Prefiled 01/11/08. Read first time 01/14/08.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to preparing teachers to teach English language learner students; and creating new sections.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   (1) The legislature finds that an increasing proportion of K-12 students are English language learners. Furthermore, a significant number of English language learner students are struggling to meet the state's academic learning standards. Specific strategies are necessary to improve the achievement and progress of these students. Instruction for English language learner students should be integrated with English-fluent students. Classroom teachers should collaborate with specialist teachers to provide high quality instruction. All teachers should demonstrate a high level of cultural competence and understanding of second language acquisition.
     (2) However, the legislature further finds that current standards for preparing teachers to meet the learning needs of English language learner students are inadequate. Therefore, the legislature intends to task the professional educator standards board to work with colleges of education and school districts to identify specific ways to better prepare teachers to teach English language learner students.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The professional educator standards board shall convene a work group to develop recommendations for increasing teacher knowledge, skills, and competencies to address the needs of English language learner students. The work group shall include representatives from the Washington association of colleges for teacher education, school districts with significant populations of English language learner students who speak a single language, school districts with significant populations of English language learner students who speak multiple languages, classroom teachers, English as a second language teachers, bilingual education teachers, principals, the migrant and bilingual education office in the office of the superintendent of public instruction, and the higher education coordinating board. The professional educator standards board shall invite participation by the northwest regional educational laboratory.
     (2) The work group shall identify gaps and weaknesses in the current knowledge and skills standards for teacher preparation and teacher competencies regarding understanding how students acquire language, how to teach academic content in English to non-English speakers, and demonstrating cultural competence. The work group shall be informed by the English as a second language demonstration projects under RCW 28A.630.058 and the accompanying research and evaluation by the northwest regional educational laboratory.
     (3) The work group shall submit a report by December 1, 2008, to the governor and the education and higher education committees of the legislature with findings and specific recommendations to improve the teacher preparation knowledge and skills standards and teacher competencies in the areas identified under subsection (2) of this section.