HB 2038 — Collecting data on student transfers and withdrawals from public schools and school districts.

H-3002.1H-2117.1 SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2038 State of Washington 68th Legislature 2024 Regular Session By House Education (originally sponsored by Representatives McClintock, Couture, Waters, Rude, Jacobsen, Cheney, and Griffey)Griffey READPrefiled FIRST12/22/23. TIME 01/31/24.

Read first time 01/08/24.

Referred to Committee on Education.

amending RCW 28A.200.010;

(1) The legislature recognizes that emerging trends in recent years show a decline in enrollment in elementary and secondary public schools,schools and thatan betweenincrease in the 2018-19number andof 2022-23students schoolparticipating years,in publicprivate schoolschools enrollmentand declinedhome-based byinstruction. more than 20,000 students, a decrease of more than two percent.

(2) TheBetween legislaturethe finds2018-19 thatand 2022-23 school years, the increasinglynumber frequentof parentalstudents preferencesenrolled forin nonpublicprivate educationschools optionsincreased haveby occurredmore withoutthan a10 correspondingpercent collectionto almost 82,000 students and the number of datastudents thatregistered couldfor helphome-based schoolinstruction officials,statewide policymakers,increased andby the28 public:percent to more than 28,000 students.

(a)During Morethis fullysame understandfour-year whyperiod, parentshowever, arepublic forgoingschool publicenrollment schools;declined by more than 20,000, a decrease of more than two percent.

(3) The legislature finds that the increasingly frequent parental preferences for nonpublic education options have occurred without a corresponding collection of data that could help school officials, policymakers, and the public:

(a) More fully understand why parents p.

1 HB 2038 are forgoing public schools;

(3)(4) The legislature, therefore, intends to direct the office of the superintendent of public instruction to create and administer a voluntary survey for parents to complete when they transfer or withdraw students from public schools or school districts.

p.NEW SECTION.

1 SHB 2038 NEW SECTION.

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction,instruction in consultation with the Washington school information processing cooperative, shall establishcreate andan maintain a confidential online survey for parents or guardians to complete, at their option, upon transferring or withdrawing theira student or students from a public school or school district.

ForThe the purpose of avoidingthe duplicationsurvey, inwhich themust be operational by September 1, 2024, is to collect data collectionfor process,school theofficials, surveypolicymakers, mustand usethe public regarding the statewidereasons studentthat identifierparents foror eachguardians studenttransfer foror whichwithdraw therestudents isfrom apublic surveyschools response.and school districts.

The(2)(a) purposePublic schools must notify parents or guardians of the survey,survey whichand mustprovide bea operationallink byto Septemberthe 1,survey 2024,upon isreceiving to:a request from a parent or guardian to transfer or withdraw a student.

(a)(b) CollectEach data for school officials,district policymakers,that andmaintains thea publicwebsite aboutmust thepost purposesa andlink reasonsto thatthe parentssurvey oron guardianstheir transferwebsite orand withdrawthe studentshomepage fromfor publiceach schoolsschool andwithin schoolthe districts;district.

andPublic (b)schools Identify,and throughschool thedistricts collectedshould data,make potential opportunities for improving the publicsurvey schoollink systemavailable tothrough bettertheir meetinternet-based thecommunications needsand ofother studentsdigital and theirnondigital parentscommunications. or guardians.

(2)(3)(a) PublicBeginning schoolsDecember must1, notify2025, parentsand orannually guardiansthereafter, of the surveyoffice andof providethe asuperintendent linkof topublic theinstruction surveyshall uponprovide receiving a requestsummary fromof athe parentdata orreceived guardianthrough tothe transfersurvey orduring withdrawthe aprevious student.12 months to:

(3)(a)(i) BeginningThe Decemberpublic 1,schools 2025, and annuallyschool thereafter,districts thefrom officewhich of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide a summary of the data received through the survey duringresponses thefrom schoolparents yearor precedingguardians theoriginated; issuance of the report to:

(i)and (ii) The publiceducation schools and schoolfiscal districtscommittees fromof which the surveylegislature. responses from parents or guardians originated;

andSummaries (ii)provided Thein educationaccordance andwith fiscalthis committeessubsection of(3)(a) themust legislature,conform into compliance with RCW 43.01.036.

(b) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall annually post and maintain on its website an aggregate statewide summary of the data summaries required by (a) of this subsection (3).

(4) TheFor office of the superintendentpurposes of publicthis instructionsection, shall"public ensureschools" thathas the implementationsame ofmeaning thisas section occurs in conformityRCW with28A.150.010. requirements governing the privacy of student education records.

(5)p. For the purposes of this section:

(a)2 "PublicHB schools"2038 hasSec. the same meaning as in RCW 28A.150.010;

and3. p.

2RCW SHB28A.200.010 2038and (b)2019 "Statewidec student252 identifier"s has109 theare sameeach meaningamended asto inread RCWas 28B.10.041.follows:

(1) Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to:

(a) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based instruction.

The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction.

Each parent shall file the statement by September 15th of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of the nonresident district.

Parents may apply for transfer under RCW 28A.225.220;

(b) Ensure that test scores or annual academic progress assessments and immunization records, together with any other records that are kept relating to the instructional and educational activities provided, are forwarded to any other public or private school to which the child transfers.

At the time of a transfer to a public school, the superintendent of the local school district in which the child enrolls may require a standardized achievement test to be administered and shall have the authority to determine the appropriate grade and course level placement of the child after consultation with parents and review of the child's records;

and (c) Ensure that a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual or that an annual assessment of the student's academic progress is written by a certificated person who is currently working in the field of education.

The state board of education shall not require these children to meet the student learning goals, learn the state learning standards, or take the assessments under RCW 28A.655.070.

The standardized test administered or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made a part of the child's permanent records.

If, as a result of the annual test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of p.

3 HB 2038 development, the parent shall make a good faith effort to remedy any deficiency.