(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a state-level building bridges work group that includes K-12 and state agencies that work with youth who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of school. The following agencies shall appoint representatives to the work group: The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the department of early learning, the employment security department, the state board for community and technical colleges, the department of health, the community mobilization office, and the children's services and behavioral health and recovery divisions of the department of social and health services. The work group should also consist of one representative from each of the following agencies and organizations: A statewide organization representing career and technical education programs including skill centers; the juvenile courts or the office of juvenile justice, or both; the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys; the Washington state office of public defense; accredited institutions of higher education; the educational service districts; the area workforce development councils; parent and educator associations; *achievement gap oversight and accountability committee; office of the education ombudsman; local school districts; agencies or organizations that provide services to special education students; community organizations serving youth; federally recognized tribes and urban tribal centers; each of the major political caucuses of the senate and house of representatives; and the minority commissions.

     (2) To assist and enhance the work of the building bridges programs established in RCW 28A.175.025, the state-level work group shall:

     (a) Identify and make recommendations to the legislature for the reduction of fiscal, legal, and regulatory barriers that prevent coordination of program resources across agencies at the state and local level;

     (b) Develop and track performance measures and benchmarks for each partner agency or organization across the state including performance measures and benchmarks based on student characteristics and outcomes specified in RCW 28A.175.035(1)(e); and

     (c) Identify research-based and emerging best practices regarding prevention, intervention, and retrieval programs.

     (3)(a) The work group shall report to the quality education council, appropriate committees of the legislature, and the governor on an annual basis beginning December 1, 2007, with proposed strategies for building K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems in local communities throughout the state including, but not limited to, recommendations for implementing emerging best practices, needed additional resources, and eliminating barriers.

     (b) By September 15, 2010, the work group shall report on:

     (i) A recommended state goal and annual state targets for the percentage of students graduating from high school;

     (ii) A recommended state goal and annual state targets for the percentage of youth who have dropped out of school who should be reengaged in education and be college and work ready;

     (iii) Recommended funding for supporting career guidance and the planning and implementation of K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems in school districts and a plan for phasing the funding into the program of basic education, beginning in the 2011-2013 biennium; and

     (iv) A plan for phasing in the expansion of the current school improvement planning program to include state-funded, dropout-focused school improvement technical assistance for school districts in significant need of improvement regarding high school graduation rates.

     (4) State agencies in the building bridges work group shall work together, wherever feasible, on the following activities to support school/family/community partnerships engaged in building K-12 dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems:

     (a) Providing opportunities for coordination and flexibility of program eligibility and funding criteria;

     (b) Providing joint funding;

     (c) Developing protocols and templates for model agreements on sharing records and data;

     (d) Providing joint professional development opportunities that provide knowledge and training on:

     (i) Research-based and promising practices;

     (ii) The availability of programs and services for vulnerable youth; and

     (iii) Cultural competence.

     (5) The building bridges work group shall make recommendations to the governor and the legislature by December 1, 2010, on a state-level and regional infrastructure for coordinating services for vulnerable youth. Recommendations must address the following issues:

     (a) Whether to adopt an official conceptual approach or framework for all entities working with vulnerable youth that can support coordinated planning and evaluation;

     (b) The creation of a performance-based management system, including outcomes, indicators, and performance measures relating to vulnerable youth and programs serving them, including accountability for the dropout issue;

     (c) The development of regional and/or county-level multipartner youth consortia with a specific charge to assist school districts and local communities in building K-12 comprehensive dropout prevention, intervention, and reengagement systems;

     (d) The development of integrated or school-based one-stop shopping for services that would:

     (i) Provide individualized attention to the neediest youth and prioritized access to services for students identified by a dropout early warning and intervention data system;

     (ii) Establish protocols for coordinating data and services, including getting data release at time of intake and common assessment and referral processes; and

     (iii) Build a system of single case managers across agencies;

     (e) Launching a statewide media campaign on increasing the high school graduation rate; and

     (f) Developing a statewide database of available services for vulnerable youth.

[2010 c 243 § 4; 2007 c 408 § 7.]

NOTES:

     *Reviser's note: The "achievement gap oversight and accountability committee" was renamed the "educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee" by 2011 1st sp.s. c 21 § 33.

     Intent -- Findings -- 2007 c 408: See note following RCW 28A.175.025.