wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > SB 6300 > Original Bill
In order for students to have the opportunity to develop the basic education knowledge and skills under RCW 28A.150.210, school districts must provide instruction of sufficient quantity and quality and give students the opportunity to complete graduation requirements that are intended to prepare them for postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship. The program established under this section shall be the minimum instructional program of basic education offered by school districts.
Each school district shall make available to students the following minimum instructional offering each school year:
For students enrolled in grades one through 12, at least a district-wide annual average of 1,000 hours, which shall be increased beginning in the 2015-16 school year to at least 1,080 instructional hours for students enrolled in grades nine through 12 and at least 1,000 instructional hours for students in grades one through eight, all of which may be calculated by a school district using a district-wide annual average of instructional hours over grades one through 12; and
For students enrolled in kindergarten, at least 450 instructional hours, which shall be increased to at least 1,000 instructional hours according to the implementation schedule under RCW 28A.150.315.
The instructional program of basic education provided by each school district shall include:
Instruction in the state learning standards under RCW 28A.655.070 or in district alternative learning standards under subsection (4) of this section;
Instruction that provides students the opportunity to complete 24 credits for high school graduation. Course distribution requirements may be established by the state board of education under RCW 28A.230.090;
If the state learning standards include a requirement of languages other than English, the requirement may be met by students receiving instruction in one or more American Indian languages;
Supplemental instruction and services for students who are not meeting academic standards through the learning assistance program under RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065;
Supplemental instruction and services for eligible and enrolled students and exited students whose primary language is other than English through the transitional bilingual instruction program under RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080;
The opportunity for an appropriate education at public expense as defined by RCW 28A.155.020 for all eligible students with disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020; and
Programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 through 28A.185.030.
As an alternative to the state learning standards in RCW 28A.655.070, a school district board of directors may develop or adopt alternative learning standards for use within the school district. District alternative learning standards must be:
Consistent with the student learning goals under RCW 28A.150.210 as determined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction; and
Published on the district's website and filed with the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to require individual students to attend school for any particular number of hours per day or to take any particular courses.
[Empty]
Each school district's kindergarten through 12th grade basic educational program shall be accessible to all students who are five years of age, as provided by RCW 28A.225.160, and less than 21 years of age, and shall remain accessible to students with disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020 from age 21 until the end of the school year in which those students turn 22 years of age. The program of basic education shall consist of a minimum of 180 school days per school year in such grades as are conducted by a school district, and 180 half-days of instruction, or equivalent, in kindergarten, to be increased to a minimum of 180 school days per school year according to the implementation schedule under RCW 28A.150.315.
Schools administering the Washington kindergarten inventory of developing skills may use up to three school days at the beginning of the school year to meet with parents and families as required in the parent involvement component of the inventory.
In the case of students who are graduating from high school, a school district may schedule the last five school days of the 180-day school year for noninstructional purposes including, but not limited to, the observance of graduation and early release from school upon the request of a student. All such students may be claimed as a full‑time equivalent student to the extent they could otherwise have been so claimed for the purposes of RCW 28A.150.250 and 28A.150.260. Any hours scheduled by a school district for noninstructional purposes during the last five school days for such students shall count toward the instructional hours requirement in subsection (2)(a) of this section.
Subject to RCW 28A.150.276, nothing in this section precludes a school district from enriching the instructional program of basic education, such as offering additional instruction or providing additional services, programs, or activities that the school district determines to be appropriate for the education of the school district's students.
The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement and ensure compliance with the program requirements imposed by this section, RCW 28A.150.250 and 28A.150.260, and such related supplemental program approval requirements as the state board may establish.
(1) Every board of directors, unless otherwise specifically provided by law, shall:
The superintendent of public instruction shall develop state learning standards that identify the knowledge and skills all public school students need to know and be able to do based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210, develop student assessments, and implement the accountability recommendations and requests regarding assistance, rewards, and recognition of the state board of education.
The superintendent of public instruction shall:
Periodically revise the state learning standards, as needed, based on the student learning goals in RCW 28A.150.210. Goals one and two shall be considered primary. To the maximum extent possible, the superintendent shall integrate goal four and the knowledge and skill areas in the other goals in the state learning standards;
Include a screening for biased content in each development or revision of a state learning standard and ensure that the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, as those terms are defined in RCW 28A.415.443, are incorporated into each new or revised state learning standard. In meeting the requirements of this subsection (2)(b), the superintendent of public instruction shall consult with the applicable commissions established in Title 43 RCW and other persons and organizations with relevant expertise; and
Review and prioritize the state learning standards and identify, with clear and concise descriptions, the grade level content expectations to be assessed on the statewide student assessment and used for state or federal accountability purposes. The review, prioritization, and identification shall result in more focus and targeting with an emphasis on depth over breadth in the number of grade level content expectations assessed at each grade level. Grade level content expectations shall be articulated over the grades as a sequence of expectations and performances that are logical, build with increasing depth after foundational knowledge and skills are acquired, and reflect, where appropriate, the sequential nature of the discipline. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, within seven working days, shall post on its website any grade level content expectations provided to an assessment vendor for use in constructing the statewide student assessment.
[Empty]
In consultation with the state board of education, the superintendent of public instruction shall maintain and continue to develop and revise a statewide academic assessment system in the content areas of reading, writing, mathematics, and science for use in the elementary, middle, and high school years designed to determine if each student has mastered the state learning standards identified in subsection (1) of this section. School districts shall administer the assessments under guidelines adopted by the superintendent of public instruction. The academic assessment system may include a variety of assessment methods, including criterion-referenced and performance-based measures.
Effective with the 2009 administration of the Washington assessment of student learning and continuing with the statewide student assessment, the superintendent shall redesign the assessment in the content areas of reading, mathematics, and science in all grades except high school by shortening test administration and reducing the number of short answer and extended response questions.
By the 2014-15 school year, the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the state board of education, shall modify the statewide student assessment system to transition to assessments developed with a multistate consortium, as provided in this subsection:
The assessments developed with a multistate consortium to assess student proficiency in English language arts and mathematics shall be administered beginning in the 2014-15 school year, and beginning with the graduating class of 2020, the assessments must be administered to students in the tenth grade. The reading and writing assessments shall not be administered by the superintendent of public instruction or schools after the 2013-14 school year.
The high school assessments in English language arts and mathematics in (c)(i) of this subsection shall be used for the purposes of federal and state accountability and for assessing student career and college readiness.
The statewide academic assessment system must also include the Washington access to instruction and measurement assessment for students with significant cognitive challenges.
If the superintendent proposes any modification to the state learning standards or the statewide assessments, then the superintendent shall, upon request, provide opportunities for the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate to review the assessments and proposed modifications to the state learning standards before the modifications are adopted.
The assessment system shall be designed so that the results under the assessment system are used by educators as tools to evaluate instructional practices, and to initiate appropriate educational support for students who have not mastered the state learning standards at the appropriate periods in the student's educational development.
By September 2007, the results for reading and mathematics shall be reported in a format that will allow parents and teachers to determine the academic gain a student has acquired in those content areas from one school year to the next.
To assist parents and teachers in their efforts to provide educational support to individual students, the superintendent of public instruction shall provide as much individual student performance information as possible within the constraints of the assessment system's item bank. The superintendent shall also provide to school districts:
Information on classroom-based and other assessments that may provide additional achievement information for individual students; and
A collection of diagnostic tools that educators may use to evaluate the academic status of individual students. The tools shall be designed to be inexpensive, easily administered, and quickly and easily scored, with results provided in a format that may be easily shared with parents and students.
To the maximum extent possible, the superintendent shall integrate knowledge and skill areas in development of the assessments.
Assessments for goals three and four of RCW 28A.150.210 shall be integrated in the state learning standards and assessments for goals one and two.
The superintendent shall develop assessments that are directly related to the state learning standards, and are not biased toward persons with different learning styles, racial or ethnic backgrounds, or on the basis of gender.
The superintendent shall review available and appropriate options for competency-based assessments that meet the state learning standards. In accordance with the review required by this subsection, the superintendent shall provide a report and recommendations to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by November 1, 2019.
The superintendent shall consider methods to address the unique needs of special education students when developing the assessments under this section.
The superintendent shall consider methods to address the unique needs of highly capable students when developing the assessments under this section.
The superintendent shall post on the superintendent's website lists of resources and model assessments in social studies, the arts, and health and fitness.
The superintendent shall integrate financial education skills and content knowledge into the state learning standards pursuant to RCW 28A.300.460(2)(d).
[Empty]
The superintendent shall notify the state board of education in writing before initiating the development or revision of the state learning standards under subsections (1) and (2) of this section. The notification must be provided to the state board of education in advance for review at a regularly scheduled or special board meeting and must include the following information:
The subject matter of the state learning standards;
The reason or reasons the superintendent is initiating the development or revision; and
The process and timeline that the superintendent intends to follow for the development or revision.
The state board of education may provide a response to the superintendent's notification for consideration in the development or revision process in (a) of this subsection.
Prior to adoption by the superintendent of any new or revised state learning standards, the superintendent shall submit the proposed new or revised state learning standards to the state board of education in advance in writing for review at a regularly scheduled or special board meeting. The state board of education may provide a response to the superintendent's proposal for consideration prior to final adoption.
The state board of education may propose new or revised state learning standards to the superintendent. The superintendent must respond to the state board of education's proposal in writing.
The superintendent shall produce and post on its website a schedule for the revision of state learning standards under subsection (2) of this section by September 1, 2025. In addition to notifying parents, schools, and the public of the revision schedules and timelines, the website posting must be updated as necessary to inform persons of the status of any pending revisions, and of any plans or actions related to developing new state learning standards under subsection (1) of this section.
The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules for the review of district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4). The superintendent's review under this subsection is limited to ensuring that district alternative learning standards are consistent with the student learning goals under RCW 28A.150.210.
Subject to the availability and sufficiency of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose in addition to the amounts appropriated through the institutional education funding formulas specified in the omnibus appropriations act, and subject to staffing availability, each school district operating an institutional education program for youth in state long-term juvenile institutions must provide an opportunity to access an elective computer science course in accordance with RCW 28A.230.300(1).
If, due to facility or technology security limitations, a school district cannot provide a computer science course that is fully aligned with all state computer science learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4), the school district must adapt the course curriculum and instructional activities to align with as many computer science learning standards as possible.
Each school district operating an institutional education program for youth in state long-term juvenile institutions must annually report the following information to the office of the superintendent of public instruction:
Data indicating the number of students who enrolled in a computer science course in the prior school year, disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity, and age;
A brief description of each computer science course and whether the course is fully aligned to state computer science learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4); and
A brief description of any facility or technology security limitations that prevent the school district from offering a course fully aligned with state computer science learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4), and the actions the district is taking to address those limitations.
Beginning in the 2018-19 school year, all school districts must conduct an annual review of their physical education programs that includes:
The number of individual students completing a physical education class during the school year;
The average number of minutes per week of physical education received by students in grades one through eight, expressed in appropriate reporting ranges;
The number of students granted waivers from physical education requirements;
An indication of whether all physical education classes are taught by instructors who possess a valid health and fitness endorsement;
The physical education class sizes, expressed in appropriate reporting ranges;
The frequency with which physical education is provided to students;
An indication of whether there is sufficient dedicated gym space and sheltered areas to support the minimum amount of physical activity required of students by law or agency rule;
An indication of whether the physical education curriculum of the district addresses the Washington state K-12 learning standards or the district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4);
An indication of whether the district routinely excludes students from physical education classes for disciplinary reasons.
The results of the review required by this section must be submitted by the school district to the district's wellness committee and to the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The office of the superintendent of public instruction, upon receipt of the review data, must aggregate and analyze the data, summarize the information provided by each district, and post the summarized information, by district, on its website.
In fulfilling the requirements of this section, the K-12 data governance group established under RCW 28A.300.507 shall develop the data protocols and guidance for school districts in the collection of data to provide a clearer understanding of physical education instructional minutes and certification.
Beginning no later than the 2022-23 school year, each school district that operates a high school must, at a minimum, provide an opportunity to access an elective computer science course that is available to all high school students. School districts are encouraged to consider community-based or public-private partnerships in establishing and administering a course, but any course offered in accordance with this section must be aligned to the state learning standards for computer science or mathematics or the district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4).
In accordance with the requirements of this section, beginning in the 2019-20 school year, school districts may award academic credit for computer science to students based on student completion of a competency examination that is aligned with the state learning standards for computer science or mathematics and course equivalency requirements adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to implement this section. Each school district board of directors in districts that award credit under this subsection shall develop a written policy for awarding such credit that includes:
A course equivalency approval procedure;
Procedures for awarding competency-based credit for skills learned partially or wholly outside of a course; and
An approval process for computer science courses taken before attending high school under RCW 28A.230.740.
Prior to the use of any competency examination under this section that may be used to award academic credit to students, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must review the examination to ensure its alignment with:
The state learning standards for computer science or mathematics; and
Course equivalency requirements adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction to implement this section.
[Empty]
For purposes of meeting graduation requirements under RCW 28A.230.090, a student may substitute a computer science course aligned to state computer science learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4) as an alternative to a third year mathematics or third year science course if:
Prior to the substitution, the school counselor provides the student and the student's parent or guardian with written notification of the consequences of the substitution on postsecondary opportunities;
The student, the student's parent or guardian, and the student's school counselor or principal agree to the substitution; and
The substitution is aligned with the student's high school and beyond plan.
A substitution permitted under this subsection (4) may only be used once per student.
Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, school districts with more than 200 enrolled students shall offer regular instruction in at least one visual art or at least one performing art, throughout the school year. Each student must receive instruction in at least one arts discipline throughout their elementary and middle education experience. For grades nine through 12, all students must be given the opportunity to take arts coursework each academic year.
Every student must have access to arts education, as part of basic education under RCW 28A.150.210. Arts instruction must be accessible by all students, in a manner that is commensurate with instruction in other core subject areas.
[Empty]
Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, arts instruction must be provided by either: A certificated teacher with an endorsement in the relevant arts discipline; or a certificated teacher actively pursuing an endorsement in the relevant arts discipline.
A person holding a limited teaching certificate may provide arts instruction while either: (i) The school district recruits and hires a certificated teacher with the qualifications provided in (a) of this subsection; or (ii) the certificated teacher with qualifications provided in (a) of this subsection takes leave as provided in the school district's written leave policy required by RCW 28A.400.300.
Instruction under this section must be solely for the arts discipline in the skills and craft of each specific arts discipline as their own end, rather than as a vehicle to enhance learning in any other nonarts subject area. If schools wish to integrate or infuse the arts into other subject matter, they must do so in addition to the regular, formal arts instruction required by this section.
The arts instructors in each school district, as subject matter experts, shall be consulted to determine which specific visual and performing arts courses to offer at given grade levels, so that instruction is properly aligned to state learning standards in the arts or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4) and students' developmental stages, and vertically aligned to give arts-focused students the best chance for success in their arts college or career pathway.
[Empty]
[Empty]
ii.(A) Beginning in the 2020-21 school year, any public school that provides comprehensive sexual health education must ensure that the curriculum, instruction, and materials include information about affirmative consent and bystander training.
(B) The school district boards of directors of one or more public schools that are not providing comprehensive sexual health education in either the 2019-20 school year, the 2020-21 school year, or both, must prepare for incorporating information about affirmative consent and bystander training into the comprehensive sexual health education curriculum, instruction, and materials required by this section. In satisfying the requirements of this subsection (1)(a)(ii)(B), school district boards of directors must also, no later than the 2020-21 school year, consult with parents and guardians of students, local communities, and the Washington state school directors' association.
b. A public school may choose to use separate, outside speakers or prepared curriculum to teach different content areas or units within its comprehensive sexual health education program if all speakers, curriculum, and materials used are in compliance with this section.
c. Comprehensive sexual health education must be consistent with the Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards or the district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4) and the January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention developed by the department of health and the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
[Empty]
Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, comprehensive sexual health education must be provided to all public school students in grades six through twelve.
Beginning in the 2022-23 school year, comprehensive sexual health education must be provided to all public school students.
The provision of comprehensive sexual health education to public school students as required by (a) and (b) of this subsection (2) must be provided no less than:
Once to students in kindergarten through grade three;
Once to students in grades four through five;
Twice to students in grades six through eight; and
Twice to students in grades nine through twelve.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health shall make the Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards and the January 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention available to public schools, teachers, and guest speakers on their websites. Within available resources, the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health shall also, and to the extent permitted by applicable federal law, make any related information, model policies, curricula, or other resources available on their websites.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the department of health, shall develop a list of comprehensive sexual health education curricula that are consistent with the 2005 guidelines for sexual health information and disease prevention, the Washington state health and physical education K-12 learning standards, and this section. This list, which may serve as a resource for schools, teachers, or any other organization or community group, must be updated at least annually, and must be made available on the websites of the office of the superintendent of public instruction and the department of health.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall periodically review and revise, as necessary, training materials, which may be in an electronic format, for classroom teachers and principals to implement the applicable requirements of this section. The initial review required by this subsection (5) must be completed by March 1, 2021.
[Empty]
Public schools are encouraged to review their comprehensive sexual health education curricula and choose a curriculum from the list developed under subsection (4) of this section. Any public school may identify, choose, or develop any other curriculum if it complies with the requirements of this section.
If a public school chooses a curriculum that is not from the list developed under subsection (4) of this section, the public school or applicable school district, in consultation with the office of the superintendent of public instruction, must conduct a review of the selected or developed curriculum to ensure compliance with the requirements of this section using a comprehensive sexual health education curriculum analysis tool of the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide technical assistance to public schools and school districts that is consistent with the curricula review, selection, and development provisions in (a) and (b) of this subsection (6).
[Empty]
Any parent or legal guardian who wishes to have his or her child excused from any planned instruction in comprehensive sexual health education may do so upon filing a written request with the school district board of directors or its designee, or the principal of the school his or her child attends, or the principal's designee. The person or entity to whom the request is directed must grant the written request to have the student excused from this instruction in accordance with this subsection. In addition, any parent or legal guardian may review the comprehensive sexual health education curriculum provided in his or her child's school by filing a written request with the school district board of directors, the principal of the school his or her child attends, or the principal's designee.
At the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, each school providing comprehensive sexual health education must notify parents and guardians, in writing or in accordance with the methods the school finds most effective in communicating with parents, that the school will be providing comprehensive sexual health education during the school year. The notice must include, or provide a means for electronic access to, all course materials, by grade, that will be used at the school during the instruction.
[Empty]
Public schools shall annually, by September 1st, identify to the office of the superintendent of public instruction any curricula used by the school to provide comprehensive sexual health education as required by this section. Materials provided by schools under this subsection (8)(a) must also describe how the provided classroom instruction aligns with the requirements of this section.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall summarize and, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, report the results provided under (a) of this subsection (8) to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate biennially, beginning after the 2022-23 school year.
RCW 28A.600.480(2), which encourages school employees, students, and volunteers to report harassment, intimidation, or bullying, applies to this section.
Nothing in this section expresses legislative intent to require that comprehensive sexual health education, or components of comprehensive sexual health education, be integrated into curriculum, materials, or instruction in unrelated subject matters or courses.
For the purposes of this section:
"Affirmative consent" means a conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity as a requirement before sexual activity;
"Comprehensive sexual health education" means recurring instruction in human development and reproduction that is age-appropriate and inclusive of all students, regardless of their protected class status under chapter 49.60 RCW. All curriculum, instruction, and materials used in providing comprehensive sexual health education must be medically and scientifically accurate and must use language and strategies that recognize all members of protected classes under chapter 49.60 RCW. Comprehensive sexual health education for students in kindergarten through grade three must be instruction in social-emotional learning that is consistent with learning standards and benchmarks adopted by the office of the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.300.478 or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4). Comprehensive sexual health education for students in grades four through twelve must include information about:
The physiological, psychological, and sociological developmental processes experienced by an individual;
The development of intrapersonal and interpersonal skills to communicate, respectfully and effectively, to reduce health risks, and choose healthy behaviors and relationships that are based on mutual respect and affection, and are free from violence, coercion, and intimidation;
Health care and prevention resources;
The development of meaningful relationships and avoidance of exploitative relationships;
Understanding the influences of family, peers, community, and the media throughout life on healthy sexual relationships; and
Affirmative consent and recognizing and responding safely and effectively when violence, or a risk of violence, is or may be present with strategies that include bystander training;
"Medically and scientifically accurate" means information that is verified or supported by research in compliance with scientific methods, is published in peer-reviewed journals, where appropriate, and is recognized as accurate and objective by professional organizations and agencies with expertise in the field of sexual health including but not limited to the American college of obstetricians and gynecologists, the Washington state department of health, and the federal centers for disease control and prevention; and
"Public schools" has the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010.
By the beginning of the 2022-23 school year each school district shall develop and implement a written plan for a comprehensive school counseling program that is based on regularly updated standards developed by a national organization representing school counselors. The written plan must:
Establish a comprehensive school counseling program that uses state and nationally recognized counselor frameworks and is systemically aligned to state learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4);
Provide a process for identifying student needs through a multilevel school data review and analysis that includes, at a minimum, use-of-time data, program results data, and data regarding communication with administrators, parents, students, and stakeholders;
Explain how direct and indirect services will be delivered through the comprehensive school counseling program; and
Establish an annual review and assessment process for the comprehensive school counseling program that includes building administrators and stakeholders.
School district employees and directors may not take an adverse employment action against any employee of the school district for:
Supporting students in the exercise of their legal rights, including their right to a learning environment with historically and scientifically accurate information that: Includes the histories, contributions, and perspectives of historically marginalized and underrepresented groups as provided in RCW 28A.345.130; and provides students with an appreciation for the contributions and perspectives of diverse, global cultures; or
Performing work in a manner consistent with RCW 28A.642.080, 28A.642.020, 28A.605.005, 28A.320.209, and 28A.230.005 and section 201, chapter 369, Laws of 2025.
In addition to the prohibitions established in subsection (1) of this section, school district employees and directors may not take an adverse employment action against a teacher of the school district for:
Instructing students in a manner consistent with state learning standards when the school district board of directors has not adopted district alternative learning standards under RCW 28A.150.220(4); or
Using instructional materials approved in accordance with RCW 28A.320.230 that are culturally and experientially representative, including materials on the study of the role and contributions of individuals or groups that are part of a protected class under RCW 28A.642.010 and 28A.640.010.
For the purposes of this section, an "adverse employment action" includes termination, demotion, suspension, discipline, denial of promotion, reassignment, negatively impacting the evaluation of certificated staff under RCW 28A.405.100, removal from, or denying access to, a supplemental contract, or otherwise taking any negative employment action against the employee.
This section governs school operation and management under RCW 28A.710.040 and 28A.715.020, and applies to charter schools established under chapter 28A.710 RCW and state-tribal education compact schools subject to chapter 28A.715 RCW to the same extent as it applies to school districts.
The term "professional learning" means a comprehensive, sustained, job-embedded, and collaborative approach to improving teachers' and principals' effectiveness in raising student achievement. Professional learning fosters collective responsibility for improved student performance and must comprise learning that is aligned with student learning needs, educator development needs, and school district or state improvement goals. Professional learning shall have as its primary focus the improvement of teachers' and school leaders' effectiveness in assisting all students to meet the state learning standards or the district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4).
Professional learning is an ongoing process that is measurable by multiple indicators and includes learning experiences that support the acquisition and transfer of learning, knowledge, and skills into the classroom and daily practice.
Professional learning shall incorporate differentiated, coherent, sustained, and evidence-based strategies that improve educator effectiveness and student achievement, including job-embedded coaching or other forms of assistance to support educators' transfer of new knowledge and skills into their practice.
Professional learning should include the work of established collaborative teams of teachers, school leaders, and other administrative, instructional, and educational services staff members, who commit to working together on an ongoing basis to accomplish common goals and who are engaged in a continuous cycle of professional improvement that is focused on:
Identifying student and educator learning needs using multiple sources of data;
Defining a clear set of educator learning goals based on the rigorous analysis of these multiple data sources and the collective and personalized learning needs of teachers and administrators;
Continuously assessing the effectiveness of the professional learning in achieving identified learning goals, improving teaching, and assisting all students in meeting state academic learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4) through reflection, observation, and sustained support;
Using formative and summative measures to assess the effectiveness of professional learning in achieving educator learning goals;
Realizing the three primary purposes for professional learning: (i) Individual improvement aligned with individual goals; (ii) school and team improvement aligned with school and team improvement goals; and (iii) program implementation aligned with state, district, and school improvement goals and initiatives.
Professional learning should be facilitated by well-prepared school and district leaders who incorporate knowledge, skills, and dispositions for leading professional learning of adults and meet the standards described in RCW 28A.415.432. These facilitators may include but are not limited to: Curriculum specialists, central office administrators, principals, coaches, mentors, master teachers, and other teacher leaders.
Principals should assist staff with alignment of professional learning tied to curriculum, instruction, and state and local learning goals and assessments.
Professional learning may be supported by external expert assistance or additional activities that will be held to the same definition and standards as internally supported professional learning, and that:
Address defined student and educator learning goals;
Include, but are not limited to, courses, workshops, institutes, networks, studio residencies, virtual learning modules, and conferences provided by for-profit and nonprofit entities outside the school such as universities, educational service districts, technical assistance providers, networks of content specialists, and other education organizations and associations; and
Advance ongoing school-based professional learning that occurs throughout the year with opportunities for regular practice and feedback while developing new skills.
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the council of presidents shall work with local school districts, workforce education programs in colleges, tech prep consortia, and four-year institutions of higher education to develop model career and technical education programs of study as described by this section.
Career and technical education programs of study:
Incorporate secondary and postsecondary education elements;
Include coherent and rigorous academic content aligned with state learning standards or district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4) and relevant career and technical content in a coordinated, nonduplicative progression of courses that are aligned with postsecondary education in a related field;
Include opportunities for students to earn dual high school and college credit; and
Lead to an industry-recognized credential or certificate at the postsecondary level, or an associate or baccalaureate degree.
During the 2008-09 school year, model career and technical education programs of study shall be developed for the following high‑demand programs: Construction, health care, and information technology. Each school year thereafter, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board shall select additional programs of study to develop, with a priority on high‑demand programs as identified under RCW 28A.700.020.
A charter school must operate according to the terms of its charter contract and the provisions of this chapter.
A charter school must:
Comply with local, state, and federal health, safety, parents' rights, civil rights, and nondiscrimination laws applicable to school districts and to the same extent as school districts, including but not limited to chapter 28A.642 RCW (discrimination prohibition), chapter 28A.640 RCW (sexual equality), chapter 28A.180 RCW (transitional bilingual instruction program), and chapter 28A.155 RCW (special education);
Provide a program of basic education, that meets the goals in RCW 28A.150.210, including instruction in the state learning standards or the district alternative learning standards adopted under RCW 28A.150.220(4), and participate in the statewide student assessment system as developed under RCW 28A.655.070;
Comply with the screening and intervention requirements under RCW 28A.320.260;
Employ certificated instructional staff as required in RCW 28A.410.025. Charter schools, however, may hire noncertificated instructional staff of unusual competence and in exceptional cases as specified in RCW 28A.150.203(7), according to the same limited exceptions that apply to other public schools. Beginning November 1, 2023, and annually thereafter, charter schools shall report the employment of all noncertificated instructional staff hired in accordance with this subsection (2)(d) during the current and preceding school year to the executive director of the commission and the state board of education for inclusion in the annual report required by RCW 28A.710.250;
Comply with the employee record check requirements in RCW 28A.400.303;
Adhere to generally accepted accounting principles and be subject to financial examinations and audits as determined by the state auditor, including annual audits for legal and fiscal compliance;
Comply with the annual performance report under RCW 28A.655.110;
Be subject to the performance improvement goals adopted by the state board of education under RCW 28A.305.130;
Be subject to and comply with legislation enacted after December 6, 2012, that governs the operation and management of charter schools.
Charter public schools must comply with all state statutes and rules made applicable to the charter school in the school's charter contract, and are subject to the specific state statutes and rules identified in subsection (2) of this section. For the purpose of allowing flexibility to innovate in areas such as scheduling, personnel, funding, and educational programs to improve student outcomes and academic achievement, charter schools are not subject to, and are exempt from, all other state statutes and rules applicable to school districts and school district boards of directors. Except as provided otherwise by this chapter or a charter contract, charter schools are exempt from all school district policies.
A charter school may not engage in any sectarian practices in its educational program, admissions or employment policies, or operations.
Charter schools are subject to the supervision of the superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education, including accountability measures such as the Washington achievement index developed by the state board of education under RCW 28A.657.110, to the same extent as other public schools, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the joint legislative audit review committee shall conduct a study evaluating this policy. The study must include, but is not limited to, evaluation of:
The degree of difference between alternative learning standards where adopted and state learning standards under RCW 28A.655.070; and
Student learning and performance in school districts that adopt alternative learning standards.
The study results must be submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature and the governor by January 1, 2030.
If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned. Rules adopted under this act must meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state.