SENATE BILL REPORT

2SSB 5676

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Rockefeller, Jarrett, Fairley, Hobbs, Schoesler and Shin; by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction).

Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 2/12/09, 2/18/09 [DPS-WM, DNP].

Ways & Means: 3/02/09 [DP2S, DNP, w/oRec].

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5676 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Kauffman, Vice Chair, Early Learning; Oemig, Vice Chair, K-12; Hobbs, Jarrett and McDermott.

Majority Report: That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 5676 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Prentice, Chair; Fraser, Vice Chair, Capital Budget Chair; Tom, Vice Chair, Operating Budget; Fairley, Hobbs, Keiser, Kline, Kohl-Welles, McDermott, Murray, Oemig, Pridemore, Rockefeller and Schoesler.

Background: Current state funding formulas for public schools provide an enhancement for high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) courses approved by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Currently, the enhancement amounts to an average of about $865 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student. Legislation enacted in 2007 authorized the same enhancement, to the extent that funds are provided in the operating budget, for middle school CTE programs approved by the OSPI. Middle schools apply for these funds through a grant process administered by the OSPI.

To receive approval from the OSPI as a CTE course, the course must be taught by a teacher with an endorsement in CTE. There are pathways to state certification and endorsement as a CTE teacher that give credit for occupational experience in the particular specialty area of instruction.

Summary of Second Substitute Bill: The limitation is removed that a middle school offering career and technical education receives an enhanced funding allocation only within funds appropriated for this purpose. The CTE program must be in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) to qualify for the enhancement. Middle schools offering qualifying programs are to be funded at the same level as a high school offering a similar program.

In the event funding is not provided in the 2009-11 omnibus operating budget, the act is null and void.

Effective Date: Section 2 authorizing the funding enhancement takes effect September 1, 2009; the remainder of the bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Having programs where our students can apply math and science in real-world situations really brings them to life. The middle schools have not had the money for equipment and supplies necessary for these programs. As a CTE director, it's nice to be able to plan these programs around stable funding rather than a grant we can't be sure we will receive. This bill will help us plan and give us stabilization. Having a coherent plan within schools and districts to ensure that these programs are supported is important. At the developmental stage of middle school students, there is a gap in transitioning to high school. The focus is to provide hands-on opportunities for the kids. When we look at the global market and economy, we need to get more engineers and designers out into the workforce. This bill gets the message out early to our kids. We will be fully implementing instructional technology courses. This program serves girls just as well as boys.

Persons Testifying (Early Learning & K-12 Education): PRO: Terry Byington, Tech America; Michael Christianson, Amber Seargent, Stephanie Johns, Ian Chow-Miller, Mitchell King, Bethel School District; Denis Wallace, Yelm Community Schools; John Page, Tacoma Public Schools; Kevin Ikeda, David Lindsiede, Erik O'Brien, Taylor McCann, Meeker Middle School.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony (Ways & Means): PRO: OSPI has managed this as a grant program and should have handled it as a caseload program. This amended bill will add about 20,000 middle-school students to those that will be experiencing career and technical education programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This will give them the exposure that allows them to move into high school prepared to really excel. This has been a recommendation of Washington Learns, which is how the program was originally funded; and it is included in the prototypical schools' model recommended by the Basic Education Task Force. As the Workforce Board developed its ten-year strategic plan, a lot of comments from business related to concerns about the pipeline to the high-demand jobs that are out there in the workplace. Business is very supportive of preparing students in some of these high-demand fields.