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

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:

The superintendent of public instruction, with the advice and assistance of the Washington state school directors association, the educational service districts, the state board for community college education and such other agencies and organizations as may be appropriate, shall develop a program of incentives and assistance to promote and facilitate expanded contractual arrangements among school districts and between school districts and community colleges, vocational-technical institutes, proprietary schools and private service providers, and educational service districts. The program shall include fuller utilization or recommended modifications of the programs including but not limited to, the programs under RCW 28A.58.075 and 28B.50.530, and chapter 39.34 RCW.

Incentives for participation shall include, but not be limited to, removal or waiver of administrative barriers to pooling and resource and personnel sharing, and the provision of partial financial compensation to districts losing funding from students participating in courses or programs outside of their school. Incentives shall be sufficient to permit the development and maintenance of high quality offerings in foreign languages, mathematics, the sciences, the arts, vocational training, special education, and education for highly capable students. The superintendent of public instruction shall give particular attention to the needs of small school districts, to expanded utilization of communication technologies, and to areas of teacher shortage, specialized need, and high cost programming.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. The sum of five million seven hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1987, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of sending students to programs outside their school under section 1 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop a pilot program providing coupons to take courses not offered at the student's high school or as part of a district program or interdistrict program to high school students. The coupons shall be used for elective courses not necessary to meet graduation requirements. This program shall be in addition to programs and requirements under RCW 28A.58.242, 28A.58.243, and 28A.58.245. The coupons may be used for courses approved by the administrator of the student's high school, if space is available, at another high school, a community college, a vocational-technical institute, or a state institution of higher education. The institution which the student attends may redeem the coupon for the share of the state's per pupil cost at the student's high school for that period of time spent in class at the receiving institution under rules adopted by the superintendent of public instruction.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall select five school districts with diverse characteristics to participate in the program under subsection (1) of this section.

(3) The participating school districts shall submit reports to the superintendent of public instruction evaluating the program including student progress, the satisfaction of students, parents, and teachers with the program, and recommendations about the program. The superintendent of public instruction shall evaluate the reports and submit recommendations to the legislature by January 1, 1987.

(4) This section shall expire January 1, 1987.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the period beginning July 1, 1985, and ending January 1, 1987, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the administrative costs of carrying out section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. (1) A task force on new technologies in education is created. The task force shall examine the application of technological advances to the educational process. The task force shall examine specific technologies, costs, possible uses, and current purchasing and utilization of technological advancements in the common schools, vocational-technical institutes, and the state institutions of higher education.

(2) The task force shall be composed of fifteen persons appointed by the governor. The members shall represent the common schools, the community colleges and vocational-technical institutes, the four-year institutions of higher education, parents, the business community, and the general public. In making the appointments the governor shall include persons with technological expertise and persons with general knowledge of educational issues.

(3) Members of the task force shall select their own chair.

(4) Members of the task force shall not receive compensation but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as provided in RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060.

(5) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide staff and administrative support and materials as necessary to help the task force carry out its duties under this section.

(6) The task force shall submit its recommendations to the governor and the legislature by January 1, 1987.

(7) This section shall expire January 1, 1987.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The sum of one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the period ending January 1, 1987, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of providing for administrative and staff support, materials, travel expenses, and other related expenses to the task force under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.