Public School Governance.
The governance of Washington's public school system is a shared responsibility between the state and 295 school districts.? The Legislature and state agencies, including the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction and the State Board of Education, establish requirements for school districts, but the operation of school districts is the responsibility of locally elected school district boards of directors, often through adopted policies and procedures.
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Washington's public school system also includes charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools.? Charter schools and state-tribal education compact schools have separate laws for their governance and operation and are subject to requirements made applicable to them by the Legislature and state agencies.
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The Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) is a state agency that provides advice and assistance to school directors.? Among other duties, the WSSDA develops model policies and procedures addressing a broad range of administrative and education issues that school district boards of directors may choose to adopt.? Additionally, state law requires school districts to adopt certain WSSDA model policies and procedures.
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Examples of issues addressed in WSSDA model policies and procedures include:
Parental Involvement and Notification.
State and federal laws establish numerous provisions for involving and notifying the parents and guardians of children enrolled in public schools.? Examples of parental involvement and notification provisions in state law include:
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Student Education Records?Privacy and Parental Access Rights.
Federal laws protect the privacy of children's education records in public schools and provide parental access to those records.? State laws either follow or are more protective of children's privacy than federal laws.
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The federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives parents the right to inspect and review the public school education records of their minor children within 45 days of requesting access to the records, unless a court order, state statute, or other legally binding document specifically revokes this right.? If circumstances effectively prevent a parent from exercising this right, the school must either provide the parent with a copy of the requested records or make other arrangements for the parent to access the records. ?
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The following documents, if directly related to a student and maintained by a school, generally constitute "education records" subject to FERPA:? transcripts, course schedule, discipline files, and immunization records.? Records kept in the sole possession of the maker, used only as a personal memory aid, and not accessible or revealed to any other person except a temporary substitute for the maker of the record, are not "education records."
Under state law, the parent or guardian of a student has the right to review all education records of the student, which are academic, attendance, and disciplinary records.? Additionally, school district boards of directors must establish a procedure in conformity with FERPA for granting a request by a parent or guardian for access to the education records of his or her child, and prohibiting the release of student information without the written consent of the student's parent or guardian.
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Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment.
The federal Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) requires public schools to notify parents, and offer the option to opt their children out, of administration of surveys, analyses, and evaluations that may reveal certain information of the child or parent, such as:? political or religious beliefs, psychological problems, or sex attitudes.? The PPRA also requires that certain instructional materials used in connection with the surveys, analysis, and evaluations be available for inspection by parents.
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Definition of Public Schools.
"Public Schools" is defined in state law to mean the common schools as referred to in Article IX of the state Constitution, charter schools, and those schools and institutions of learning having a curriculum below the college or university level as now or may be established by law and maintained at public expense.
Legislative Findings.
The Legislature finds that: ?parents are the primary stakeholders in their children's upbringing, parental involvement is a significant factor in increasing student achievement, and access to student information encourages greater parental involvement.
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Declaration of 15 Parental Rights.
Parents and guardians of public school children younger than 18 years old have the right to:
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Prohibited Records Release?Parent Under Investigation for Certain Criminal Actions.
Public schools are not required to release a student's medical or health records or mental health counseling records to a parent who is under investigation for child abuse or neglect unless the parent has obtained a court order.
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Definition of Public Schools.
For purposes of the initiative, "public schools" is defined by referencing the definition established in state law.
House | 82 | 15 | |
Senate | 49 | 0 |
June 6, 2024