SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1365

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 5, 1991

Brief Description:  Requiring teacher certification candidates to have skills to work with diverse populations.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Phillips, Peery, Holland, Valle, Prentice, Cole, Wineberry, Jones, Nelson, Jacobsen and Wang).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Erwin, Vice Chairman; Murray, Oke, Pelz, Rinehart, A. Smith, and Talmadge.

Staff:  Susan Mosborg (786‑7439)

Hearing Dates:April 1, 1991; April 5, 1991

BACKGROUND:

From 1980 to 1988, the percentage of minority children in Washington's K-12 schools increased from 12.5 percent to 16.5 percent of the total student population.  Future projections indicate that this increase in minority  children will continue.  In 1988, minority teachers comprised 5.6 percent of the teaching work force.

The Joint Policy Statement on Equity in Education adopted by the State Board of Education, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Washington State Human Rights Commission in 1990 states that components of the learning environment should include:  "Educators who are trained to teach and model acceptance and appreciation of differences, sensitive to cultural diversity in their classrooms, and staff who are educated in the needs and cultures of minority students and trained to teach effectively in a multi-racial setting."

SUMMARY:

Effective September 1, 1992, the State Board of Education shall require that the general knowledge to be learned by all students in teacher education programs include the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively teach and work with students from diverse racial and ethnic populations.

By December 15, 1993, the State Board of Education shall submit a report on actions that teacher preparation programs have taken to implement the objectives of the legislation.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  none requested

TESTIMONY FOR:

The need for teachers to be trained in how to work with students from diverse racial and ethnic populations was a recurrent theme expressed by parents, teachers, and the community during Seattle's Education Summit process last year.  The bill is a good first step.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Representative Larry Phillips (pro)