S-0737.1  _______________________________________________

                         SENATE BILL 5431

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

By Senators Honeyford, Rasmussen, Hochstatter, Stevens, Morton, Winsley, Swecker, Deccio and Patterson

Read first time 01/22/1999.  Referred to Committee on Education.

Requiring full-time equivalent employees be assigned by the superintendent of public instruction to the vocational agriculture program.

    AN ACT Relating to vocational agriculture education; and amending RCW 28A.300.090.

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

    Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.300.090 and 1983 1st ex.s. c 34 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) A vocational agriculture education service area within the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall be established.  ((Adequate staffing of)) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall assign a minimum of one full-time equivalent employee who is an individual((s)) trained or experienced in the field of vocational agriculture ((shall be provided)) and one full-time equivalent employee staff support member for the vocational agriculture education service area for coordination of the state program and to provide ((assistance to local school districts for the coordination of the activities of student agricultural organizations and associations)) leadership, supervision, and technical assistance to local agriculture education programs.

    (2) The vocational agriculture education service area shall:

    (a) Assess needs in vocational agriculture education, assist local school districts in establishing vocational agriculture programs, review local school district applications for approval of vocational agriculture programs, evaluate existing programs, plan research and studies for the improvement of curriculum materials for specialty areas of vocational agriculture.  Standards and criteria developed under this subsection shall satisfy the mandates of federally-assisted vocational education;

    (b) Develop in-service programs for teachers and administrators of vocational agriculture, review application for vocational agriculture teacher certification, and assist in teacher recruitment and placement in vocational agriculture programs;

    (c) Serve as a liaison with the Future Farmers of America, representatives of business, industry, and appropriate public agencies, and institutions of higher education in order to disseminate information, promote improvement of vocational agriculture programs, and assist in the development of adult and continuing education programs in vocational agriculture; and

    (d) Establish an advisory task force committee of agriculturists, who represent the diverse areas of the agricultural industry in Washington, which shall make annual recommendations including, but not limited to, the development of curriculum, staffing, strategies for the purpose of establishing a source of trained and qualified individuals in agriculture, and strategies for articulating the state program in vocational agriculture education, including youth leadership throughout the state school system.

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