HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 361

BYRepresentatives Peery, Betrozoff, Walker, L. Smith, Todd, Appelwick, Rasmussen, Pruitt, Cooper, Taylor, Schoon, Valle, Ebersole, Rayburn, Jacobsen, Sutherland, Wang, P. King, Fisch, Kremen, Silver, Doty, Meyers, May, Unsoeld, Spanel and Wineberry

Providing for a study of actual class size in the schools.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (14)

     Signed by Representatives Ebersole, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Cole, Cooper, Holm, Peery, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Rust, Schoon, Taylor, Todd and Valle.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION FEBRUARY 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Each legislative session questions are raised about actual class size at various grade levels within the state of Washington.  Legislators have frequently stated that information on actual class size would be helpful in decision making.  Similar issues have been raised as to the number, training and use of teacher aides and volunteers, and numbers and types of other instructional staff pulling students from their regular classroom.

SUMMARY:

SUBSTITUTE BILL:  During the 1987-88 school year the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction shall conduct an analysis of actual class size.  The study shall include:  1) A written survey of approximately fifty diverse school districts on actual class size in individual school buildings, 2) An in-depth study of a sample of diverse school districts, taking into consideration size, geographic location and economic factors, of actual class size, use of other instructional staff and teacher's aides and 3) Data collection of actual class size from other states including methods of funding, data collection, statewide actual class size averages, and if possible, class size in buildings within selected school districts.

An advisory committee consisting of legislators and representatives of education organizations concerned with this issue shall be appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  One representative from each caucus of the House of Representatives shall be appointed by the Speaker. One representative from each caucus of the Senate shall be appointed by the president of the Senate.  The advisory committee shall review the resulting recommendations of the study and present its position to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.  The recommendations shall include recommendations for the revision of the data collection system currently used by the Superintendent of Public Instruction to more accurately reflect conditions in the classroom and to provide a more accurate basis for decision making.

The report shall be submitted to the legislature no later than January 1, 1989, and the advisory committee shall expire on January 30, 1989.

SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL:  The specific topics of the study are clarified and an advisory committee composed of legislators and representatives of educational organizations is appointed to review and make recommendations to the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Appropriation:  The sum of $150,000 is appropriated for the 1988 - 89 biennium for this purpose.

Fiscal Note:    Attached.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Bob Maier, Washington Education Association; Kris Van Gorkum, Washington Association of School Administrators; Ben Edlund, Washington School Directors Association.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     It is important to develop a more accurate data base on which to make decisions on the funding and needs of the common schools.  This study is the essential first step in finding out how we are actually using teachers, aides, and volunteers in our classrooms.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.