HB 1896 — Expanding civics education in public schools.

H-4646.1SECONDH-1425.1HOUSE SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1896State of Washington65th Legislature2018Legislature2017 Regular SessionBy House Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Dolan, Stonier, Lovick, Springer, Appleton, Bergquist, Manweller, Tarleton, Frame, Goodman, and Ormsby)READOrmsbyRead FIRSTfirst TIMEtime 02/06/18.AN02/02/17. ACT Relating to the expansion of civics education in public schools;

addingReferred ato newCommittee sectionon Education.AN ACT Relating to chapterthe 28A.230expansion RCW;of civics education in public schools;

adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW;

andmaking repealingappropriations; RCW 28A.230.093.BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that effective civics education teaches students how to be active, informed, and engaged citizens.

Theproviding legislaturean recognizeseffective thatdate; RCW 28A.150.210 identifies civics as one component of a basic education and that one-half credit in civics is required for high school graduation.

Theand requireddeclaring civicsan content,emergency.BE however,IT mayENACTED beBY embeddedTHE inLEGISLATURE anotherOF socialTHE studiesSTATE course.CivicsOF requirementsWASHINGTON:NEW areSECTION.  Sec. 1.  FINDINGS—INTENT. meant to ensure that every student receives a high-quality civics education from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The legislature alsofinds recognizes,that however,training thatfor twoteachers factorsin limitpublic theschools effectivenessto ofprovide civics education.First,education whenis thenot one-halfavailable civicsin creditall districts due to limited budgets and competing demands for funding.It is embeddedthe inintent otherof coursesthe ratherlegislature thanto taughtdevelop inan ain-depth stand-aloneand civicsinteractive course,teacher training program to improve the requiredability contentof isteachers easilythroughout dilutedthe orstate ignoredto altogether.implement the legislatively mandated 0.5 credit civics education graduation requirement.

PressureThis toexpanded emphasizecivics othereducation areasprogram ofshould theinclude curriculumcomponents canassuring relegatethat civicsstudents educationhave basic knowledge about national, state, tribal, and local governments, and thus become well prepared to abecome lesserinformed, role.Second,active professionalcitizens.NEW developmentSECTION.  Sec. 2.  A opportunitiesnew forsection teachersis inadded civicsto educationchapter are28A.415 rare.RCW to read as follows:EXPANDED CIVICS EDUCATION PROGRAM.

In(1) manyAn districts,expanded duecivics toeducation limitedteacher budgetstraining andprogram competingis demandsestablished forwithin funding,the opportunitiesoffice of the superintendent of public instruction.(2) The expanded civics education program must provide for the selection of a team of qualified social studies teachers tofrom deepenacross instructionalthe state who will:(a) Develop teacher training materials using an existing textbook that includes civic engagement with national, state, tribal, and curricularlocal practicesgovernment;(b) Provide teacher training across the state using the tools established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction including the "Six Proven Practices for Enhancing Civic Education," the "(C3) Instructional Framework found in civicsthe doCollege, notCareer, exist.Theand legislature,Civic therefore,Life," intends"The to:Guardian of Democracy-Successor Report to the Civic Mission of Schools," and "CIRCLE:

RequireThe schoolCenter districtsfor toInformation provideand aResearch mandatoryon stand-aloneCivic civicsLearning courseand forEngagement"; all high school students;

andand(c) supportDevelop thea developmentprocess offor ansustaining in-depth and interactivebuilding teacher professionalcapacity.(3) developmentThe program toshall improveassure:(a) An increase in the abilitynumber of teachers throughoutwith the stateknowledge and skills to provideeffectively engage students within ancivic effectiveeducation;(b) civicsAn educationincrease fromin kindergartenthe throughnumber twelfthof grade.students who have a basic understanding of how governments work;

Thisand(c) expandedAn civicsincrease educationin programthe seeksnumber of students from every demographic and socioeconomic group who know their rights and responsibilities within society and are prepared to ensureexercise them.(4) To implement the program in this section, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall contract with a Washington state-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that studentshas havean basicextensive knowledgetrack aboutrecord national,of state,nonpartisan, fact-based federal, tribal, state, and local governments,civic education of students and thatadults.(5) theyThe developoffice of the skillssuperintendent andof dispositionspublic neededinstruction may accept gifts and grants to becomeassist informedwith the establishment and engagedimplementation citizens.NEWof SECTION.  Sec. 2.  Athe newprogram sectionin this section.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  (1) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is addedappropriated tofor chapterthe 28A.230fiscal RCWyear ending June 30, 2018, from the general fund to readthe asoffice follows:(1)(a)of Beginningthe withsuperintendent of public instruction for the purposes of this act.(2) The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or beforeas much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the 2020-21fiscal schoolyear year,ending eachJune school30, district2018, thatfrom operatesthe ageneral highfund schoolto mustthe provideoffice aof mandatorythe one-halfsuperintendent creditof stand-alonepublic courseinstruction infor civicsthe purposes of this act.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  This act is necessary for eachthe highimmediate schoolpreservation student.of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2017.--- END ---

Civics content and instruction embedded in other social studies courses do not satisfy the requirements of this subsection.(b) Credit awarded to students who complete the civics course must be applied to course credit requirements in social studies that are required for high school graduation.(2) The content of the civics course must include, but is not limited to:(a) Federal, state, tribal, and local government organization and procedures;(b) Rights and responsibilities of citizens addressed in the Washington state and United States Constitutions;(c) Current issues addressed at each level of government;(d) Electoral issues, including elections, ballot measures, initiatives, and referenda;(e) The study and completion of the civics component of the federally administered naturalization test required of persons seeking to become naturalized United States citizens;

and(f) The importance in a free society of living the basic values and character traits specified in RCW 28A.150.211.(3) Neither school districts nor the state board of education may require students to obtain a passing grade on the course required by this section as a requirement for high school graduation.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, an expanded civics education teacher training program is established within the office of the superintendent of public instruction.(2) The program must provide for the selection of a team of qualified social studies teachers, and when appropriate, civics education specialists, from across the state who will:(a) Develop teacher training materials using existing open educational resources (OERs) that include civics information on national, state, tribal, and local government, and the civics component of the federally administered naturalization test required of persons seeking to become naturalized United States citizens;(b) Provide teacher training across the state, consistent with provisions in this chapter, and using the tools established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction including the college, career, and civic life (C3) framework and the six proven instructional practices for enhancing civic education;

and(c) Provide professional learning opportunities as described in section 2(3), chapter 77, Laws of 2016, which states that 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.(3) The program shall assure an increase in the number of:(a) Teachers with the knowledge and skills to effectively engage students in civics education;(b) Students who have a basic understanding of how governments work;

and(c) Students from every demographic and socioeconomic group who know their rights and responsibilities within society and are prepared to exercise them.(4) The office of the superintendent of public instruction may accept gifts and grants to assist with the establishment and implementation of the program established in this section.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall select two school districts that are diverse in size and in geographic and demographic makeup to serve as demonstration sites for enhanced civics education.

These demonstration sites will:(1) Implement and assess an in-depth civics education program that includes the six proven instructional practices for enhancing civic education in kindergarten through twelfth grade classrooms;(2) Collaborate with programs and agencies in the local community in order to expand after-school and summer civics education opportunities;(3) Monitor and report the level of penetration of civics education in school and out-of-school programs;(4) Ensure that underserved students including rural, low-income, immigrant, and refugee students are prioritized in the implementation of programs;(5) Develop evaluation standards and a procedure for endorsing civics education curriculum that can be recommended for use in other school districts and out-of-school programs;

and(6) Provide an annual report on the demonstration sites by December 1st each year to the governor and the committees of the legislature with oversight over K-12 education.NEW SECTION.  Sec. 5.  RCW 28A.230.093 (Social studies course credits—Civics coursework) and 2009 c 223 s 3 are each repealed.--- END ---