[Filed July 31, 2018, 3:35 p.m., effective August 31, 2018]

Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing.

Purpose: Creates new chapter 179-09 WAC describing requirements for the fundamental course of study for paraeducators.

Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: New chapter 179-09 WAC.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 28A.413 RCW.

Adopted under notice filed as WSR 18-12-016 on May 24, 2018.

A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting David Brenna, 600 Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504, phone 360-725-6238, fax 360-586-4548, email david.brenna@k12.wa.us, web site www.pesb.wa.gov.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 5, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 5, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0.

Date Adopted: July 25, 2018.

Senior Policy Analyst

Chapter 179-09 WAC

FUNDAMENTAL COURSE OF STUDY

WAC 179-09-010Authority.

The authority for this chapter is RCW 28A.413.060 which authorizes the paraeducator board to define the fundamental course of study on the state standards of practice, as defined in chapter 179-07 WAC.

WAC 179-09-020Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to define the foundational training paraeducators must receive before the paraeducator begins to work with students and their families, or at minimum by the deadlines provided in RCW 28A.413.060.

WAC 179-09-030Definitions.

The four-day fundamental course of study will consist of twenty-eight continuing education credit hours of training.

WAC 179-09-040Fundamental course of study.

(1) School districts must implement this section only in school years for which state funding is appropriated specifically for the purposes of this section and only for the number of days that are funded by the appropriation.

(2) School districts must provide a fundamental course of study on the state standards of practice, as defined by the board in WAC 179-09-050 of this chapter, to paraeducators who have not completed the course, either in the district or in another district within the state. School districts must use best efforts to provide the fundamental course of study before the paraeducator begins to work with students and their families, and at a minimum by the deadlines provided in subsection (3) of this section.

(3) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, school districts must provide the fundamental course of study required in subsection (2) of this section by the deadlines provided in (a) of this subsection:

(a)(i) For paraeducators hired on or before September 1st, by September 30th of that year, regardless of the size of the district; and

(ii) For paraeducators hired after September 1st:

(A) For districts with ten thousand or more students, within four months of the date of hire; and

(B) For districts with fewer than ten thousand students, no later than September 1st of the following year.

(b)(i) For paraeducators hired for the 2018-19 school year, by September 1, 2020; and

(ii) For paraeducators not hired for the 2018-19 school year, but hired for the 2019-20 school year, by September 1, 2021.

(4) School districts may collaborate with other school districts or educational service districts to meet the requirements of this section.

(5) The fundamental course of study must include the training competencies that align with the standards of practice in chapter 179-07 WAC.

(6) The paraeducator shall be responsible for completing filing requirements with the superintendent of public instruction, in accordance with WAC 179-01-020, the completion of the fundamental course of study.

WAC 179-09-050Course outline for the fundamental course of study.

Providers and facilitators must follow the current course outline as published by the professional educator standards board when delivering the fundamental course of study.