S-1831

AN ACT Relating to education programs for educators; amending RCW 28A.410.040 and 28A.410.050; adding new sections to chapter 28A.410 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; and providing an expiration date.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature recognizes that the success of education reform depends upon the simultaneous restructuring of schooling and of educator preparation. Whereas the state has made progress toward school restructuring with the schools for the twenty-first century program and other activities, the legislature finds that restructuring of educator preparation is also needed if the state is to have a corps of teachers, educational staff associates, and administrators prepared to improve schools.

(2) The legislature further finds that whereas the masters degree requirement for continuing teacher certification has created a shift to graduate level preparation programs, the restructuring of educator preparation must address the full scope, sequence, and content of the undergraduate, graduate, and field education of educators, and must involve local school systems and the arts and sciences departments of the colleges and universities.

(3) The teachers for the twenty-first century program established in section 2 of this act is intended to create educator preparation programs that are coherent, vigorous, and self-renewing. These model programs shall be linked to state goals for student learning and shall serve to inform the state board of education about issues relating to teacher certification.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A pilot program is established to foster change in the state educator preparation system. The teachers for the twenty-first century program will enable faculty and administrators of selected public higher education institutions and school districts in the state to restructure the scope, sequence, and content of preparation programs for teachers, educational staff associates, and school administrators. The goal shall be to prepare educators to be instructional leaders of schools where all kids can learn, not only rote facts or basic skills, but to reason and use their minds well and become flexible, self-directed, interactive learners. Educators should understand and value the importance of schooling to a democratic society, share a commitment to the state vision for education articulated in Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 8400, and be well-qualified to carry out the professional responsibilities under RCW 28A.150.240.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The state board of education shall develop and approve a process for higher education institutions and school districts to participate in the teachers for the twenty-first century program, and shall review, select, and approve pilot projects. From funds awarded for this purpose, the state board shall select:

(a) Not more than six projects during each biennium: Two in teacher preparation; two in educational staff associate preparation; and two in school administrator preparation; and

(b) Projects that reflect a balance among geographical areas and school work force needs.

(2) The state board of education shall develop criteria to evaluate the need for waivers of state statutes or administrative rules pursuant to section 7 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) Initial applications to participate in the teachers for the twenty-first century program shall be submitted to the state board of education not later than May 31, 1992, by public higher education institutions in the state with a state board of education-approved educator preparation program. Each application shall involve two or more school districts or an educational service district and two or more school districts. Subject to available funding, additional applications may be submitted for board consideration by November 1 of subsequent years.

(2) Each application shall contain a plan that:

(a) Proposes the restructuring of a teacher, educational staff associate, or school administrator preparation program;

(b) Includes establishment of a governing board for the pilot project that includes at a minimum: The dean with responsibility for the educator preparation program, or his or her designee; one member of the professional education advisory committee of the educator preparation program; the dean of the college of arts and sciences of the participating higher education institution, or his or her designee; the superintendent of each of the participating school districts, or their designees; the superintendent of any participating educational service district, or his or her designee; two faculty members of the educator preparation program; two educators-in-training; and one teacher, educational staff associate, or school administrator, as appropriate, from each of the participating school districts;

(c) Includes a plan for involving additional higher education and school faculty members, educators-in-training, and other interested parties, and for using sources of expertise in educator preparation reform;

(d) Enumerates specific activities to be carried out as part of the pilot project;

(e) Commits all parties to work cooperatively during the term of the pilot project;

(f) Includes budget plans for the project and additional anticipated sources of funding, including private grants and contributions, if any;

(g) Identifies the evaluation processes to be used to measure success of the project and guide the further renewal of the preparation program;

(h) Justifies each request for waiver of specific state statutes or administrative rules during at least the first two years of the project; and

(i) Includes written statements of support from the professional education advisory board and dean with responsibility for the teacher preparation program of the participating higher education institution, the board of directors and superintendent of the participating school district or districts, and the superintendent of the participating educational service district, if any.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Projects selected in the area of teacher preparation shall include replacement of student teaching with a clinical experience component based on the following guidelines:

(1) The clinical component shall be located in public schools within the state and should last full time for one school year.

(2) The clinical component should have a curriculum that provides teachers-in-training: Both formal and informal instruction and practice teaching throughout the school year; an appropriate and progressive degree of responsibility; systematic and regular support; and experience in a variety of teaching situations, such as variety in student age or grade levels, student learning characteristics, subject areas, student demographic or cultural characteristics, and types of communities.

(3) The clinical component should have clear procedures for the appointment and training of staff, selection of teachers-in-training, and ongoing evaluation of the program. The clinical component should draw staff from both higher education institutions with state board-approved teacher preparation programs and school districts.

(4) The clinical component should serve a sufficient number of teachers-in-training to allow for peer interaction and support, as well as efficient instruction.

(5) The clinical component should be developed by a local advisory board established by the governing board of the pilot project. Teachers and teachers-in-training should comprise at least fifty percent of the membership of the advisory board.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall administer sections 2 through 10 of this act and may award grant funding, from funds appropriated for this purpose, for pilot projects selected by the state board of education under section 3 of this act.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute the initial award grants by July 1, 1992.

(3) The twenty-first century teacher preparation projects may be conducted for up to six years, if funds are so provided. Subject to state board approval and continued state funding, pilot projects initially funded for two years may be extended for a total period not to exceed six years. Future funding shall be conditioned on a positive evaluation of the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. The state board of education, where appropriate, the higher education coordinating board, where appropriate, or the superintendent of public instruction, where appropriate, may grant waivers to pilot projects from the provisions of statutes or administrative rules relating to: Educator preparation program requirements; the participation of certificated school staff in educator preparation; teacher contact hours for schools involved in the clinical component of an educator preparation program; and other administrative rules that in the opinion of the state board of education, the higher education coordinating board, or the superintendent of public instruction may need to be waived in order to implement a pilot project proposal.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. Participation by certificated staff in the delivery of a clinical experience component developed under section 5 of this act shall count toward the continuing education requirements for certificated staff adopted by the state board of education.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. (1) The state board of education shall report to the legislature and the governor on the progress of the teachers for the twenty-first century pilot program by January 15 of each odd-numbered year. The first report shall be submitted by January 15, 1993.

(2) Each project selected to participate in the teachers for the twenty-first century program shall submit an annual report to the state board of education on the progress of the project as a condition of receipt of continued funding.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. (1) The state board of education shall by June 30, 1996, conduct an external evaluation of the program models developed in the teachers for the twenty-first century program. This shall include at a minimum: An analysis of the program elements the projects shared in common; an evaluation of the subsequent job performance of personnel trained in the model programs, as compared with the job performance of personnel trained in traditional preparation programs and in alternative preparation pilot programs under the state board of education's internship certificate; and an evaluation of the program elements important to success and their relation to preparation program approval standards established by the state board of education.

(2) The December 1, 1996, state board report on the teachers for the twenty-first century program shall include specific recommendations on educator preparation program approval standards, the state educator certification system, and the payment of teachers-in-training for service during a clinical experience year.

Sec. 11. RCW 28A.410.040 and 1990 c 33 s 406 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall adopt rules providing that, except as provided in this section, all individuals qualifying for an initial‑level teaching certificate after August 31, 1992, shall possess a baccalaureate degree in the arts, sciences, and/or humanities and have fulfilled the requirements for teacher certification pursuant to RCW 28A.305.130 (1) and (2). ((The state board of education shall develop and adopt rules establishing baccalaureate degree equivalency standards for certification of vocational instructors performing instructional duties and acquiring initial level certification after August 31, 1992.)) However, candidates for grades preschool through eight certificates shall have fulfilled the requirements for a major as part of their baccalaureate degree. If the major is in early childhood education, elementary education, or special education, the candidate must have at least thirty quarter hours or twenty semester hours in one academic field.

(2) ((The state board of education shall study the impact of eliminating the major in education under subsection (1) of this section and submit a report to the legislature by January 15, 1990. The report shall include a recommendation on whether the major in education under subsection (1) of this section should be eliminated.)) The state board of education shall develop and adopt rules establishing baccalaureate degree equivalency standards for certification of vocational instructors performing instructional duties and acquiring initial-level certification after August 31, 1992.

(3) The initial certificate shall be valid for ((~~two years.~~

(4) Certificate holders may renew the certificate for a three‑year period by providing proof of acceptance and enrollment in an approved masters degree program. A second renewal, for a period of two years, may be granted upon recommendation of the degree‑granting institution and if the certificate holder can demonstrate substantial progress toward the completion of the masters degree and that the degree will be completed within the two‑ year extension period. Under no circumstances may an initial certificate be valid for)) a period of no more than seven years.

Sec. 12. RCW 28A.410.050 and 1989 c 29 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(((1) The state board of education shall implement rules providing that all teachers performing instructional duties and acquiring professional level certificate status after August 31, 1992, shall possess, as a requirement of professional status, a masters degree in teaching, or a masters degree in the arts, sciences, and/or humanities.

~~(2)~~)) The state board of education shall develop and adopt rules establishing masters degree equivalency standards for vocational instructors performing instructional duties and acquiring professional level certification after August 31, 1992.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. Sections 1 through 10 of this act shall expire December 31, 1998.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. Sections 2 through 10 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.410 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. (1) The sum of one million one hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of sections 2 through 10 of this act.

(2) Of the amount appropriated in subsection (1) of this section, four hundred thousand dollars shall be provided solely for the clinical experience components of the pilot teacher preparation programs provided under section 5 of this act.

(3) Of the amount appropriated in subsection (1) of this section one hundred thousand dollars shall be provided solely for the purposes of section 10 of this act.