FINAL BILL REPORT

                                   ESSB 6326

                                   C 83 L 92

                              SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Changing the Washington award for excellence.

SPONSORS: Senate Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Senators Gaspard, Bailey, Rinehart and Bauer)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

BACKGROUND:

Under the Washington Award for Excellence in Education Program, teachers, principals or administrators, classified staff, superintendents and school boards are recognized for their leadership, contributions, and commitment to education. 

Teachers and principals or administrators may elect to receive an academic grant not to exceed the current full-time equivalent resident graduate tuition for courses taken at one of the state's public, four-year institutions of higher education.  Clarification of the statutory language regarding this award option would make it easier to administrate.

SUMMARY:

Recipients selecting the academic grant shall be reimbursed for tuition and fees of up to 45 quarter and 30 semester credits.  A single rate of reimbursement per credit hour is established and shall not exceed the resident, graduate, part-time cost per credit hour at the University of Washington in the year the recipient takes the credits.

Existing language setting the dollar value of the academic grant at a level not to exceed the full-time resident graduate tuition at the research or regional universities and college is repealed.

The change in determining the value of the academic grant applies to all recipients regardless of the year in which they received their award.

A stipend not to exceed $1,000 is reinstated to accompany the academic grant for reimbursement of costs incurred in taking courses covered by the academic grant.  Reinstatement of the stipend of up to $1,000 to accompany the academic grant shall apply only to recipients for 1992 and beyond, and only if the stipends are funded in the budget.

The provision which grants 30 clock hours credit toward the State Board of Education's 150 clock hours continuing education requirement, for recipients who use the academic grant to take courses related to their responsibilities or assignments, is repealed.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate      44    0

House 88    0     (House amended)

Senate      46    0     (Senate concurred)

EFFECTIVE:  April 30, 1992