Title: An act relating to professional development for instructional assistants.

Brief Description: Providing opportunities for professional development for instructional assistants.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Liias, Sullivan, Ericks, Williams, Loomis, Simpson, Ormsby, Miloscia, Hasegawa, Roberts, Santos, Quall and Nelson).

Brief History: Passed House: 2/13/08, 95-0.

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/25/08, 2/27/08 [DP-WM, DNP].

Ways & Means: 3/3/08 [DP, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; King, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Eide, Hobbs, Holmquist, Kauffman, McDermott, Oemig and Rasmussen.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senator Tom, Vice Chair.

Staff: Roman Dixon (786-7438)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Pridemore, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Zarelli, Ranking Minority Member; Brandland, Carrell, Fairley, Hatfield, Hobbs, Honeyford, Keiser, Kohl-Welles, Parlette, Rasmussen, Regala, Roach and Schoesler.

Minority Report: Do not pass.Signed by Senator Tom.

Staff: Bryon Moore (786-7726)

Background: In the 1999-2001 biennium, the Legislature consolidated professional development funds from a variety of sources and provided funding specifically for Summer Accountability Institutes (Summer Institutes) to be organized by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). The Summer Institutes are intended to provide school district staff with training in assessment, data analysis, successful teaching models, research on curriculum and instruction, and planning tools to improve instruction.

In recent years, the Summer Institutes have become five-day conferences held at three locations across the state with attendance of 800 to 1,000 teachers and staff at each conference. There is also a three-day January conference, usually in Spokane. Each conference has strands of presentations focused on a particular theme or target audience. For example, the OSPI was directed to focus at least one institute in 2008 and 2009 specifically on mathematics instruction.

Summary of Bill: The OSPI, in consultation with various groups representing classified school employees, must develop and offer a training strand through the Summer Institutes and the January conference that is targeted to classified instructional assistants and designed to help them maximize their effectiveness in improving student achievement.

The bill contains a null and void clause.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.

Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Second Substitute Bill (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Paraeducators and classified staff have a hard time finding good quality professional development. This bill makes it easier for them to receive the training required by both state and federal law. As such, the Washington Educators Association (WEA) wholeheartedly supports the bill.

This bill will help the paraeducators, but beyond that it will help the struggling students. Also, paraeducators will have standards they are prepared to meet.

Persons Testifying (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Lucinda Young, WEA; Tom Lopp, Public School Employees of Washington.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Second Substitute Bill (Ways & Means): PRO: This bill is really about struggling students. As a result of providing paraeducators additional training opportunities, this will allow instructional assistants to better serve students.

Persons Testifying (Ways & Means): PRO: Tom Lopp, Public School Employees of Washington.