This bill aims to enhance reading and mathematics instruction in Washington state schools through the establishment of a "star teacher" award program and the implementation of structured literacy and numeracy programs. Educational service districts will select outstanding teachers based on student performance improvements, awarding them a $10,000 annual bonus, with an additional $10,000 for those teaching in high-poverty schools. The bill mandates that school districts fully implement evidence-based literacy and numeracy programs by the 2028-29 school year, incorporating essential components such as phonics and fluency for literacy, and conceptual understanding for numeracy.

Furthermore, the bill outlines requirements for schools to support students struggling in mathematics, including meetings with parents to discuss improvement strategies and the implementation of intensive improvement strategies for students scoring below basic. It also emphasizes family engagement in literacy and numeracy programs and requires revisions to teacher endorsement standards to align with the new structured programs. The bill modifies the approval process for alternative strategies, extending the initial approval duration from one to two years and changing the approval frequency from annual to biannual, ensuring that districts demonstrate comparable or superior results to those achieved through state menu practices.

Statutes affected:
Original bill: 28A.400.200, 28A.655.235