S-934                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 3352

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senators Gaspard, Bauer, Kiskaddon and Patterson

Read first time 1/25/85 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to education; and adding a new section to chapter 28A.03 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.03 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) Recent and expanding activity in educational research has produced and continues to produce much valuable information.  The legislature finds that such information should be shared with the citizens and educational community of the state as widely as possible.  To facilitate access to information and materials on education, the superintendent of public instruction shall act as the state clearinghouse for educational information.

          (2) In carrying out this function, the superintendent of public instruction's primary duty shall be to collect, screen, organize, and disseminate information pertaining to the state's educational system from preschool through grade twelve, including but not limited to in-state research and development efforts; descriptions of exemplary, model, and innovative programs; and related information that can be used in developing more effective programs.

          (3) The superintendent of public instruction shall maintain a collection of such studies, articles, reports, research findings, monographs, bibliographies, directories, curriculum materials, speeches, conference proceedings, legal decisions that are concerned with some aspect of the state's education system, and other applicable materials.  All materials and information shall be considered public documents under chapter 42.17 RCW and the superintendent of public instruction shall furnish copies of educational materials at nominal cost.

          (4) The superintendent of public instruction shall coordinate the dissemination of information with the educational service districts and shall publish and distribute, on a monthly basis, a newsletter describing current activities and developments in education in the state.