SB 5293 — Concerning court-based and school-based efforts to promote attendance and reduce truancy.

S-1484.1SUBSTITUTES-0769.1SENATE SENATE BILL 5293State of Washington65th Legislature2017 Regular SessionBy Senate Human Services, Mental Health & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators Darneille and Chase)READChaseRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/16/17.AN01/19/17. ACT Relating to court-based and school-based efforts to promote attendance and reduce truancy;

Referred to Committee on Human Services, Mental Health & Housing.AN ACT Relating to court-based and school-based efforts to promote attendance and reduce truancy;

and(c) AtTake some point after the second and before the fifth unexcused absence, take data-informed steps to eliminate or reduce the child's absences.

These steps ((shall))shall must include application of an assessment tool such as the Washington assessment of the risks and needs of students (WARNS) by a school district's designee under RCW 28A.225.026((, and)).(i)and)) Forno anylater childthan with an existing individualized education plan or 504 plan, these steps must include the conveningfifth ofunexcused theabsence child'sin individualizeda educationmonth plan or 504tenth planunexcused team,absence includingin a behavioralyear. specialist or mental health specialist where appropriate, to consider the reasons for the absences.

IfWhere necessary,appropriate, and((providing)) ifthe consentdistrict's fromdesignee theshall parentprovide isan given,available aapproved functionalbest behaviorpractice or research-based intervention, or both, consistent with the ((WARNS profile)) assessment tool, adjusting the child's school program or school or course assignment, providing more individualized or remedial instruction, providing appropriate vocational courses or work experience, referring the child to explorea community truancy board, requiring the functionchild ofto attend an alternative school or program, or assisting the absenceparent behavioror shallchild beto conductedobtain andsupplementary aservices detailedthat behaviormight planeliminate completed.or ameliorate the cause or causes for the absence from school.

Time should be allowed for the behavior plan to be initiated and data tracked to determine progress.(ii) With respect to any child without an existing individualized education plan or 504 plan reasonably believed to have a mental or physical disability or impairment, these steps must include informing the child's parent of the right to obtain an appropriate evaluation at no cost to the parent to determine whether the child has a disability or impairment and needs accommodations, related services, or special education services.

This includes children with suspected emotional or behavioral disabilities as defined in WAC 392-172A-01035.

If the school obtains consent to conduct an evaluation, time should be allowed for the evaluation to be completed and, if the child is found to be eligible for special education services, accommodations, or related services, a plan developed to address the child's needs.(iii) These steps must include, where appropriate, providing an available approved best practice or research-based intervention, or both, consistent with the ((WARNS profile)) assessment tool, adjusting the child's school program or school or course assignment, providing more individualized or remedial instruction, providing appropriate vocational courses or work experience, referring the child to a community truancy board, requiring the child to attend an alternative school or program, or assisting the parent or child to obtain supplementary services that might eliminate or ameliorate the cause or causes for the absence from school.

The sending school district shall provide this information to the receiving school, together with a copy of any previous assessment as required under subsection (1)(c) of this section, history of any best practices or researched-based intervention previously provided to the child by the child's sending school district, and a copy of the most recent truancy information including any online or written acknowledgment by the parent and child, as provided for in RCW 28A.225.005.28A.225.005.Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.225.025 and 2016 c 205 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:(1) For purposes of this chapter, "community truancy board" means a board established pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between a juvenile court and a school district and composed of members of the local community in which the child attends school.

All school districts must use the standard choice transfer form for releasing a student to a nonresident school district for the purposes of accessing an alternative learning experience program.Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.225.025 and 2016 c 205 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:(1) For purposes of this chapter, "community truancy board" means a board established pursuant to a memorandum of understanding between a juvenile court and a school district and composed of members of the local community in which the child attends school.

Identifying barriers to school attendance, recommending methods for improving attendance such as connecting students and their families with community services, culturally appropriate promising practices, and evidence-based services such as functional family therapy, multisystemic therapy, and aggression replacement training, suggesting to the school district that the child enroll in another school, an alternative education program, an education center, a skill center, a dropout prevention program, or another public or private educational program, or recommending to the juvenile court that a juvenile be ((referredreferred to))to offered the opportunity for placement in a HOPE center or crisis residential center,center.(2) if appropriate.(2) The legislature finds that utilization of community truancy boards is the preferred means of intervention when preliminary methods to eliminate or reduce unexcused absences as required by RCW 28A.225.020 have not been effective in securing the child's attendance at school.

or(f) Submit to a temporary placement in a crisis residential center or a HOPE center if the court determines there is an immediate health and safety concern, or a family conflict with the need for mediation)).(2)(a)mediation)).(2) If the child fails to comply with the court order, the court may impose:(i)order Communitythe restitution;(ii)child Nonresidentialto programsbe withsubject intensiveto wraparounddetention, services;as provided in RCW 7.21.030(2)(e), or may impose alternatives to detention such as:

or(iii)Temporary Otherplacement servicesin anda interventionscrisis thatresidential thecenter courtor deemsa appropriate.(b)HOPE Ifcenter, theif child continues to fail to comply with the court orderdetermines andthere theis courtan makesimmediate ahealth finding that other measures to secure compliance have been tried but have been unsuccessful and nosafety lessconcern, restrictiveor alternativea isfamily available,conflict thewith court may order the childneed tofor bemediation; subject to detention, as provided in RCW 7.21.030(2)(e)((, or may impose alternatives to detention such as community restitution)).

or community restitution.