Education Advocate Training

1. Education Advocate Training Jess Lewis Program Supervisor, Behavior/LAP, RTL, and K-12 Discipline 360.725.4969 jess.lewis@k12.wa.us

2. ESSB 5946: Strengthening Student Educational Outcomes • Establishes the Discipline Task Force • Discipline Definitions • Data • Changes due process for suspensions and expulsions • Gives the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) authority to write rules

3. Discipline Taskforce Duties • Develop standard definitions for discretionary discipline categories • Develop data collection standards for disciplinary actions • Education services provided while a student is subject to a disciplinary action • The status of petitions for readmission to the school district when a student has been excluded from school • Credit retrieval during a period of exclusion • School dropout as a result of disciplinary action

4. What’s Next? • OSPI and the K-12 data governance group shall: • Revise the statewide student data system to incorporate the changes in student discipline data collection standards • Begin collecting data based on the revised standards in the 2015-16 school year

5. Chapter 392-400 WAC Amendments • Opened and revised 25 WACs • Struck “punishment” throughout the chapter • Revised civil rights protections throughout the chapter • Added and revised due process protections • Moved “truancy” and “non-attendance” to a new section • Added conversion timelines • Added reengagement meetings and reengagement plans

6. Rule Making Timeline • Proposed rules filed March 10, 2014 • Public hearing held on May 5, 2014 • 1500 public comments • Final rules filed July 23, 2014 • CES published on August 1, 2014 • Published by CRO August 6, 2014 • Rules go into effect August 23, 2014

7. Due Process Changes • Allemergency expulsions must be converted to another form of corrective action within 10 school days of the emergency expulsion • No suspensions or expulsions may be for an indefinite period of time • Suspensions and expulsions that last more than 10 days must have an end date no later than one calendar year from the time of the suspension or expulsion • Notice and due process rights are provided at the time of the suspension or expulsion or when an emergency expulsion is converted to another form of corrective action

8. Reengagement Meetings • Schools should make efforts to have suspended or expelled students return to an educational setting as soon as possible • Schools should convene a meeting with the student and their parent and/or guardians within 20 days of the student’s long-term suspension or expulsion, but no later than5 days before the student’s return/enrollment

9. Reengagement Plans School districts MUST: • Create a reengagement plan that is tailored to the student’s individual circumstances, including the incident that led to their long term suspension or expulsion • The plan should aid the student in taking the necessary steps to remedy the situation that led to the student’s suspension or expulsion School districts should consider: • Shortening the length of time that the student is suspended or expelled • Other forms of corrective action • Supportive interventions that aid in the student’s academic success and keep the student engaged and on track to graduate

10. K-12 Student Discipline • Communications • Student Discipline website • Newsletters • Webinars • Trainings • Podcasts • Sample forms • Parent materials • Guidance documents • Branding • Participate in the ESD Data Quality/Coaching Project • Model Discipline Policies/Codes • Revise Dignity in Schools model policy to include state specific standards • Draft sample policies and procedures for LEA adoption •   Internal Collaboration • Streamline minimum compliance standards • Create meaningful and accurate reports to reflect the actual practice • Work with Data Governance, Student Information, and Assessment to implement Discipline Taskforce recommendations and inform districts • Participate in Data Governance meetings • Participate on Discipline Taskforce • Facilitate review of the clearinghouse of best practices for serving students while excluded • External Collaboration • Alternatives to Suspension and Expulsion (PSESD) • USDE/USDOJ – SSDCoP • Discipline Taskforce • EOGOAC

11. Advocacy Strategies • Develop relationships with school district personnel • Know key people in school districts who can/will advocate for kids • Understand the limitations/pressures of the system you are trying to access • Hold those same systems accountable for doing the right thing • Help schools hold families and kids accountable • When you are invited to the table, show up! If you’re not invited, crash the party! • Invite school district personnel to your table • Help brainstorm and develop creative solutions to seemingly insurmountable problems • Remember: teachers, principals, administrators, secretaries, and others are not social workers/service providers, but they do care about kids!

12. Resources • Student Discipline, OSPI http://www.k12.wa.us/StudentDiscipline/default.aspx • Equity and Civil Rights, OSPI http://www.k12.wa.us/Equity/default.aspx • Office of Civil Rights, US Department of Education http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/school-discipline/index.html

13. Questions?