(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall establish a state-level advisory committee to be known as the graduation: a team effort partnership advisory committee. The advisory committee shall include 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 advisory committee: The office of the superintendent of public instruction, the workforce training and education coordinating board, the department of children, youth, and families, 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 advisory committee shall 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; educational opportunity gap oversight and accountability committee; office of the education ombuds; 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 programs established in RCW
28A.175.025, the advisory committee 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) The advisory committee shall report to the 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.
(4) State agencies in the advisory committee 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.
