students, school districts, state-tribal education compact schools, consortia, teacher preparation programs, preservice mentors, and residents participating in the teacher residency programs.

(2) By October 1, 2026, in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, the advisory council shall report to the appropriate committees of the legislature with its recommendations for improving the teacher residency program to increase positive outcomes as described in subsection (1) of this section.

(3) This section expires June 30, 2033.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7. EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS.(1) The board shall contract with a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization to evaluate the effectiveness and impacts of the teacher residency program over at least the first four years of implementation. The nonprofit and nonpartisan organization must have at least seven years of experience conducting high quality research to improve evidence-based education policies and practices that support empowering and equitable learning for all students. By November 1, 2028, and in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the board shall submit a report of the evaluation to the appropriate committees of the legislature.

(2) This section expires August 1, 2029.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY.The office and the board may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW that are necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this chapter.

On page 1, line 3 of the title, after "strategies;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW; creating new sections; and providing expiration dates."