Student performance

AN ACT Relating to improving student performance and success with 1
evidence-based practices, accountability standards, and transparency 2
measures; amending RCW 28A.320.202, 28A.300.530, 28A.300.570, 3
28A.150.220, 28A.300.720, 28A.320.260, 28A.415.265, 28A.655.230, 4
28A.655.235, and 28B.10.033; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 5
RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; adding new sections 6
to chapter 28A.410 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28A.710 RCW; 7
adding a new section to chapter 28A.715 RCW; creating new sections; 8
recodifying RCW 28A.320.202 and 28B.10.033; repealing RCW 9
28A.300.290, 28A.300.300, 28A.300.330, 28A.300.340, 28A.410.285, 10
28A.415.350, 28A.415.360, and 28A.415.400; providing an effective 11
date; and providing expiration dates. 12
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:13
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that a 14
significant number of Washington's students are struggling to meet 15
grade-level standards in core academic areas. As of 2025, 60 percent 16
of Washington's students are failing to meet grade-level standards in 17
math and 50 percent are failing in English language arts. This 18
persistent underperformance poses a critical challenge to the 19
academic success and future opportunities of Washington's students.20
H-2459.3
HOUSE BILL 2138
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Keaton, Richards, Ley, Jacobsen, Graham, Marshall,
and Couture
Prefiled 12/15/25. Read first time 01/12/26. Referred to Committee
on Education.
p. 1 HB 2138
(2) The legislature further finds that literacy is the foundation 1
upon which all other academic success is built. Yet, concerningly, 36 2
percent of third grade students and 40 percent of fourth grade 3
students read at below grade level. Learning to read and write is a 4
core element of the state's statutory program of basic education, and 5
these foundational skills are necessary for success in all other 6
subjects. Around the fourth grade, students must transition from 7
"learning to read" to "reading to learn," where they rely on reading 8
skills to access information in subjects like science and social 9
studies. If students do not achieve strong literacy skills by this 10
critical stage, their ability to succeed academically in all subjects 11
will be severely compromised. 12
(3)(a) Given these alarming statistics and the importance of 13
early literacy and mathematics skills, the legislature intends to 14
take comprehensive and evidence-based actions to improve student 15
outcomes in reading and math. 16
(b) In an effort to improve early literacy, the legislature 17
intends to require all students to enter the fourth grade equipped 18
with the reading skills needed to excel in all aspects of their 19
learning. This is a critical juncture in a student's education with 20
far-reaching effects on the student's future academic success. 21
Washington public schools have the potential to significantly improve 22
both academic performance and students' lives, similar to states like 23
Mississippi which, despite having one of the highest populations of 24
low-income students, has achieved remarkable success in reading 25
outcomes by ensuring that students are proficient in reading before 26
advancing to fourth grade. The legislature plans to provide multiple 27
pathways for students to demonstrate proficiency in order to enter 28
fourth grade and intends to allow for good cause exemptions for 29
specific students. However, the legislature believes that, in order 30
to succeed, students must not move to the fourth grade prematurely.31
(4) To assist schools in meeting this challenge, the legislature 32
intends to provide for the hiring of reading coaches in elementary 33
schools, ensuring students receive expert guidance in building 34
essential literacy skills. Additionally, by the 2028-29 school year, 35
the legislature intends to require public schools to implement a 36
structured literacy program that aligns with the science of reading, 37
an approach that research shows has an effectiveness rate of at least 38
95 percent. This program incorporates the five pillars of reading: 39
Phonology and phonemic awareness; orthographic knowledge or phonics; 40
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reading and writing fluency; vocabulary or oral language knowledge 1
and proficiency; and semantics or comprehension of written language. 2
The legislature intends to prohibit ineffective methods of 3
instruction and implement programs that are evidence-based, systemic, 4
sequential, and cumulative, ensuring high quality, explicit, and 5
rigorous instruction that meets the diverse needs of all students. To 6
that end, the legislature also intends to provide further resources 7
for teachers to support students with reading difficulties, 8
particularly dyslexia. 9
(5) The legislature intends to require the office of the 10
superintendent of public instruction to monitor school district 11
literacy programs to ensure compliance with these new requirements, 12
facilitating continuous improvement across schools.13
(6) Furthermore, the legislature intends to update teacher 14
endorsement standards for reading and literacy. Teacher preparation 15
programs will be required to include these updated standards. To 16
support teachers in the field, the office of the superintendent of 17
public instruction will regularly update training programs and offer 18
refresher courses focused on evidence-based professional development. 19
This training is intended to address the science of reading and the 20
implementation of effective literacy instruction for students in 21
kindergarten through fourth grade. 22
(7) Finally, the legislature intends to call for a review of the 23
state's mathematics standards, specifically including a comparison to 24
Singapore math, to assess whether updating the state's standards 25
could improve outcomes for Washington students in this critical 26
subject area. 27
(8) Through these actions, the legislature seeks to ensure that 28
every student in Washington has the foundational skills in literacy 29
and mathematics needed to succeed academically and beyond. These 30
measures align with the state's commitment to providing high quality 31
basic education, addressing the urgent need for intervention and 32
improvement in reading, writing, and mathematics. 33
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 34
RCW to read as follows: 35
The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall 36
publish longitudinal data on its website regarding public school and 37
school district performance across various student measures. The most 38
recent 10 years of student measures data must be published for the 39
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following student measures, at a minimum: Assessment proficiency, 1
graduation rates, assessment growth, enrollment, and discipline. If 2
student measures data is unavailable or lacks sufficient quality for 3
publication, the office must provide an explanation on the relevant 4
webpage. 5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The office of the superintendent of 6
public instruction shall consider how the state learning standards in 7
mathematics compare to the mathematics method developed in the 8
country of Singapore that uses a three-step approach, referred to as 9
concrete-pictorial-abstract in order to help students learn math 10
concepts. By December 31, 2026, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, 11
the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall report 12
to the appropriate committees of the legislature with a 13
recommendation of whether the state should update its standards to 14
implement the Singapore mathematics method.15
(2) This section expires June 30, 2027. 16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 17
RCW to read as follows: 18
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 19
specific purpose, the reading to ensure academic development grant 20
program, known as the READ grant program, is established to improve 21
early elementary student literacy. 22
(2) Beginning September 1, 2026, the office of the superintendent 23
of public instruction must award up to 125 READ grants. Grants may 24
not exceed $75,000 per year for four years, per public elementary 25
school. Grants may be awarded to one or more elementary schools 26
within an applying school district. 27
(3)(a) In making grant allocations, the office of the 28
superintendent of public instruction must give priority to public 29
elementary schools with the highest percentages of tested students 30
receiving a score of basic or below basic, as defined in RCW 31
28A.655.230, on the third grade statewide student assessment in 32
English language arts as provided for under RCW 28A.655.070, in the 33
previous school year. The office may also consider the percentage of 34
students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals and the 35
percentage of students participating in English learner programs.36
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(b) For the purposes of this subsection, the office of the 1
superintendent of public instruction must exclude the following from 2
the calculation of a school's percentage of tested students:3
(i) Students enrolled in the transitional bilingual instruction 4
program under chapter 28A.180 RCW unless the student has participated 5
in the program for three school years; and 6
(ii) Students with disabilities whose individualized education 7
program specifies a different standard to measure reading performance 8
than is required for the statewide student assessment in English 9
language arts. 10
(4) Grant funds awarded under this section must be used to hire 11
reading coaches in the awarded public elementary school. As used in 12
this section, a reading coach is a classified staff person, with at 13
least two years of experience teaching literacy skills to students, 14
who provides additional educational support services to elementary 15
students to improve their reading skills. 16
(5)(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction 17
must evaluate the READ grant program, in collaboration with 18
recipients of the grants in this section, and prepare a report on the 19
outcomes of the program. The report must include a comparison between 20
the third grade statewide student English language arts assessment 21
scores, both proficiency and growth rates, of the awarded elementary 22
schools and the scores of comparable schools. A preliminary report is 23
due November 30, 2029, and a final report is due November 30, 2030.24
(b) The report required by (a) of this subsection must be 25
submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature, in 26
accordance with RCW 43.01.036. 27
(6) As used in this section, "public school" has the same meaning 28
as provided in RCW 28A.150.010. 29
(7) This section expires August 1, 2031. 30
Sec. 5. RCW 28A.320.202 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 102 are each 31
amended to read as follows: 32
(1) School districts ((are responsible for providing a 33
comprehensive system of instruction and services in reading and early 34
literacy to kindergarten through fourth grade students that is based 35
on the degree of student need for additional support. Reading and 36
early literacy systems provided by school districts must include:37
(1) Annual use of)) shall implement a structured literacy program 38
that uses evidence-based instructional practices to promote the early 39
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literacy and reading and writing literacy of students in kindergarten 1
through fourth grade. School districts are encouraged to phase in use 2
of the program elements beginning with the 2026-27 school year and 3
shall fully implement all program elements by the beginning of the 4
2028-29 school year. 5
(2) A structured literacy program required by subsection (1) of 6
this section must:7
(a) Include at least the following essential components: 8
Semantics or comprehending written language; reading and writing 9
fluency; orthographic knowledge or phonics; phonology and phonemic 10
awareness; and vocabulary or oral language knowledge and proficiency;11
(b) Be systemic, sequential, and cumulative;12
(c) Provide direct, explicit, and rigorous instruction that is 13
high quality and knowledge rich;14
(d) Be diagnostic of and responsive to individual student needs, 15
including by being multisensory and multimodal;16
(e) Provide instruction and services, including literacy 17
interventions under RCW 28A.320.260 within a multitiered system of 18
supports;19
(f) Use screening assessments and other tools to identify at-risk 20
readers in kindergarten through fourth grade, such as the Washington 21
kindergarten inventory of developing skills, the Washington state 22
early learning and development guidelines for birth through third 23
grade, literacy screenings for students in kindergarten through 24
second grade under RCW 28A.320.260, the second grade reading 25
assessment under RCW 28A.300.310, and locally used assessments and 26
other tools;27
(g) For students in third grade who are reading below grade 28
level, implement intensive reading improvement strategies under RCW 29
28A.655.230 and 28A.655.235; and 30
(((2) Research-based)) (h) Use research-based family involvement 31
and engagement strategies, including strategies to help families and 32
guardians assist in improving students' reading and early literacy 33
skills at home. 34
(3) A structured literacy program is encouraged to offer the 35
parents of a student who performs below grade level on a second grade 36
reading assessment selected under RCW 28A.300.310, a reading 37
improvement strategy that includes small group reading instruction, a 38
summer program, or other options developed to meet the needs of 39
students to prepare for third grade.40
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(4) The three-cueing system model of reading instruction, which 1
relies on meaning, structure and syntax, and visual cues (commonly 2
referred to as MSV), is prohibited in the structured literacy program 3
required by subsection (1) of this section.4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. A new section is added to chapter 28A.710 5
RCW to read as follows: 6
RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act) governs school 7
operation and management under RCW 28A.710.040 and applies to charter 8
schools established under this chapter. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. A new section is added to chapter 28A.715 10
RCW to read as follows: 11
RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act) governs school 12
operation and management under RCW 28A.715.020 and applies to state-13
tribal education compact schools subject to this chapter.14
NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. A new section is added to chapter 28A.410 15
RCW to read as follows: 16
(1) Within existing resources and by September 1, 2027, the 17
Washington professional educator standards board shall adopt revised 18
standards for teacher endorsements with reading and writing literacy 19
competencies. The revised standards must include those competencies 20
necessary to participate in the delivery of a structured literacy 21
program under RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act), which, 22
among other requirements, includes the essential components of 23
phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.24
(2) The Washington professional educator standards board shall 25
require approved educator preparation programs offering teacher 26
endorsements with reading and writing literacy competencies to 27
incorporate the revised standards into their programs by the 28
beginning of the 2028-29 academic year. 29
(3) For the purposes of this section "teacher endorsements with 30
reading and writing literacy competencies" includes early childhood 31
education, early childhood special education, elementary education, 32
reading, special education, and other endorsements related to reading 33
and writing literacy as determined by the Washington professional 34
educator standards board. 35
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NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. A new section is added to chapter 28A.410 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
(1) To renew a teacher certificate on or after September 1, 2029, 3
a teacher holding an endorsement in, or with an assignment related 4
to, reading and literacy competencies must complete training on the 5
skills and knowledge necessary to participate in the delivery of a 6
structured literacy program under RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by 7
this act). To meet the requirements of this section, the relevant 8
teachers must first complete the educator training program described 9
in RCW 28A.300.530 or an equivalent training program approved by the 10
Washington professional educator standards board, and may 11
subsequently either retake the full educator training program or the 12
refresher course described in RCW 28A.300.530. 13
(2) The Washington professional educator standards board shall 14
determine the endorsements and assignments to which the provisions of 15
this section apply, after considering the definition of "teacher 16
endorsements with reading and writing literacy competencies" in 17
section 8 of this act. 18
Sec. 10. RCW 28A.300.530 and 2009 c 546 s 2 are each amended to 19
read as follows: 20
(1) Within available resources, the office of the superintendent 21
of public instruction, in consultation with ((the school districts 22
that participated in the Lorraine Wojahn dyslexia pilot program, and 23
with an international )) appropriate experts, for example, the 24
educational service districts and international and state-level 25
nonprofit organization s dedicated to supporting efforts to provide 26
appropriate identification of and instruction for individuals with 27
dyslexia, shall((:28
(a) Develop)) develop, and periodically update, an educator 29
training program and a refresher course to enhance the reading, 30
writing, and spelling skills of ((students with dyslexia. The 31
training program must provide research-based, multisensory literacy 32
intervention professional development in the areas of dyslexia and 33
intervention implementation. The program shall )) kindergarten through 34
fourth grade students, including students who display indications of, 35
or areas of weakness associated with, dyslexia. The educator training 36
program and refresher course must provide evidence-based professional 37
development on the skills and knowledge necessary to participate in 38
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the delivery of a structured literacy program under RCW 28A.320.202 1
(as recodified by this act). 2
(2) The educator training program and refresher course must be 3
posted on the website of the office of the superintendent of public 4
instruction. 5
(3) The educator training program and refresher course may be 6
regionally delivered through the educational service districts. The 7
educational service districts may seek assistance from ((the 8
international)) nonprofit organization s to deliver the educator 9
training((; and10
(b) Develop a dyslexia handbook to be used as a reference for 11
teachers and parents of students with dyslexia. The handbook shall be 12
modeled after other state dyslexia handbooks, and shall include 13
guidelines for school districts to follow as they identify and 14
provide services for students with dyslexia. Additionally, the 15
handbook shall provide school districts, and parents and guardians 16
with information regarding the state's relevant statutes and their 17
relation to federal special education laws. The handbook shall be 18
posted on the website of the office of the superintendent of public 19
instruction.20
(2) Beginning September 1, 2009, and annually thereafter, each )) 21
program and refresher course.22
(4) Each educational service district shall annually report to 23
the office of the superintendent of public instruction the number of 24
individuals who participate in the educator training ((developed and 25
offered by the educational service district )) program and refresher 26
course. The Washington professional educator standards board shall 27
annually report to the office of the superintendent of public 28
instruction the number of teachers holding an endorsement in, or with 29
an assignment related to, reading and writing literacy competencies 30
who have not completed the educator training program . The office of 31
the superintendent of public instruction shall report that 32
information to the legislative education committees by December 1st 33
annually and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036.34
(5) "Teachers holding an endorsement in, or with an assignment 35
related to, reading and writing literacy competencies" has the same 36
meaning as "teacher endorsements with reading and writing literacy 37
competencies" in section 8 of this act. 38
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Sec. 11. RCW 28A.300.570 and 2018 c 58 s 29 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
In support of reading and early literacy , including structured 3
literacy programs under RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act) , 4
the office of the superintendent of public instruction is responsible 5
for: 6
(1) Continuing to work collaboratively with state and regional 7
partners such as the department of children, youth, and families and 8
the educational service districts to establish early literacy 9
benchmarks and standards and to implement the Washington state 10
((comprehensive)) structured literacy plan; 11
(2) ((Disseminating)) Within existing resources, disseminating 12
research and information ((to school districts)) about evidence-based 13
programs and practices in reading readiness skills, early literacy, 14
and reading instruction to school districts, as well as local 15
government and community-based organizations that support families 16
with children; 17
(3) Providing statewide models to support ((school districts that 18
are implementing response to intervention initiatives, positive 19
behavior intervention support systems, or other similar comprehensive 20
models of data-based identification and early intervention )) public 21
schools to implement multitiered system of supports; ((and))22
(4) Within available funds and in partnership with the 23
educational service districts, providing technical assistance ((and 24
professional development opportunities for school districts )) to 25
public schools delivering a structured literacy program under RCW 26
28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act);27
(5) Developing, and periodically updating, a dyslexia handbook to 28
be used as a reference for teachers and parents of students who 29
display indications of, or areas of weakness associated with, 30
dyslexia. The handbook must include guidelines for school districts 31
to follow as they identify and provide services for students with 32
dyslexia. Additionally, the handbook must provide school districts 33
and parents with information regarding the state's relevant statutes 34
and their relation to federal special education laws, as well as 35
parental support resources. The handbook must be posted on the 36
website of the office of the superintendent of public instruction; 37
and38
(6) Within existing resources, reviewing and monitoring 39
structured literacy programs to ensure compliance with the 40
p. 10 HB 2138
requirements of RCW 28A.320.202 (as recodified by this act), 1
including any curricula used to implement the structured literacy 2
program, RCW 28A.320.260, 28A.655.230, and 28A.655.235, and sections 3
6 and 7 of this act. The reviews and monitoring required by this 4
subsection may be conducted concurrently with other oversight and 5
monitoring conducted by the office of the superintendent of public 6
instruction. 7
Sec. 12. RCW 28A.150.220 and 2025 c 256 s 4 are each amended to 8
read as follows: 9
(1) In order for students to have the opportunity to develop the 10
basic education knowledge and skills under RCW 28A.150.210, school 11
districts must provide instruction of sufficient quantity and quality 12
and give students the opportunity to complete graduation requirements 13
that are intended to prepare them for postsecondary education, 14
gainful employment, and citizenship. The program established under 15
this section shall be the minimum instructional program of basic 16
education offered by school districts. 17
(2) Each school district shall make available to students the 18
following minimum instructional offering each school year:19
(a) For students enrolled in grades one through 12, at least a 20
district-wide annual average of 1,000 hours, which shall be increased 21
beginning in the 2015-16 school year to at least 1,080 instructional 22
hours for students enrolled in grades nine through 12 and at least 23
1,000 instructional hours for students in grades one through eight, 24
all of which may be calculated by a school district using a district-25
wide annual average of instructional hours over grades one through 26
12; and 27
(b) For students enrolled in kindergarten, at least 450 28
instructional hours, which shall be increased to at least 1,000 29
instructional hours according to the implementation schedule under 30
RCW 28A.150.315. 31
(3) The instructional program of basic education provided by each 32
school district shall include: 33
(a) Instruction in the state learning standards under RCW 34
28A.655.070; 35
(b) Instruction that provides students the opportunity to 36
complete 24 credits for high school graduation. Course distribution 37
requirements may be established by the state board of education under 38
RCW 28A.230.090; 39
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(c) If the state learning standards include a requirement of 1
languages other than English, the requirement may be met by students 2
receiving instruction in one or more American Indian languages;3
(d) Supplemental instruction and services for students who are 4
not meeting academic standards through the learning assistance 5
program under RCW 28A.165.005 through 28A.165.065; 6
(e) Supplemental instruction and services for eligible and 7
enrolled students and exited students whose primary language is other 8
than English through the transitional bilingual instruction program 9
under RCW 28A.180.010 through 28A.180.080; 10
(f) The opportunity for an appropriate education at public 11
expense as defined by RCW 28A.155.020 for all eligible students with 12
disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020; and 13
(g) Programs for highly capable students under RCW 28A.185.010 14
through 28A.185.030. 15
(4) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to 16
require individual students to attend school for any particular 17
number of hours per day or to take any particular courses.18
(5)(a) Each school district's kindergarten through 12th grade 19
basic educational program shall be accessible to all students who are 20
five years of age, as provided by RCW 28A.225.160, and less than 21 21
years of age, and shall remain accessible to students with 22
disabilities as defined in RCW 28A.155.020 from age 21 until the end 23
of the school year in which those students turn 22 years of age. The 24
program of basic education shall consist of a minimum of 180 school 25
days per school year in such grades as are conducted by a school 26
district, and 180 half-days of instruction, or equivalent, in 27
kindergarten, to be increased to a minimum of 180 school days per 28
school year according to the implementation schedule under RCW 29
28A.150.315. 30
(b) Schools administering the Washington kindergarten inventory 31
of developing skills may use up to three school days at the beginning 32
of the school year to meet with parents and families as required in 33
the parent involvement component of the inventory.34
(c) In the case of students who are graduating from high school, 35
a school district may schedule the last five school days of the 180-36
day school year for noninstructional purposes including, but not 37
limited to, the observance of graduation and early release from 38
school upon the request of a student. All such students may be 39
claimed as a full -time equivalent student to the extent they could 40
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otherwise have been so claimed for the purposes of RCW 28A.150.250 1
and 28A.150.260. Any hours scheduled by a school district for 2
noninstructional purposes during the last five school days for such 3
students shall count toward the instructional hours requirement in 4
subsection (2)(a) of this section. 5
(6) Subject to RCW 28A.150.276, nothing in this section precludes 6
a school district from enriching the instructional program of basic 7
education, such as offering additional instruction or providing 8
additional services, programs, or activities that the school district 9
determines to be appropriate for the education of the school 10
district's students. 11
(7) The state board of education shall adopt rules to implement 12
and ensure compliance with the program requirements imposed by this 13
section, RCW 28A.150.250 ((and)), 28A.150.260, and 28A.320.202 (as 14
recodified by this act) , and such related supplemental program 15
approval requirements as the state board may establish.16
Sec. 13. RCW 28A.300.720 and 2018 c 75 s 5 are each amended to 17
read as follows: 18
(1) By June 1, 2021, the superintendent of public instruction 19
must review the dyslexia advisory council's recommendations required 20
under ((RCW 28A.300.710)) section 4, chapter 75, Laws of 2018 and 21
make available to school districts: 22
(a) Best practices for school district implementation of 23
screenings as required under RCW 28A.320.260, including trainings for 24
school district staff conducting the screenings , for example, the 25
educator training program and refresher course delivered under RCW 26
28A.300.530; 27
(b) Best practices for using a multitiered system ((s)) of 28
supports to provide interventions as required under RCW 28A.320.260, 29
including trainings for school district staff in instructional 30
methods specifically targeting students' areas of weakness;31
(c) Sample educational information for parents and families 32
related to dyslexia that includes a list of resources for parental 33
support, such as the dyslexia handbook developed under RCW 34
28A.300.570; and 35
(d) Best practices to address the needs of students above grade 36
two who show indications of, or areas of weakness associated with, 37
dyslexia. 38
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(2) By February 15, 2022, the superintendent of public 1
instruction must review the dyslexia advisory council's updated 2
report required under ((RCW 28A.300.710)) section 4, chapter 75, Laws 3
of 2018 and revise the best practices and sample educational 4
information made available to school districts required under 5
subsection (1) of this section. 6
(((3) By November 1, 2022, and in compliance with RCW 43.01.036, 7
the superintendent of public instruction must report to the house of 8
representatives and senate education committees with the following 9
information from the 2021-22 school year:10
(a) The number of students: (i) Screened pursuant to RCW 11
28A.320.260; (ii) with indications of, or areas of weakness 12
associated with, dyslexia identified under RCW 28A.300.700; and (iii) 13
provided interventions pursuant to RCW 28A.320.260;14
(b) Descriptions from school districts of the types of 15
interventions used in accordance with RCW 28A.320.260 and rates of 16
student progress, when available; and17
(c) Descriptions from school districts of the issues districts 18
had related to implementing the provisions of RCW 28A.320.260.))19
Sec. 14. RCW 28A.320.260 and 2018 c 75 s 2 are each amended to 20
read as follows: 21
(1) Beginning in the 2021-22 school year, and as provided in this 22
section, each school district must use a multitiered system ((s)) of 23
supports to provide interventions to students in kindergarten through 24
second grade who display indications of, or areas of weakness 25
associated with, dyslexia. In order to provide school districts with 26
the opportunity to intervene before a student's performance falls 27
significantly below grade level, school districts must screen 28
students in kindergarten through second grade for indications of, or 29
areas associated with, dyslexia as provided in this section.30
(2)(a) School districts must use screening tools and resources 31
that exemplify best practices, as described under RCW 28A.300.700.32
(b) School districts may use the screening tools and resources 33
identified by the superintendent of public instruction in accordance 34
with RCW 28A.300.700. 35
(3)(a) If a student shows indications of below grade level 36
literacy development or indications of, or areas of weakness 37
associated with, dyslexia, the school district must provide 38
interventions using an evidence-based multitiered system ((s)) of 39
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supports, consistent with the ((recommendations of the dyslexia 1
advisory council under RCW 28A.300.710)) best practices made 2
available by the superintendent of public instruction under RCW 3
28A.300.720, and as required under this subsection (3).4
(b) ((The)) (i) Through August 31, 2028, the interventions must 5
be evidence-based multisensory structured literacy interventions and 6
must be provided by an educator trained in instructional methods 7
specifically targeting students' areas of weakness.8
(ii) Beginning September 1, 2028, the interventions must meet the 9
requirements of RCW 28A.320.202 (2) (a) through (e) and (3) (as 10
recodified by this act) and be implemented by teachers or other 11
educators who have completed the educator training program described 12
in RCW 28A.300.530.13
(c) Whenever possible, a school district must begin by providing 14
student supports in the general education classroom. If screening 15
tools and resources indicate that, after receiving the initial tier 16
of student support, a student requires interventions, the school 17
district may provide the interventions in either the general 18
education classroom or a learning assistance program setting. If 19
after receiving interventions, further screening tools and resources 20
indicate that a student continues to have indications of, or areas of 21
weakness associated with, dyslexia, the school district must 22
recommend to the student's parents and family that the student be 23
evaluated for dyslexia or a specific learning disability.24
(4) For a student who shows indications of, or areas of weakness 25
associated with, dyslexia, each school district must notify the 26
student's parents and family of the identified indicators and areas 27
of weakness, as well as the plan for using a multitiered system((s)) 28
of supports to provide supports and interventions. The initial notice 29
must also include ((information relating to dyslexia and resources 30
for parental support )) the dyslexia handbook developed by the 31
superintendent of public instruction under RCW 28A.300.570. The 32
school district must regularly update the student's parents and 33
family of the student's progress. 34
(5) School districts may use state funds provided under chapter 35
28A.165 RCW to meet the requirements of this section.36
Sec. 15. RCW 28A.415.265 and 2019 c 295 s 302 are each amended 37
to read as follows: 38
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(1) For the purposes of this section, a mentor educator is a 1
teacher, educational staff associate, or principal who:2
(a) Has successfully completed training in assisting, coaching, 3
and advising beginning principals, beginning educational staff 4
associates, beginning teachers, or student teachers as defined by the 5
office of the superintendent of public instruction . Beginning 6
September 1, 2028, mentor educators with an assignment related to 7
reading and writing literacy competencies, as determined by the 8
Washington professional educator standards board under section 8 of 9
this act, must have also completed the educator training program 10
described in RCW 28A.300.530; 11
(b) Has been selected using mentor standards developed by the 12
office of the superintendent of public instruction; and13
(c) Is participating in ongoing mentor skills professional 14
development. 15
(2)(a) The beginning educator support team program is established 16
to provide professional development and mentoring for beginning 17
principals, beginning educational staff associates, beginning 18
teachers, and candidates in alternative route teacher certification 19
programs under chapter 28A.660 RCW. 20
(b) The superintendent of public instruction shall notify school 21
districts about the beginning educator support team program and 22
encourage districts to apply for program funds. 23
(3) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 24
specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public 25
instruction shall allocate funds for the beginning educator support 26
team program on a competitive basis to individual school districts, 27
consortia of districts, or state-tribal compact schools. In 28
allocating funds, the office of the superintendent of public 29
instruction shall give priority to: 30
(a) Schools and districts identified for comprehensive or 31
targeted support and improvement as required under the federal 32
elementary and secondary education act; 33
(b) School districts with a large influx of beginning principals, 34
beginning educational staff associates, or beginning classroom 35
teachers; and 36
(c) School districts that demonstrate an understanding of the 37
research-based standards for beginning educator induction developed 38
by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.39
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(4) A portion of the appropriated funds may be used for program 1
coordination and provision of statewide or regional professional 2
development through the office of the superintendent of public 3
instruction. 4
(5) A beginning educator support team program must include the 5
following components: 6
(a) A paid instructional orientation or individualized assistance 7
before the start of the school year for program participants;8
(b) A trained and qualified mentor assigned to each program 9
participant for up to three years, with intensive support in the 10
first year and decreasing support in subsequent years;11
(c) A goal to provide program participants from underrepresented 12
populations with a mentor who has strong ties to underrepresented 13
populations; 14
(d) Ongoing professional development designed to meet the unique 15
needs of each program participant for supplemental training and skill 16
development; 17
(e) Initial and ongoing professional development for mentors;18
(f) Release time for mentors and program participants to work 19
together, as well as time for program participants to observe 20
accomplished peers; 21
(g) To the extent possible, a school or classroom assignment that 22
is appropriate for a beginning principal, beginning educational staff 23
associate, or beginning teacher; 24
(h) Nonevaluative observations with written feedback for program 25
participants; 26
(i) Support in understanding and participating in the state and 27
district evaluation process and using the instructional framework, 28
leadership framework, or both, to promote growth; 29
(j) Adherence to research-based standards for beginning educator 30
induction developed by the office of the superintendent of public 31
instruction; and 32
(k) A program evaluation that identifies program strengths and 33
gaps using the standards for beginning educator induction, the 34
retention of beginning educators, and positive impact on student 35
growth for program participants. 36
(6) The beginning educator support team program components under 37
subsection (5) of this section may be provided for continuous 38
improvement coaching to support educators on probation under RCW 39
28A.405.100. 40
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Sec. 16. RCW 28A.655.230 and 2015 c 125 s 1 are each amended to 1
read as follows: 2
(1) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this 3
section and RCW 28A.655.235 unless the context clearly requires 4
otherwise. 5
(a) "Basic" means a score on the statewide student assessment at 6
a level two in a four-level scoring system. 7
(b) "Below basic" means a score on the statewide student 8
assessment at a level one in a four-level scoring system.9
(((c) "Not meet the state standard" means a score on the 10
statewide student assessment at either a level one or a level two in 11
a four-level scoring system.))12
(2) Prior to the return of the results of the statewide student 13
assessment in English language arts, elementary schools shall require 14
meetings between teachers and parents of students in third grade who 15
are reading below grade-level or who, based on formative or 16
diagnostic assessment, and other indicators, are likely to score in 17
the below basic level on the third grade statewide student assessment 18
in English language arts. At the meeting, the teacher shall inform 19
the parents or guardians of the requirements of this section and the 20
intensive reading improvement strategies that will be available to 21
students before fourth grade. The teacher also shall inform the 22
parents and guardians of the school district's grade placement policy 23
for the following year under subsection (3) of this section . Schools 24
that have regularly scheduled parent teacher conferences may use 25
those meetings to comply with this section. 26
(3)(a) For third grade students to be ((placed in )) promoted to 27
fourth grade, ((the strategies provided by the school district must 28
include)) they must either: (i) Meet grade level standard on the 29
statewide student assessment in English language arts; (ii) pass an 30
alternative assessment; or (iii) successfully demonstrate sufficient 31
third grade reading skills through a portfolio of student work.32
(b) For third grade students who do not meet the promotion 33
requirements in (a) of this subsection (3), the school district must 34
implement an intensive reading improvement strategy provided, 35
supported, or contracted by the school district that includes small 36
group reading instruction, a summer program , or other options 37
developed to meet the needs of students repeating third grade to 38
prepare for fourth grade. 39
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(4) If a student in third grade scores below grade level on the 1
third grade statewide student assessment in English language arts, 2
and there was no meeting under subsection (2) of this section, the 3
principal or his or her designee shall notify the student's parents 4
or guardians of the following: 5
(a) The below basic score; 6
(b) An explanation of the requirements of this section;7
(c) The intensive reading improvement strategy options that are 8
available; 9
(d) The school district's grade placement policy under subsection 10
(3) of this section; 11
(e) Contact information for a school district employee who can 12
respond to questions and provide additional information; and13
(f) A reasonable deadline for obtaining the parent's consent 14
regarding the student's intensive reading improvement strategies that 15
will be implemented ((and the student's grade placement)).16
(5) The parent's or guardian's consent must be obtained regarding 17
((the appropriate grade placement and )) the intensive reading 18
improvement strategy to be implemented. The school district must 19
implement the strategy selected in consultation with the student's 20
parents or guardians. If the school district does not receive a 21
response from a parent by the deadline or a reasonable time 22
thereafter, the principal or his or her designee shall make a 23
decision on ((the student's grade placement for the following year 24
and)) the intensive reading improvement strategies that will be 25
implemented during the following school year. 26
(6) If the school principal and parent cannot agree on ((the 27
appropriate grade placement and )) improvement strategies from the 28
list of available options, the parent's request ((will)) must be 29
honored. 30
(7) If a student does not have a score in English language arts 31
on the third grade statewide student assessment but the district 32
determines, or is able to anticipate from, using district or 33
classroom-based formative or diagnostic assessments or another 34
standardized assessment, that the student's performance is equivalent 35
to below basic in English language arts, the policy in subsections 36
(2) through (6) of this section applies. 37
(8) Students participating in the transitional bilingual 38
instruction program ((are exempt)) may be exempted from the policy in 39
subsections (2) through (6) of this section((, unless the student has 40
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participated in the transitional bilingual instruction program for 1
three school years and receives a score of below basic on the third 2
grade statewide student assessment in English language arts )) for 3
reasons of good cause that recognize their special needs, 4
particularly if they were previously retained. 5
(9) Students with disabilities whose individualized education 6
program includes specially designed instruction in reading or English 7
language arts ((are exempt from )) may be exempted from the policy in 8
subsections (2) through (8) of this section for reasons of good cause 9
that recognize their special needs, particularly if they were 10
previously retained . Communication and consultation with parents or 11
guardians of such students ((shall)) must occur through the 12
individualized education program development and revision process 13
required under chapter 28A.155 RCW and associated administrative 14
rules. 15
(10) Intensive reading improvement strategies must be implemented 16
as required by RCW 28A.655.235.17
Sec. 17. RCW 28A.655.235 and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 106 are each 18
amended to read as follows: 19
(1)(a) ((Beginning in the 2015-16 school year, except )) Except as 20
otherwise provided in this subsection (1), for any student who 21
received a score of basic or below basic on the third grade statewide 22
student assessment in English language arts in the previous school 23
year, the school district must implement an intensive reading ((and 24
literacy)) improvement strategy as follows:25
(i) Through August 31, 2028, the strategy must be from a state 26
menu of best practices ((established in accordance with subsection 27
(3) of this section or an alternative strategy in accordance with 28
subsection (4) of this section)); and29
(ii) Beginning September 1, 2028, the strategy must meet the 30
requirements of RCW 28A.320.202 (2) (a) through (e) and (3) (as 31
recodified by this act). 32
(b) ((Reading and literacy )) Intensive reading improvement 33
strategies for students with disabilities whose individualized 34
education program includes specially designed instruction in reading 35
or English language arts ((shall)) must be as provided in the 36
individualized education program : PROVIDED, That, beginning September 37
1, 2028, for students who are identified as having a disability 38
related to dyslexia, the specially designed instruction must include 39
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instruction that meets the requirements of RCW 28A.320.202 (2) (a) 1
through (e) and (3) (as recodified by this act). 2
(2)(a) ((Also beginning in the 2015-16 school year, in )) In any 3
school where more than forty percent of the tested students received 4
a score of basic or below basic on the third grade statewide student 5
assessment in English language arts in the previous school year, as 6
calculated under this subsection (2), the school district must 7
implement an intensive reading ((and literacy )) improvement strategy 8
for all students in grades kindergarten through four at the school as 9
follows:10
(i) Through August 31, 2028, the strategy must be from a state 11
menu of best practices ((established in accordance with subsection 12
(3) of this section or an alternative strategy in accordance with 13
subsection (4) of this section for all students in grades 14
kindergarten through four at the school)); and15
(ii) Beginning September 1, 2028, the strategy must meet the 16
requirements of RCW 28A.320.202 (2) (a) through (e) and (3) (as 17
recodified by this act). 18
(b) For the purposes of this subsection (2), the office of the 19
superintendent of public instruction shall exclude the following from 20
the calculation of a school's percentage of tested students receiving 21
a score of basic or below basic on the third grade statewide student 22
assessment: 23
(i) Students enrolled in the transitional bilingual instruction 24
program unless the student has participated in the transitional 25
bilingual instruction program for three school years;26
(ii) Students with disabilities whose individualized education 27
program specifies a different standard to measure reading performance 28
than is required for the statewide student assessment; and29
(iii) Schools with fewer than ten students in third grade.30
(3) ((The office of the superintendent of public instruction 31
shall convene a panel of experts, including the Washington state 32
institute for public policy, to develop a state menu of best 33
practices and strategies for intensive reading and literacy 34
improvement designed to assist struggling students in reaching grade 35
level in reading by the end of fourth grade. The state menu must also 36
include best practices and strategies to improve the reading and 37
literacy of students who are English language learners and for system 38
improvements that schools and school districts can implement to 39
improve reading instruction for all students. The office of the 40
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superintendent of public instruction shall publish the state menu by 1
July 1, 2014, and update the state menu by each July 1st thereafter.2
(4) School districts may use an alternative practice or strategy 3
that is not on a state menu developed under subsection (3) of this 4
section for two school years initially. If the district is able to 5
demonstrate improved outcomes for participating students over the 6
previous two school years at a level commensurate with the best 7
practices and strategies on the state menu, the office of the 8
superintendent of public instruction must approve use of the 9
alternative practice or strategy by the district for one additional 10
school year. Subsequent annual approval by the superintendent of 11
public instruction to use the alternative practice or strategy is 12
dependent on the district continuing to demonstrate an increase in 13
improved outcomes for participating students )) Beginning September 1, 14
2028, teachers and other educators implementing the intensive reading 15
improvement strategies must have completed the educator training 16
program described in RCW 28A.300.530. 17
Sec. 18. RCW 28B.10.033 and 2019 c 295 s 202 are each amended to 18
read as follows: 19
(1)(a) Each Washington professional educator standards board-20
approved teacher preparation program, including an alternative route 21
teacher certification program, must develop a plan describing how the 22
program will partner with school districts in the general geographic 23
region of the program regarding field placement of student teachers. 24
The plans must be developed in collaboration with school districts 25
desiring to partner with the programs, and may include use of 26
unexpended federal or state funds to support residencies and 27
mentoring for students who are likely to continue teaching in the 28
district in which they have a supervised field placement.29
(b) Beginning July 1, 2020, the following goals must be 30
considered when developing the plans required under this section:31
(i) Field placement of student teachers should be targeted to 32
high-need subject areas, including special education and English 33
learner, and high-need geographic areas, including Title I and rural 34
schools; and 35
(ii) Student teacher mentors should be highly effective as 36
evidenced by the mentors having received level 3 or above on both 37
criteria 3 (recognizing individual student learning needs and 38
developing strategies to address those needs) and criteria 6 (using 39
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multiple student data elements to modify instruction and improve 1
student learning) on their most recent comprehensive performance 2
evaluation under RCW 28A.405.100. Student teacher mentors should also 3
have received or be concurrently receiving professional development 4
in mentoring skills. 5
(c) Beginning September 1, 2028, student teacher mentors with an 6
assignment related to reading and writing literacy competencies, as 7
determined by the Washington professional educator standards board 8
under section 8 of this act, must have completed the educator 9
training program described in RCW 28A.300.530.10
(2) The plans required under subsection (1) of this section must 11
be submitted to the Washington professional educator standards board 12
and updated by July 1st every even-numbered year. 13
(3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall 14
post the plans and updates required under this section on its 15
website. 16
NEW SECTION. Sec. 19. RCW 28A.320.202 is recodified as a 17
section in chapter 28A.230 RCW.18
NEW SECTION. Sec. 20. RCW 28B.10.033 is recodified as a section 19
in chapter 28A.410 RCW.20
NEW SECTION. Sec. 21. The following acts or parts of acts are 21
each repealed:22
(1) RCW 28A.300.290 (Effective reading programs — Identification) 23
and 1996 c 273 s 1; 24
(2) RCW 28A.300.300 (Effective reading programs — Information— 25
Development and implementation of strategies) and 1998 c 245 s 11 & 26
1996 c 273 s 4; 27
(3) RCW 28A.300.330 (Primary grade reading grant program) and 28
1997 c 262 s 4; 29
(4) RCW 28A.300.340 (Primary grade reading grant program — 30
Timelines— Rules) and 1997 c 262 s 7; 31
(5) RCW 28A.410.285 (Teacher preparation programs) and 2019 c 295 32
s 203; 33
(6) RCW 28A.415.350 (Professional development learning 34
opportunities— Partnerships) and 2009 c 539 s 4 & 2007 c 402 s 7;35
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(7) RCW 28A.415.360 (Learning improvement days — Eligibility— 1
Reports) and 2019 c 252 s 117, 2009 c 548 s 403, & 2007 c 402 s 9; 2
and 3
(8) RCW 28A.415.400 (Reading instruction and early literacy — 4
Professional development) and 2013 2nd sp.s. c 18 s 103.5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 22. Section 16 of this act takes effect 6
September 1, 2028.7
NEW SECTION. Sec. 23. This act shall be known and cited as the 8
building opportunities for student success (BOSS) act.9
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