Washington § 28A.345.070 - Tribal relationships — Achievement gap — Curriculum — Reports to the legislature.

(1) Beginning in 2023, the Washington state school directors' association shall convene annual meetings regionally and invite the tribal councils from the federally recognized tribes in the region for the purpose of establishing government-to-government relationships and dialogue between tribal councils of the federally recognized tribes and school district boards of directors. Meetings are encouraged to be in person, but may be conducted virtually if cost or other factors impact participants' ability to travel or meet in person. Participants in these meetings should discuss issues of mutual concern, and should work to:

(a) Identify the extent and nature of the achievement gap and strategies necessary to close it;

(b) Emphasize the importance of creating an inclusive educational environment where all native students will receive educational resources and support required to have the opportunity to succeed in the pursuit of their educational goals; and

(c) Ensure school boards understand the importance of identifying and adopting curriculum that includes federally recognized tribes' experiences and perspectives, so that native students are more engaged and learn more successfully, and so that all students learn about the history, culture, government, and experiences of their Indian peers and neighbors.

(2) Meetings held regionally must also include discussions of:

(a) Tribal consultation training and training requirements created under RCW 28A.300.108;

(b) Identification of native students, including federal identification guidelines for American Indian and Alaska Native students;

(c) Data sharing from school districts to federally recognized tribes; and

(d) Consultations between individual school boards and local federally recognized tribes.

(3) By December 1, 2024, and every two years thereafter through 2028, the school directors' association shall report to the education committees of the legislature regarding the progress made in the development of effective government-to-government relations, the narrowing of the achievement gap, and the identification and adoption of curriculum regarding tribal history, culture, and government. The report shall include information about any obstacles encountered, and any strategies under development to overcome them.

(4) The school directors' association shall, at a minimum, partner with the office of Native education within the office of the superintendent of public instruction to gather data for the purposes of the report required in subsection (3) of this section.

Intent—Findings—2005 c 205: See note following RCW 28A.320.170.