SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1243

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 4, 1991

Brief Description:  Requiring teaching experience for teacher educators.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Fuhrman, G. Fisher, Wood, Brekke, Neher, Cole, Silver, Jones, Holland, Peery, Fraser, Brumsickle, Bowman, Moyer, May, Dorn, Pruitt, Belcher, Valle, Heavey, McLean, Chandler, Ferguson, Hochstatter, Padden, Brough, Paris, Winsley, Morton, Mielke, Rayburn, Vance, Forner, P. Johnson, Wynne, Betrozoff, Hargrove, Van Luven, D. Sommers, Edmondson, Miller, Bray, Basich, Mitchell and Tate).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Erwin, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Craswell, Metcalf, Oke, Pelz, A. Smith, and Talmadge. 

Staff:  Susan Mosborg (786‑7439)

Hearing Dates:March 28, 1991; April 4, 1991

BACKGROUND:

Recent studies and strategies for improving the nation's education system have emphasized the need to improve teacher preparation programs.  With this in mind, some suggest that it would be beneficial if professors in teacher education programs be required to spend additional time in K-12 classrooms.

SUMMARY:

Educator preparation programs at colleges and universities in the state, annually, shall develop and implement a plan to increase the level of collaboration and interaction between the program's faculty and K-12 schools in the state.  The plan shall require, to the maximum extent feasible, that each member of the faculty annually provide instruction in K-12 classrooms.

The governing board of each college and university shall adopt salary policies that ensure that faculty members who teach in K-12 classrooms are appropriately rewarded.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENTS:

The requirement applies only to teacher preparation programs.  It does not apply to preparation programs for administrators and educational staff associates.

The masters degree requirement for continuing teacher certification is repealed.

TESTIMONY FOR:

Better integration between higher education teacher preparation programs and K-12 schools is needed.  Professional educators believe language such as this will help.  Some teacher preparation programs are already developing ideas for implementation.  The bill is broad enough to include exchange programs between K-12 teachers and higher education teacher preparation program faculty.

Because the bill includes faculty of preparation programs for school administrators and educational staff associates as well as teachers, an amendment is recommended to allow the faculty to provide direct services to schools other than classroom instruction.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  PRO:  Representative Steve Fuhrman, sponsor; Marcia Costello, OSPI; Dwayne Slate, WA State School Director's Assn.; Fay Page, WA State PTA