(1) Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, school districts with more than 200 enrolled students shall offer regular instruction in at least one visual art or at least one performing art, throughout the school year. Each student must receive instruction in at least one arts discipline throughout their elementary and middle education experience. For grades nine through 12, all students must be given the opportunity to take arts coursework each academic year.

(2) Every student must have access to arts education, as part of basic education under RCW 28A.150.210. Arts instruction must be accessible by all students, in a manner that is commensurate with instruction in other core subject areas.

(3)(a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, arts instruction must be provided by either: A certificated teacher with an endorsement in the relevant arts discipline; or a certificated teacher actively pursuing an endorsement in the relevant arts discipline.

(b) A person holding a limited teaching certificate may provide arts instruction while either: (i) The school district recruits and hires a certificated teacher with the qualifications provided in (a) of this subsection; or (ii) the certificated teacher with qualifications provided in (a) of this subsection takes leave as provided in the school district's written leave policy required by RCW 28A.400.300.

(4) Instruction under this section must be solely for the arts discipline in the skills and craft of each specific arts discipline as their own end, rather than as a vehicle to enhance learning in any other nonarts subject area. If schools wish to integrate or infuse the arts into other subject matter, they must do so in addition to the regular, formal arts instruction required by this section.

(5) The arts instructors in each school district, as subject matter experts, shall be consulted to determine which specific visual and performing arts courses to offer at given grade levels, so that instruction is properly aligned to state learning standards in the arts and students' developmental stages and vertically aligned to give arts-focused students the best chance for success in their arts college or career pathway.

Intent—2022 c 250: See note following RCW 28A.230.020.