SENATE BILL REPORT
SB 5526
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent. |
As of February 15, 2017
Title: An act relating to educator preparation data for use by the professional educator standards board.
Brief Description: Concerning educator preparation data for use by the professional educator standards board.
Sponsors: Senators Zeiger, Rolfes and Kuderer.
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/13/17.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION |
Staff: Alia Kennedy (786-7405)
Background: The Professional Educator Standards Board. The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) is a 13-member board that establishes policies and requirements for educator preparation and certification. PESB maintains data concerning educator preparation programs, including data on quality, educator certification, and educator employment trends and needs.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the United States Department of Education. The FERPA allows schools to disclose information from a student's education record, without consent, to certain parties or under certain conditions. A school may disclose information in a student's records, without consent, to authorized representatives of state and local educational authorities for audit or evaluation of federal or state supported education programs. A school may also disclose information in a student's records, without consent, to organizations conducting studies or research on behalf of educational agencies or institutions when the:
study is conducted so only representatives of the organization who have legitimate interests in the information can identify the student or parents;
information is destroyed when it is no longer needed; or
educational agency, institution, state, or local educational authority agrees to these terms.
The Education Research and Data Center. The Education Research and Data Center (ERDC), in the Office of Financial Management, compiles data about students as they move through school. The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction collects data on kindergarten through twelfth grade student enrollment and outcomes, whereas the post secondary institutions collect data about their enrolled students. ERDC receives the data from both of these sectors, in addition to early learning and workforce data, to create a longitudinal data system and contribute to cross-sector research.
Federal Teacher-Preparation Regulations. The federal Higher Education Act (HEA) requires states and institutions of higher education that receive funds under the HEA to report annually on various characteristics of their teacher preparation programs. An institution that does not provide the required information in a timely or accurate manner may be fined.
In October 2016, the United States Department of Education released teacher-preparation regulations that build on the HEA's annual reporting requirements. The final regulations define quality indicators that a state must use to assess the performance of its teacher preparation programs, including additional indicators of program inputs and outcomes, such as the ability of the program's graduates to produce gains in student learning. The final regulations link assessments to eligibility for the federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program, which provides grants of up to $4,000 annually to eligible teacher preparation candidates who agree to serve full-time in high-need fields at low-income schools.
Summary of Bill: State-approved educator preparation programs are required to collect and provide data to ERDC as required for approval by PESB. ERDC and state-approved educator preparation programs must enter into data-sharing agreements to facilitate the transfer of data required by PESB. ERDC must hold, analyze, and make available for research and monitoring by PESB the data on educator preparation.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on February 10, 2017.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony: PRO: This is request legislation by PESB. The bill allows PESB to engage ERDC in order to better use educator data. PESB would be able to leverage the expertise and capability of ERDC to partner with teacher preparation programs for the purposes of obtaining agreed upon data measures, identifying additional measures, and informing system health
OTHER: Fully support underlining concept of the bill but it needs to ensure that the colleges for education can access the data obtained by the ERDC so that they can use it for research and program improvement. There needs to be clarification of the data provided for research purposes so that it is sufficient in answering questions that are of interest to policymakers and colleges of education.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Senator Hans Zeiger, Prime Sponsor; Justin Montermini, Professional Educators Standards Board. OTHER: Bob Cooper, Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; Roddy Theobald, American Institutes for Research.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.