SB 5348 — Concerning students who receive special education services who earn certificates of individual achievement.

S-1230.2SUBSTITUTES-0784.1SENATE SENATE BILL 5348State of Washington65th Legislature2017 Regular SessionBy Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education (originally sponsored by Senators Fain, Rolfes, Zeiger, Darneille, Conway, Keiser, and Kuderer)READKudererRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/16/17.AN01/20/17. ACT Relating to students who receive special education services who earn certificates of individual achievement;

andReferred amendingto RCWCommittee 28A.155.220.BEon ITEarly ENACTEDLearning BY& THEK-12 LEGISLATUREEducation.AN OFACT THERelating STATE OF WASHINGTON:Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.155.220 and 2015 c 217 s 2 are each amended to readstudents aswho follows:(1)receive Thespecial officeeducation ofservices thewho superintendentearn ofcertificates public instruction must establish interagency agreements with the department of socialindividual andachievement; health services, the department of services for the blind, and any other state agency that provides high school transition services for special education students.

Suchand interagencyamending agreementsRCW 28A.155.170.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.155.170 and 2007 c 318 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:(1) Beginning July 1, 2007, each school district that operates a high school shall notestablish interferea withpolicy existingand procedures that permit any student who is receiving special education or related services under an individualized education programs,program norpursuant overrideto anystate and federal law and who will continue to receive such services between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one to participate in the graduation ceremony and activities after four years of high school attendance with his or her age-appropriate peers and receive a certificate of attendance.(2) Participation in a graduation ceremony and receipt of a certificate of attendance under this section does not preclude a student from continuing to receive special education and related services under an individualized education program team'sbeyond decision-makingthe power.graduation ceremony.(3) A student's participation in a graduation ceremony and receipt of a certificate of attendance under this section shall not be construed as the student's receipt of either:(a) A high school diploma pursuant to RCW 28A.230.120;

Theor(b) purposeA certificate of individual achievement pursuant to RCW 28A.155.045.(4) A student receiving special education services who, as a result of the interagencystudent's agreementsacademic isperformance, earns a certificate of individual achievement pursuant to fosterRCW effective28A.155.045 collaborationshall:(a) amongBe theentitled multipleto agenciesreceive providinga transitionregular serviceshigh forschool individualizeddiploma educationand program-eligiblebe specialcounted educationas studentssuch fromby the beginningserving ofschool district;(b) Remain eligible to receive transition planning,services, as soondefined asin educationallyWAC 392-172A-01190, between ages eighteen and developmentallytwenty-one appropriate,if throughthe agestudent's twenty-one,most orrecent throughevaluation highand schoolcurrent graduation,individualized whichevereducation occursprogram first.specify a continuing need for such transition services;

Interagencyand(c) agreementsContinue are also intended to streamlinegenerate servicesassociated andstate programs, promote efficiencies, and establishfederal afunding uniformfor focus on improved outcomes related to self-sufficiency.(2)(a) When educationally and developmentally appropriate, the interagencyschool responsibilitiesdistrict andthat linkagesprovides withsuch transition servicesservices.--- underEND subsection--- (1) of this section must be addressed in a transition plan to a postsecondary setting in the individualized education program of a student with disabilities.(b) Transition planning shall be based upon educationally and developmentally appropriate transition assessments that outline the student's individual needs, strengths, preferences, and interests.

Transition assessments may include observations, interviews, inventories, situational assessments, formal and informal assessments, as well as academic assessments.(c) The transition services that the transition plan must address include activities needed to assist the student in reaching postsecondary goals and courses of study to support postsecondary goals.(d) Transition activities that the transition plan may address include instruction, related services, community experience, employment and other adult living objectives, daily living skills, and functional vocational evaluation.(e) When educationally and developmentally appropriate, a discussion must take place with the student and parents, and others as needed, to determine the postsecondary goals or postschool vision for the student.

This discussion may be included as part of an annual individualized education program review, high school and beyond plan meeting, or any other meeting that includes parents, students, and educators.

The postsecondary goals included in the transition plan shall be goals that are measurable and must be based on appropriate transition assessments related to training, education, employment, and independent living skills, when necessary.

The goals must also be based on the student's needs, while considering the strengths, preferences, and interests of the student.(f) As the student gets older, changes in the transition plan may be noted in the annual update of the student's individualized education program.(g) A student with disabilities who has a high school and beyond plan may use the plan to comply with the transition plan required under this subsection (2).(3) A student receiving special education services who, as a result of the student's academic performance, earns a certificate of individual achievement pursuant to RCW 28A.155.045 may:

Remain eligible to receive transition services from a school district between ages eighteen and twenty-one if the student's most recent evaluation and current individualized education program specify a continuing need for such transition services;

and if provided by the school district, must continue to generate associated state and federal funding for the school district that provides such transition services.(4) To the extent that data is available through data-sharing agreements established by the education data center under RCW 43.41.400, the education data center must monitor the following outcomes for individualized education program-eligible special education students after high school graduation:(a) The number of students who, within one year of high school graduation:(i) Enter integrated employment paid at the greater of minimum wage or competitive wage for the type of employment, with access to related employment and health benefits;

or(ii) Enter a postsecondary education or training program focused on leading to integrated employment;(b) The wages and number of hours worked per pay period;(c) The impact of employment on any state and federal benefits for individuals with disabilities;(d) Indicators of the types of settings in which students who previously received transition services primarily reside;(e) Indicators of improved economic status and self-sufficiency;(f) Data on those students for whom a postsecondary or integrated employment outcome does not occur within one year of high school graduation, including:(i) Information on the reasons that the desired outcome has not occurred;(ii) The number of months the student has not achieved the desired outcome;

and(iii) The efforts made to ensure the student achieves the desired outcome.(((4))) (5) To the extent that the data elements in subsection (((3))) (4) of this section are available to the education data center through data-sharing agreements, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must prepare an annual report using existing resources and submit the report to the legislature.--- END ---