BILL REQ. #:  H-0542.2 

Read first time 01/24/2007.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to improving availability of student guidance and planning programs; amending RCW 28A.150.260 and 28A.600.045; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature recognizes that there are many challenges to children and families in achieving a high quality basic education. Timely access to information about educational and social service resources is essential for children and parents to evaluate and make choices about educational opportunities. The legislature finds that well-developed school counseling programs can significantly increase academic achievement, improve building safety, and reduce student dropout rates. The legislature further finds that a comprehensive guidance and planning curriculum is now available to all districts in the state. It is therefore the intent of the legislature that all middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools must implement a comprehensive guidance and planning program for all students.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.150.260 and 2006 c 263 s 322 are each amended to read as follows:
     The basic education allocation for each annual average full-time equivalent student shall be determined in accordance with the following procedures:
     (1) The governor shall and the superintendent of public instruction may recommend to the legislature a formula based on a ratio of students to staff for the distribution of a basic education allocation for each annual average full-time equivalent student enrolled in a common school. The distribution formula shall have the primary objective of equalizing educational opportunities and shall provide appropriate recognition of the following costs among the various districts within the state:
     (a) Certificated instructional staff and their related costs;
     (b) Certificated administrative staff and their related costs;
     (c) Classified staff and their related costs;
     (d) Nonsalary costs;
     (e) Extraordinary costs, including school facilities, of remote and necessary schools as judged by the superintendent of public instruction, with recommendations from the school facilities citizen advisory panel under RCW 28A.525.025, and small high schools, including costs of additional certificated and classified staff; and
     (f) The attendance of students pursuant to RCW 28A.335.160 and 28A.225.250 who do not reside within the servicing school district.
     (2)(a) This formula for distribution of basic education funds shall be reviewed biennially by the superintendent and governor. The recommended formula shall be subject to approval, amendment or rejection by the legislature. The formula shall be for allocation purposes only. While the legislature intends that the allocations for additional instructional staff be used to increase the ratio of such staff to students, nothing in this section shall require districts to reduce the number of administrative staff below existing levels.
     (b) The formula adopted by the legislature shall reflect the following ratios at a minimum: (i) Forty-nine certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through three; (ii) forty-six certificated instructional staff to one thousand annual average full- time equivalent students in grades four through twelve; (iii) four certificated administrative staff to one thousand annual average full- time equivalent students in grades kindergarten through twelve; and (iv) sixteen and sixty-seven one-hundredths classified personnel to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades kindergarten through twelve.
     (c) In addition to the minimum ratios identified in (b) of this subsection, certificated school counselors shall be included in the formula according to the following ratios, phased in over four years:
     (i) For the 2007-08 school year, two certificated school counselors to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades six through twelve;
     (ii) For the 2008-09 school year, three certificated school counselors to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades six through twelve;
     (iii) For the 2009-10 school year, four certificated school counselors to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades six through twelve;
     (iv) For the 2010-11 school year and thereafter, five certificated school counselors to one thousand annual average full-time equivalent students enrolled in grades six through twelve.
     (d) In the event the legislature rejects the distribution formula recommended by the governor, without adopting a new distribution formula, the distribution formula for the previous school year shall remain in effect: PROVIDED, That the distribution formula developed pursuant to this section shall be for state apportionment and equalization purposes only and shall not be construed as mandating specific operational functions of local school districts other than those program requirements identified in RCW 28A.150.220 and 28A.150.100. The enrollment of any district shall be the annual average number of full-time equivalent students and part time students as provided in RCW 28A.150.350, enrolled on the first school day of each month and shall exclude full-time equivalent students with disabilities recognized for the purposes of allocation of state funds for programs under RCW 28A.155.010 through 28A.155.100. The definition of full-time equivalent student shall be determined by rules of the superintendent of public instruction: PROVIDED, That the definition shall be included as part of the superintendent's biennial budget request: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That any revision of the present definition shall not take effect until approved by the house appropriations committee and the senate ways and means committee: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the office of financial management shall make a monthly review of the superintendent's reported full-time equivalent students in the common schools in conjunction with RCW 43.62.050.
     (3)(a) Certificated instructional staff shall include those persons employed by a school district who are nonsupervisory employees within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(8): PROVIDED, That in exceptional cases, people of unusual competence but without certification may teach students so long as a certificated person exercises general supervision: PROVIDED, FURTHER, That the hiring of such classified people shall not occur during a labor dispute and such classified people shall not be hired to replace certificated employees during a labor dispute.
     (b) Certificated administrative staff shall include all those persons who are chief executive officers, chief administrative officers, confidential employees, supervisors, principals, or assistant principals within the meaning of RCW 41.59.020(4).

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.600.045 and 2006 c 117 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((The legislature encourages)) Each middle school, junior high school, and high school ((to)) shall implement a comprehensive guidance and planning program for all students. The purpose of the program is to support students as they navigate their education and plan their future; encourage an ongoing and personal relationship between each student and an adult in the school; and involve parents in students' educational decisions and plans.
     (2) A comprehensive guidance and planning program is a program that contains at least the following components:
     (a) A curriculum intended to provide the skills and knowledge students need to select courses, explore options, plan for their future, and take steps to implement their plans. The curriculum may include such topics as analysis of students' test results; diagnostic assessments of students' academic strengths and weaknesses; use of assessment results in developing students' short-term and long-term plans; assessments of student interests and aptitude; goal-setting skills; planning for high school course selection; independent living skills; and postsecondary options and how to access them;
     (b) Regular meetings between each student and a teacher who serves as an advisor throughout the student's enrollment at the school;
     (c) Student-led conferences with the student's parents, guardians, or family members and the student's advisor for the purpose of demonstrating the student's accomplishments; identifying weaknesses; planning and selecting courses; and setting long-term goals; and
     (d) Data collection that allows schools to monitor students' progress.