AN ACT Relating to excellence in teacher preparation; adding new sections to Title 28A RCW; making an appropriation; and providing a contingent effective date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. Sections 2 through 5 of this act may be known and cited as the Washington award for excellence in teacher preparation act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The state board of education shall establish an annual award program for excellence in teacher preparation to recognize higher education teacher educators for their leadership, contributions, and commitment to education.

(2) The program shall recognize annually one teacher preparation faculty member from one of the teacher preparation programs approved by the state board of education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The award for the teacher educator shall include:

(1) A certificate presented to the teacher educator by the governor, the president of the state board of education, and the superintendent of public instruction at a public ceremony; and

(2) A grant to the professional education advisory board of the institution from which the teacher educator is selected, which grant shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars and which grant shall be awarded under section 5 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The state board of education shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW to carry out the purposes of sections 2 through 5 of this act. These rules shall include establishing the selection criteria for the Washington award for excellence in teacher preparation. The state board of education is encouraged to consult with teacher educators, deans, and professional education advisory board members in developing the selection criteria. The criteria shall include any role performed by nominees relative to implementing innovative developments by the nominee's teacher preparation program and efforts the nominee has made to assist in communicating with legislators, common school teachers and administrators and others about the nominee's teacher preparation program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. The professional education advisory board for the institution from which the teacher educator has been selected to receive an award shall be eligible to apply for an educational grant as provided under section 3 of this act. The state board of education shall award the grant after the state board has approved the grant application as long as the written grant application is submitted to the state board within one year after the award is received by the teacher educator. The grant application shall identify the educational purpose toward which the grant shall be used.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The legislature finds that excellence in teacher preparation requires increased cooperation and coordination between institutions of higher education and school districts as it relates to the preparation of students into the profession of teaching. The legislature further finds that an increase in the level of such cooperation and coordination in selecting, training, and supervising excellent "cooperating" teachers, and the development of new school and university partnerships, will be beneficial to the teaching profession, and will enhance the ability of all new teachers to perform at a more competent level during their initial teaching experience.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The excellence in teacher preparation program is hereby created to improve the quality of teacher preparation by providing cooperating teachers for all student teachers during their student teaching internship. The superintendent of public instruction shall adopt rules to establish and operate the excellence in teacher preparation program. The program shall provide that:

(1) Cooperating teachers shall be appointed by school districts in a joint selection process with the institutions of higher education, and shall hold a continuing professional certificate;

(2) All student teacher interns from a regionally accredited institution of higher education whose professional education preparation program has been approved by the state board of education shall be provided a cooperating teacher for up to two academic quarters;

(3) Cooperating teachers shall provide a source of continuing and sustained assistance, training, and support and shall be involved in evaluations and recommendations to the institutions of higher education respecting the competency of the student teacher intern. Cooperating teachers shall collaborate with their school principals respecting the support, training, and assistance they provide under this program;

(4) Salary stipends for cooperating teachers shall be paid through supplemental contracts as provided in the state operating appropriations act; and

(5) The institutions of higher education, in consultation with the superintendent of public instruction, may provide workshops for training cooperating teachers, subject to appropriations in the state operating appropriations act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Sections 6 and 7 of this act shall take effect when funds are appropriated by the legislature.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. Sections 1 through 7 of this act are each added to Title 28A RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. The sum of two thousand five hundred dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purpose of section 5 of this act.