The legislature finds that students in Washington's secure facilities have been unable to access the education and supports they need to make life-changing academic progress. As a result, these students have experienced dismal graduation and recidivism rates, and have lost invaluable opportunities for hope and transformation.
In 2020, the legislature enacted chapter 226, Laws of 2020, and established the task force on improving institutional education programs and outcomes. The task force efforts resulted in a series of well-considered recommendations that inform this act and, perhaps more importantly, offer a new opportunity to make critical policy advances for students and dedicated staff that are too often overlooked.
The legislature acknowledges that institutional education facilities are part of the public school system and that the students in secure facilities deserve full access to the state's basic education program and its promise of an opportunity to graduate with a meaningful diploma that prepares them for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship.
The legislature finds that key reforms are needed to the institutional education system, including the development of an education program that is both student-centered and anchored in the principle that student improvement through education must be the system's primary objective. The legislature further finds that an effective institutional education system must have sufficient funding and proper administrative structures to assure effective functionality, oversight, and accountability.
The legislature, therefore, intends to establish new and modified requirements for the institutional education system that promote student success through improved agency and education provider practices, updated credit-awarding practices, new data collection and reporting requirements, and the development of expert recommendations that will create an implementable blueprint for successfully meeting complex student needs and improving education and postrelease outcomes.
This section modifies existing section 28A.150.200. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The program of basic education established under this chapter is deemed by the legislature to comply with the requirements of Article IX, section 1 of the state Constitution, which states that "It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders, without distinction or preference on account of race, color, caste, or sex," and is adopted pursuant to Article IX, section 2 of the state Constitution, which states that "The legislature shall provide for a general and uniform system of public schools."
The legislature defines the program of basic education under this chapter as that which is necessary to provide the opportunity to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the state-established high school graduation requirements that are intended to allow students to have the opportunity to graduate with a meaningful diploma that prepares them for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship. Basic education by necessity is an evolving program of instruction intended to reflect the changing educational opportunities that are needed to equip students for their role as productive citizens and includes the following:
The instructional program of basic education the minimum components of which are described in RCW 28A.150.220;
The program of education provided by chapter 28A.190 RCW for students in residential schools as defined by section 3 of this act and for juveniles in detention facilities as identified by RCW 28A.190.010;
The program of education provided by chapter 28A.193 RCW for individuals under the age of eighteen who are incarcerated in adult correctional facilities;
Transportation and transportation services to and from school for eligible students as provided under RCW 28A.160.150 through 28A.160.180; and
Statewide salary allocations necessary to hire and retain qualified staff for the state's statutory program of basic education.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
"Institutional education facility" means residential habilitation centers operated by the department of social and health services, state long-term juvenile institutions operated by the department of children, youth, and families, state-operated community facilities, county juvenile detention centers, and facilities of the department of corrections that incarcerate juveniles committed as adults.
"Institutional education program" means the program of education that is provided to youth in institutional education facilities as a mandatory component of the program of basic education under RCW 28A.150.200.
"Institutional education provider" or "provider" means a school district, educational service district, or other entity providing education services to youth in an institutional education facility.
"Postresident youth" means a person who is under the age of 21 and a former resident of an institutional education facility. A postresident youth may be a public school student or a person who is eligible to be a public school student but who is not enrolled in a school or otherwise receiving basic education services.
"Residential school" means the following institutional education facilities: Green Hill school, Naselle Youth Camp, Echo Glen, Lakeland Village, Rainier school, Yakima Valley school, Fircrest school, the Child Study and Treatment Center and Secondary School of western state hospital, and other schools, camps, and centers established by the department of social and health services or the department of children, youth, and families for the diagnosis, confinement, and rehabilitation of juveniles committed by the courts or for the care and treatment of persons who are exceptional in their needs by reason of mental or physical deficiency. "Residential school" does not include the state schools for the blind, the Washington state center for childhood deafness and hearing loss, or adult correctional institutions.
"School district" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.315.025 and includes any educational service district that has entered into an agreement to provide a program of education for residents at an institutional education facility on behalf of the school district as a cooperative service program pursuant to RCW 28A.310.180.
"Youth" means a person who is under the age of 21 who is a resident of an institutional education facility. A youth may be a public school student or a person who is eligible to be a public school student but who is not enrolled in a school or otherwise receiving basic education services.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall examine the dropout prevention, intervention, and retrieval system established under chapter 28A.175 RCW, including associated rules. The purpose of the examination is to recommend new or modified dropout reengagement requirements and practices that will promote credit earning and high school completion by youth and postresident youth.
Findings and recommendations resulting from the examination required by this section must be submitted by November 1, 2021, to the governor and the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.
This section expires June 30, 2022.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
Institutional education providers shall annually deliver to all staff providing an institutional education program one day of professional development that builds pedagogical strategies to navigate the intersectionality of factors impacting student learning, including trauma, and physical, mental, and behavioral health in order to achieve academic milestone progression. At a minimum, the professional development must include training on the following topics:
The cognitive, psychosocial, and emotional development of adolescents;
Mental and behavioral health literacy;
The complex needs of students involved in the juvenile justice system, including the trauma associated with incarceration;
Racial literacy and cultural competency, as defined in RCW 28A.410.260; and
Working with adolescents with many adverse childhood experiences.
In addition to the professional learning allocations provided in RCW 28A.150.415, the legislature shall provide and the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate to institutional education providers one professional learning day of funding to provide the professional development required under this section.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
With respect to students in institutional education facilities governed by this chapter, the department of children, youth, and families must:
Identify data needed by the department and institutional education facilities to evaluate the facilities' administrative and operational role in providing education to students and supporting students' educational outcomes. This data must include attendance, discipline rates, course and certificate completion rates, and other educational metrics;
Analyze, and make a plan to resolve, department and institutional education facilities policies and practices that suspend the provision of educational services to a student as a disciplinary action, so that students are never denied the opportunity to engage in educational activities; and
Review and resolve department and institutional education facility policies and practices that create barriers to students participating in meaningful learning opportunities, for example, career and technical education and postsecondary opportunities, in whatever location and format those opportunities are provided.
In meeting the requirements of this section, the department of children, youth, and families must seek input from institutional education providers.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.300. Here is the modified chapter for context.
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Beginning July 1, 2022, and every three years thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall report on the funding and services provided in support of youth pursuant to Washington's every student succeeds act consolidated plan, Title I, part D: Prevention and intervention programs for children and youth who are neglected, delinquent, or at-risk, and the education outcomes resulting from the funding and provided services.
The purpose of the report is to inform the legislature of progress toward the goals established in the consolidated plan and provide the legislature with the opportunity to determine whether subsequent legislation should be enacted to ensure the education needs of youth and postresident youth.
Reports required by this section must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the house of representatives and the senate in accordance with RCW 43.01.036.
For purposes of this section, "postresident youth" and "youth" have the same meanings as in section 3 of this act.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The legislature intends to ensure that institutional education facilities include efficient systems to minimize learning loss and maximize credit accrual during transitions for youth and postresident youth. The legislature intends also for the report required by this section to inform its understanding of policy and funding changes that may be necessary to accomplish the objective of improving institutional education programs and outcomes.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall modify or establish requirements and supports for the provision of public education to youth and postresident youth. In meeting the requirements of this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall:
Adopt rules requiring institutional education providers at state long-term juvenile institutions and state-operated community facilities to conduct an individualized education program review for each newly admitted youth who either does not have an individualized education program or does not have an individualized education program that has been reviewed in a meeting with the youth, parent or guardian, and applicable school personnel in the previous 12 months;
Adopt rules requiring institutional education providers to, upon admission of a youth to an institutional education facility, conduct a review and assessment of needed services for each facility transition the youth experiences within the juvenile justice system; and
Adopt, for youth in state long-term juvenile institutions and state-operated community facilities, rules to implement accountability measures for special education services delivered by institutional education providers, including the establishment of mediation and appeals options related to special education services that recognize the unique situation of youth and postresident youth.
A summary of any adopted or pending rules developed in accordance with this section must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature in accordance with RCW 43.01.036 by November 1, 2021, in time for any needed legislative action during the 2022 regular legislative session.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
annually collect and post on its website data related to institutional education programs, disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity, and age, including data on:
a. Individualized education programs;
b. Access to relevant instruction that is aligned with the youth's high school and beyond plan and any unmet graduation requirements;
c. Student attendance;
d. Metrics of student education status upon the beginning of residency in an institutional education facility;
e. Student education progress during residency in an institutional education facility;
f. Student education attainment during residency in an institutional education facility; and
g. Long-term education and workforce outcomes of youth in and released from institutional education facilities as provided annually by the education data center under RCW 43.41.400.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall also annually recommend modifications to the state board of education for changes to annual school improvement plan requirements in WAC 180-16-220 that would allow plans for state long-term juvenile institutions to be formatted for the specific needs and circumstances of institutional settings. In meeting the requirements of this subsection (2)(a), the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall seek input from institutional education providers and the department of children, youth, and families.
In meeting the requirements of this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may make recommendations to the state board of education for changes to annual school improvement plan requirements based upon data collected under this section, other provisions of law, or both.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction must provide a copy of the disaggregated data provided under section 10(1) of this act to the board of directors of each school district that provides education services to youth and postresident youth for the purpose of giving the board the opportunity to:
Review the performance of the institutional education provider; and
Make changes to annual school improvement plans required by WAC 180-16-220, or other policies and procedures as necessary to improve youth and postresident youth outcomes.
This section adds a new section to an existing chapter 28A.190. Here is the modified chapter for context.
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The office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of children, youth, and families shall jointly develop recommendations for the establishment, implementation, and funding of a reformed institutional education system that successfully meets the education and support needs of persons in and released from secure settings. Recommendations developed under this subsection (1) must be based on the foundational concept that every student can succeed if given the necessary supports. The recommendations must address:
The establishment of an organizational and accountability structure for institutional education that is focused on meeting complex student needs and improving student outcomes;
The establishment of an equitable, long-term funding model for institutional education that sustainably supports the organizational and accountability structure established under (a)(i) of this subsection (1); and
The development of a regular and ongoing review of system performance and education outcomes.
The recommendations developed under this subsection (1) must also include the following:
The content and structure of common education, information, and support systems that would include a common, culturally competent curriculum, improve system efficacy, and minimize the negative academic impacts of transitions;
A coordinated staffing model for institutional education facility and institutional education provider operations and effectiveness in meeting student needs, and a mechanism for developing subsequent recommendations for improvements to the model;
Practices to ensure that there is a robust program of education advocates for youth in all institutional education facilities;
Practices for shared data tracking and goal setting for youth progress and learning needs;
Promoting the effective delivery of tiered supports in institutional education facilities in coordination with state and county facility operators, institutional education providers, and community-based organizations delivering those services;
Promoting the development of an operational safety strategy for safe learning environments for students and staff;
Promoting operations that prioritize education delivery;
Maximizing youth and postresident youth access to: (A) Career and technical education and postsecondary education pathways that occur at institutional education facilities and at off-site locations; and (B) mastery-based learning that leads to credit accrual and graduation pathways;
ix. Establishing new or modified requirements and procedures for the successful release of youth from institutional education facilities by recommending an effective team-based transition process with identified preresident and postresident transition services and supports that include, but are not limited to, basic needs, social-emotional support, and academic support;
Identifying and establishing culturally responsive parent engagement strategies that support the education and well-being of youth and postresident youth and families;
Examining and expanding opportunities to include enrichment activities in institutional education programs and offer enrichment opportunities that promote academic and career goals; and
Developing partnerships with postsecondary institutions, career and technical education programs, and community-based organizations, and identify ways to incorporate those partnerships into education services delivered by institutional education providers.
In developing the recommendations required by this subsection (1), the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of children, youth, and families shall consult with the advisory group established in subsection (3) of this section.
The superintendent of public instruction and the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families shall, by August 15, 2021, jointly designate an entity to facilitate the process of developing recommendations required by subsection (1) of this section, and the advisory group established in subsection (3) of this section. The office of the superintendent of public instruction is responsible for contracts or other agreements necessary to secure the services of the designated entity. The designated entity must: (a) Be a nonprofit and nonpartisan organization with content expertise in improving education for incarcerated young people, including education program delivery, system structure, accountability, and school finance; and (b) have experience facilitating complex cross-agency facilitation.
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The institutional education structure and accountability advisory group is established for the purpose of providing advice, assistance, and information to the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of children, youth, and families in meeting the requirements of subsection (1) of this section. The advisory group must consist of representatives from the following, but other members may be added by request of the superintendent of public instruction or the secretary of the department of children, youth, and families:
The state board of education;
A statewide organization representing counties;
The administrative office of the courts;
The office of the education ombuds;
The educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee;
A statewide organization representing teachers;
A statewide organization representing classified education staff;
Nonprofit organizations representing the interest of youth and families involved in the juvenile justice system;
ix. Persons who are or have been involved in the juvenile justice system and their families; and
A statewide organization representing state employees.
In recognition of the need to ensure representation on the advisory group, persons serving under (a)(ix) of this subsection are eligible for travel expense reimbursement. Other members of the advisory group are not entitled to expense reimbursement.
Staff support for the advisory group must be provided by the entity selected under subsection (2) of this section.
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Recommendations required by this section must, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, be provided to the governor and the education and fiscal committees of the house of representatives and the senate, by November 1, 2022. The recommendations should include a plan and a phased timeline for their implementation in different types of institutional education facilities, including state long-term juvenile institutions, state-operated community facilities, residential habilitation centers, and county juvenile detention centers.
By December 15, 2021, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of children, youth, and families shall, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, provide an interim report on progress made in achieving the requirements of this section to the governor and the education and fiscal committees of the house of representatives and the senate.
This section expires June 30, 2023.
This section modifies existing section 43.41.400. Here is the modified chapter for context.
An education data center shall be established in the office of financial management. The education data center shall jointly, with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, conduct collaborative analyses of early learning, K-12, and higher education programs and education issues across the P-20 system, which includes the department of children, youth, and families, the superintendent of public instruction, the professional educator standards board, the state board of education, the state board for community and technical colleges, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the student achievement council, public and private nonprofit four-year institutions of higher education, and the employment security department. The education data center shall conduct collaborative analyses under this section with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and provide data electronically to the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee, to the extent permitted by state and federal confidentiality requirements. The education data center shall be considered an authorized representative of the state educational agencies in this section under applicable federal and state statutes for purposes of accessing and compiling student record data for research purposes.
The education data center shall:
In consultation with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and the agencies and organizations participating in the education data center, identify the critical research and policy questions that are intended to be addressed by the education data center and the data needed to address the questions;
Coordinate with other state education agencies to compile and analyze education data, including data on student demographics that is disaggregated by distinct ethnic categories within racial subgroups, and complete P-20 research projects;
Collaborate with the legislative evaluation and accountability program committee and the education and fiscal committees of the legislature in identifying the data to be compiled and analyzed to ensure that legislative interests are served;
Annually provide to the K-12 data governance group a list of data elements and data quality improvements that are necessary to answer the research and policy questions identified by the education data center and have been identified by the legislative committees in (c) of this subsection. Within three months of receiving the list, the K-12 data governance group shall develop and transmit to the education data center a feasibility analysis of obtaining or improving the data, including the steps required, estimated time frame, and the financial and other resources that would be required. Based on the analysis, the education data center shall submit, if necessary, a recommendation to the legislature regarding any statutory changes or resources that would be needed to collect or improve the data;
Monitor and evaluate the education data collection systems of the organizations and agencies represented in the education data center ensuring that data systems are flexible, able to adapt to evolving needs for information, and to the extent feasible and necessary, include data that are needed to conduct the analyses and provide answers to the research and policy questions identified in (a) of this subsection;
Track enrollment and outcomes through the public centralized higher education enrollment system;
Assist other state educational agencies' collaborative efforts to develop a long-range enrollment plan for higher education including estimates to meet demographic and workforce needs;
Provide research that focuses on student transitions within and among the early learning, K-12, and higher education sectors in the P-20 system;
Prepare an annual report on the educational and workforce outcomes of youth in and released from institutional education facilities as defined in section 3 of this act, using data disaggregated by age, and by ethnic categories and racial subgroups in accordance with RCW 28A.300.042**. The annual report required by this subsection (2)(i) must be provided to the office of the superintendent of public instruction in a manner that is suitable for compliance with section 10 of this act**; and
Make recommendations to the legislature as necessary to help ensure the goals and objectives of this section and RCW 28A.655.210 and 28A.300.507 are met.
The department of children, youth, and families, superintendent of public instruction, professional educator standards board, state board of education, state board for community and technical colleges, workforce training and education coordinating board, student achievement council, public four-year institutions of higher education, department of social and health services, and employment security department shall work with the education data center to develop data-sharing and research agreements, consistent with applicable security and confidentiality requirements, to facilitate the work of the center. The education data center shall also develop data-sharing and research agreements with the administrative office of the courts to conduct research on educational and workforce outcomes using data maintained under RCW 13.50.010(12) related to juveniles. Private, nonprofit institutions of higher education that provide programs of education beyond the high school level leading at least to the baccalaureate degree and are accredited by the Northwest association of schools and colleges or their peer accreditation bodies may also develop data-sharing and research agreements with the education data center, consistent with applicable security and confidentiality requirements. The education data center shall make data from collaborative analyses available to the education agencies and institutions that contribute data to the education data center to the extent allowed by federal and state security and confidentiality requirements applicable to the data of each contributing agency or institution.
This section modifies existing section 13.04.145. Here is the modified chapter for context.
A program of education shall be provided for by the several counties and school districts of the state for common school-age persons confined in each of the detention facilities staffed and maintained by the several counties of the state under this chapter and chapters 13.16 and 13.20 RCW. The division of duties, authority, and liabilities of the several counties and school districts of the state respecting the educational programs is the same in all respects as set forth in chapter 28A.190 RCW respecting programs of education for state residential school residents. Nothing in this section shall prohibit a school district from utilizing the services of an educational service district subject to RCW 28A.310.180.