AN ACT Relating to teacher preparation; creating new sections; making an appropriation; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes that strong teacher preparation programs are fundamentally important to the success of the state's entire educational system and that clinical field experiences are critical to the success of the teacher preparation programs. The legislature believes that schools, school districts, and the colleges and universities mutually benefit from cooperative relationships to provide prospective teacher candidates with appropriate and necessary student teaching experiences. The legislature further believes that prospective teacher candidates should have field experiences and student teaching opportunities which are, to the extent reasonably possible, reflective of the diversity existing between schools and school districts state-wide.

The legislature intends to establish a temporary grant program to support innovative approaches to providing prospective teachers with a variety of student teaching experiences and to provide school districts state-wide with increased access to student teachers.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The state board of education shall establish the requirements for a two-year pilot program to enhance the student teaching component of teacher preparation programs to support innovative ways to expand student teaching experiences for prospective teacher candidates and to expand opportunities for student teacher placements in school districts throughout the state. The state board shall adopt necessary rules under chapter 34.04 RCW to carry out this program.

(2) In developing the pilot program requirements, the state board shall include a requirement that each grant application be jointly developed through a process including participation by school building and school district personnel, teacher preparation program personnel, program unit members, and other personnel as appropriate. Primary administration for each grant project shall be the responsibility of one or more of the cooperating grant project participants, as determined by the grant project participants.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. As used in sections 1 through 5 of this act, the term "student teaching" includes all field experiences and opportunities for observation, tutoring, micro-teaching, and extended practicums; clinical and laboratory experiences; and internship experiences in educational settings.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) The superintendent of public instruction is authorized to award grant funding on a competitive grant basis.

(2) Each grant application shall include provisions for providing appropriate and necessary training in observation and supervision and assistance skills and techniques for each participating school district cooperating teacher, and other building or district personnel who may be participants in a team concept to support the student teacher, and for each individual who is affiliated with a teacher preparation program or programs as a field-based supervisor of student teachers.

(3) In developing the grant proposals, grant requestors are encouraged but not required to consider such models or model components as:

(a) Contracting or otherwise cooperating with an educational service district to base a supervisor or supervisors in the educational service district to supervise student teachers placed into school districts located within the educational service district;

(b) Contracting or otherwise cooperating with a community college district to base a supervisor or supervisors in the community college district to supervise student teachers placed into school districts located within the boundaries of the community college district;

(d) Contractual or other cooperative arrangements between teacher preparation programs to allow one institution to serve a geographic area of the state not normally served by that institution; and

(e) Contractual or other cooperative arrangements between two or more teacher preparations programs to jointly serve a geographic area of the state not normally served by the institutions.

(4) In approving grant applications for funding, the state board of education shall assure that if no more than one grant project is approved such project shall be of a nature as suggested in subsection (3)(a) of this section. The state board shall also give priority consideration to approving grant projects as suggested in subsection (3) (b) and (e) of this section.

(5) The state board of education shall give priority consideration to approving grant applications designed to involve unserved or underserved school districts and shall assure, to the extent possible, that the grant projects approved for funding reflect a geographic sampling of the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Any compensation provided to certificated school district employees pursuant to the pilot program established under sections 1 through 6 of this act shall not be deemed compensation for the purposes of salary lid compliance under RCW 28A.58.095.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The state board of education shall evaluate the pilot projects and submit a report to the legislature not later than January 1, 1990, including findings and recommendations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. This act shall expire January 1, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the biennium ending June 30, 1989, to carry out the purposes of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, and safety, the support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.