This bill amends RCW 28A.415.265 to change the beginning educator support team program. It requires school districts that receive program funding to prioritize and provide a trained and qualified mentor to any novice school nurse employed by the district. The amendment adds or specifies program components and definitions, including paid orientation, mentor assignment for up to three years with intensive first-year support, mentor and participant professional development, release time, nonevaluative observations with written feedback, use of instructional or leadership frameworks, adherence to OSPI induction standards, and program evaluation measuring strengths, gaps, retention, and impact on student growth. It also permits program components to be used for continuous improvement coaching for educators on probation under RCW 28A.405.100. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) will allocate funds competitively to school districts, consortia of districts, or state-tribal compact schools, subject to available appropriations. OSPI must give priority to districts or schools identified for federal comprehensive or targeted support and improvement, districts with large influxes of beginning principals or educators, and districts demonstrating understanding of OSPI’s research-based induction standards. A portion of appropriated funds may be used for program coordination and statewide or regional professional development through OSPI. The bill adds definitions for mentor educator (trained and selected under OSPI standards and participating in ongoing mentor development), beginning educator support team program, and novice school nurse (an RN or ARNP in years one through three in a school-based role). Affected parties include OSPI, school districts, consortia, state-tribal compact schools, beginning principals and teachers and candidates in alternative route programs (chapter 28A.660 RCW), novice school nurses, and educators on probation. The bill was read for the first time on 01/16/25 and was introduced in the 2025 Regular Session of the 69th Legislature and referred to the Senate Committee on Education. The extracted text does not include appropriation amounts or detailed application and selection procedures, the content of OSPI’s mentor standards or induction standards, a statutory definition of state-tribal compact schools, or other possible bill sections such as fiscal notes or effective date.

If this becomes law, novice school nurses (registered nurses or ARNPs in their first three years in a school role) working in districts that win competitive beginning educator support team funds from OSPI are likely to get a trained mentor, paid orientation, release time, professional development, and structured, nonevaluative observation and feedback for up to three years. That should increase support and could improve early-career retention and effectiveness for those nurses where funding is awarded. The districts and consortia that receive the competitive grants will have new responsibilities to assign trained mentors and run the induction components, and OSPI will have to prioritize grant awards, run coordination and professional development, and evaluate program impacts. Because the bill ties these services to availability of appropriations and does not specify funding amounts or application procedures, it is uncertain how many districts or nurses will actually benefit and whether districts will need to cover any unmet costs.