A RESOLUTION approving a City of Seattle/Seattle School District Partnership Agreement as required by Ordinance 121529.

WHEREAS, by Ordinance 121529, the City placed before voters a proposition to authorize the City to levy regular property taxes for up to seven years in excess of the 101% limitation and any other limitation on levies in Chapter 84.55 RCW for the purpose of providing City services, including providing Seattle School District public school students, Seattle youth, and their families with educational and developmental services; and

WHEREAS, on September 14, 2004, the City's voters approved that proposition; and

WHEREAS, Section 9 of Ordinance 121529 states there shall be a Partnership Agreement ("the Partnership Agreement") developed by the City and the Seattle School District in which the roles and responsibilities of the City and the School District in developing the Implementation and Evaluation Plan, referenced in Section 7, and in implementing Educational and Developmental Services are established; and

WHEREAS, The City can not enter into the Partnership Agreement, or materially amend the Partnership Agreement, until the Partnership Agreement or the amendment, as the case may be, is approved by the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board, and

WHEREAS, Proceeds may be spent on School District programs or functions only in accordance with an effective Partnership Agreement; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle and the Seattle School District wish to significantly increase the number of children ready for school, achieving academically once in school, and staying in school through graduation;

NOW, THEREFORE,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEATTLE, THE MAYOR CONCURRING, THAT:

Section 1. The Families and Education Levy, City of Seattle/Seattle School District Partnership Agreement attached as Exhibit A to this Resolution is approved as called for by Section 9 of Ordinance 121529.

Section 2. Adopted by the City Council the ____ day of _________, 2005, and signed by me in open session in authentication of its adoption this _____ day of __________, 2005.

_________________________________

President __________of the City Council

THE MAYOR CONCURRING:

_________________________________

Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor

Filed by me this ____ day of _________, 2005.

____________________________________

City Clerk

(Seal)

Attachments:

Exhibit A: The Families and Education Levy, City of Seattle/Seattle School District Partnership Agreement Exhibit A City of Seattle/Seattle School District Partnership Agreement

Background

On July 12, 2005, the Seattle City Council passed Ordinance 121529, which authorized the 2004 Families and Education Levy (FEL) to be placed before the voters as a ballot measure. The ordinance requires that before any FEL funds can be expended for School District programs, that the City of Seattle and the Seattle School District have an effective Partnership Agreement that has been approved by both the Seattle City Council and the Seattle School Board.

Preamble

We the City of Seattle and the Seattle School District wish to significantly increase the number of children ready for school, achieving academically once in school, and staying in school through graduation. Our shared belief is that these gains can only be made if the City and the School District collaborate. Collaboration means that both the District and the City will work in good faith to align their programs to achieve the three aforementioned results.

We affirm this collaboration not just at the level of governance but in the neighborhoods and schools where children must achieve. The core academic offerings in every school must be of the highest quality, as must any student support services, health or after-school programs. All must be held to the highest standard of effectiveness, for what is at stake is nothing short of the future well being of the current generation of Seattle's children.

Results

The City and the District agree that all FEL funds will be invested with absolute clarity on the outcomes that are intended for children in Seattle. The City and the District have defined three city-wide outcomes that are intended from the investment of FEL proceeds:

* School Readiness as measured by the DIAL-3 kindergarten readiness assessment

* Academic Achievement and Reduction of the Academic Achievement Gap as measured by the Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL), the second grade Developmental Reading Assessment (DRA) or other measures of academic performance that the District or state may implement over time

* Dropout Reduction as measured by the number of students who stay in school and graduate

To achieve the above results, clear numeric targets will be set for each FEL program and the City and the District will define indicators that measure progress toward targets. These indicators include, but are not limited to:

* Family involvement in students' learning

* Reductions in disproportionality in academic achievement

* Students progressing on-time to the next grade level

* Reductions in truancy and disciplinary actions

* Trends in key health indicators that impact academic performance including chronic conditions, births to teens and immunizations

* Students improving attendance

The City and the District share a commitment to the three overarching Levy outcomes, and to making continuous program improvements, to assure the greatest possible results for Seattle students. We also share a commitment to tracking and verifying indicator and target results as the key tool of program evaluation. The partners will regularly review progress toward targets and make mid-course revisions, and targets will be updated annually based on interim results.

Principles, Roles and Responsibilities

The City and the District agree to the following principles, roles and responsibilities that will direct our work toward accomplishment of the School Readiness, Academic Achievement and Reduction of the Academic Achievement Gap and Dropout Reduction results:

* The Levy will implement programs that are intended to positively impact academic achievement for all students, while focusing on high need students experiencing significant barriers to learning-in particular low-income students, limited English speaking students, refugee/immigrant populations and groups of students who are disproportionally achieving at lower levels.

* Levy programs will be evidence-based or will replicate best practices.

* The District and City are developing a separate data sharing agreement that will specify the data elements, formats and frequency for results reporting. The District will provide student data from the District's central data base in accordance with the data sharing agreement and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The data will be sufficient in both content and frequency to verify indicators and results of all Levy-funded services.

* The City will analyze data on indicators and progress toward results. Reports will be produced by the City three times each year, in February, July and October. In support of the City's results reporting deadlines and requirements, the District will provide the City with comprehensive student performance data organized at the individual student level with appropriate confidentiality safequards. To the extent practical within the confines of confidentiality safeguards, data provided will include but not be limited to: demographic information; geographic, location, student mobility and student attendance data; academic assessment and academic achievement data; and disciplinary and behavior data, disaggregated by ethnic group.

* Unless explicitly provided otherwise in the program design, schools with the highest numbers and/or percentages of low-income students will receive a higher percentage of Levy investment

* The City and District will jointly decide on the co-location of multiple Levy programs for school innovation sites. Co-location of multiple programs-relying on strong coordination and effective school building leadership-provides an excellent opportunity for innovations that may improve the academic success of students.

* To further culturally relevant and culturally competent services, the Levy will support partnerships between community-based organizations and schools.

* Community-based providers of Levy-funded programs will be selected through a competitive or negotiated process and will also be held accountable for results.

* Levy-funded programs may use District facilities, to the extent such facilities are available, on the same terms as are in effect and applicable to all other Community Alignment partners, on school days, from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Monday through Friday.

* The partners will seek opportunities to increase the effectiveness of Levy investments by leveraging outside support, activities and resources in a coordinated and collaborative manner.

* The partners will seek ways to involve the community, including businesses, parents, community organizations and citizens, in increasing academic results for students.

* The City will be included on the interviewing and selection team to hire key Levy-funded staff.

* The City and District will negotiate administrative and program costs through the service agreements.

Critical Partnership Elements for Each Investment Area

The following summarize elements that are critical to the partnership in each of the Levy funded programs. Details specific to program implementation will be included in service agreements negotiated between the City and the District for each investment area. The service agreements will reflect the principles, roles and responsibilities agreed to above.

Early Learning:

* Seattle School District will pilot the use of the DIAL-3 kindergarten readiness assessment that will be administered by District kindergarten teachers to ELN children.

* The City and District will identify schools that are viable sites for Early Learning investments. School-based Early Learning providers will be included within the parameters of the District's Community Alignment Initiative.

* The District will assign "advance" student identification numbers to children participating in the levy preschool program in order to allow the program's effectiveness to be measured by student achievement results over time.

Family Support and Family Involvement:

* The City and District will develop and agree on standards for family support. The standards will be designed to focus the efforts of Family Support Workers toward high need students especially those struggling academically within each school. Family Support Workers will provide services to students and families that are coordinated and integrated with other Levy-funded and School District programs which directly support academic achievement results.

* Family Support Workers will complete service plans and support targeted students and families throughout the school year.

* Family support services will include increasing families' stability, collaborating with community agencies that serve families, and increasing families' involvement in students' learning as a means toward achieving results for targeted students.

* The City will provide support to the District to review and revise as necessary, the job description, program manual and relevant training for Family Support Workers that reflects the agreed upon standards.

* The City and District will jointly select the elementary schools that will be targeted for increased family support/family involvement investments.

* All elementary schools and K-8's regardless of need level will continue to have access to family support services.

* The District will engage principals in the implementation of the revised FSW services within their buildings, as agreed upon in the Levy and Implementation and Evaluation Plan and the Joint Service Agreement. The Joint Service Agreement is an agreement between the City and District that will define the population served, performance targets, the approach, milestones, key individuals, organizational support, data requirements and financial projections.

* The City and District will develop the new service and deployment plan for Family Support Workers, that is based on targeting services to elementary and K-8 schools that have a large number of low-income and struggling students. The District will implement and manage the new service and deployment plan.

Middle School Support and Out-of-School Time

* Investments in Middle School Support and Out-of-School Time programs will be driven by the number of students not meeting academic standards. Schools with greater numbers of students not meeting standards will have greater funding.

* The City and District will jointly select up to four high-need middle schools as innovation sites for the coordination and implementation of multiple Levy-funded programs-including, where applicable, OST, wellness centers and Seattle Team for Youth.

* Middle schools that are not innovation sites will identify needs of students at highest academic risk at their schools and all schools will be eligible to receive Middle School Support services.

* In order to coordinate services to middle school students to support academic achievement, the City, District and program implementers will plan investments, in collaboration with the building principal, using data to make decisions about which evidence-based programs are needed to meet specific student needs.

* The City, District and all other program implementers will seek additional funding and inkind services to help support Out-of-School Time programs.

High Risk Youth

* It is intended that both youth with risk factors for dropping out of school will be identified earlier and the percentage of students referred by the District, will increase from 37% to a minimum of 50% of program participants.

* Principals and staff in targeted schools will work with Seattle Team for Youth to identify students for services, provide meeting space, include case managers in school intervention team meetings, increase identification of students needing services, and facilitate referrals and service planning.

* STFY contracts will specify close collaboration between case managers and school staff to reduce truancy and dropout rates and improve academic achievement.

Student Health Services

* The District will consult with the City on school nurse responsibilities and the allocation of school nurses to the health clinics and wellness centers.

* School nurses are available to all students in schools and their services are intended to contribute to the accomplishment of the student health services performance targets.

* Student Health Services will be consistent with the School Board Policy (H57.00).

* A separate memorandum of understanding between Public Health Seattle & King County and Seattle Public Schools will describe collaboration and operating practices.

General Provisions

* Unless otherwise amended, this Agreement shall be for the period commencing on September 1, 2005 and ending on August 31, 2012.

* The City and District shall each act in good faith and shall carry out the terms of the Agreement as expeditiously as possible. The City's responsibilities will be carried out through the Office for Education.

* The execution of this Agreement and any subsequent amendments must be formally authorized by both the City Council and the Seattle School Board.

* At either party's discretion, the Agreement may be reopened. The District or the City must provide a written statement of its intent to re-open the Agreement by the end of January of any given year, present proposed modifications to the other party by the end of February and make every effort to conclude negotiations and obtain the concurrence of both the City Council and the School Board by the end of May of any year in which the agreement is to be modified.

Unless and until modifications are made in writing to this Agreement after being authorized by both the City Council and the Seattle School Board, the unmodified Agreement remains in effect.

* Formal notice of intent to propose a modification to the Agreement must be sent in writing by certified mail to (City representative) Deputy Mayor, Seattle City Hall, 7th Floor, 600 -4th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98124-4749 or (School District representative) Chief Academic Officer, PO Box 34165, Seattle, WA 98124-1165.

Signatures:

CITY OF SEATTLE SEATTLE SCHOOL DISTRICT _____________________ _______________________ Mayor Superintendent _____________________ _______________________ Date Date

Approved by City Council Approved by Seattle School Board on: _____________ on: ___________________ Date Date

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