SENATE BILL REPORT

                           ESHB 1820

     AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 2, 1993

Brief Description:  Creating the school‑to‑work transitions program.

SPONSORS: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Dorn, Brough, Brumsickle, Heavey, Vance, Mastin, R. Meyers, Jones, Peery, Cothern, Campbell, Orr, Holm, Carlson, Springer, Stevens, Jacobsen, Thomas, Pruitt, Foreman, Finkbeiner, Lemmon, Leonard, Rayburn, Riley, Patterson, Conway, King, Johanson, Roland, Tate, Karahalios, Mielke, Eide, Wolfe, Romero, Edmondson, Morris, Shin, G. Fisher, Horn, L. Johnson, Thibaudeau, Kremen, Basich, Miller, J. Kohl, H. Myers, Long, Cooke, Fuhrman, Van Luven, Talcott, Forner, Ballasiotes, Hansen, Kessler, Silver and Wood)

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass. 

     Signed by Senators Pelz, Chairman; McAuliffe, Vice Chairman; Gaspard, Hochstatter, McDonald, Moyer, Nelson, M. Rasmussen, Rinehart, A. Smith, and Winsley.

Staff:  Larry Davis (786‑7422)

Hearing Dates: March 22, 1993; April 2, 1993

BACKGROUND:

The 1992 Legislature established the Academic and Vocational Integration Development Grant Program.  The purpose of the program is to fund projects in which academic and vocational subjects are integrated into a single instructional system.  The intent is to make school more relevant and practical, and increase the ability of students to make the transition successfully to the world of work.

Projects in four districts are funded currently:  Bethel (Pierce County); Camas (Clark County); Central Valley (Spokane County); and Grand Coulee (Grant County).

SUMMARY:

The Academic and Vocational Development Integration Grant Program is expanded and renamed the School-to-Work Transitions Program.

Three project goals are added:

-- Provide each student with a choice of multiple, flexible educational pathways based on the student's career or interest area;

-- Develop student essential academic learning requirements, methods of accurately measuring student performance, and goals for improved student learning; and

-- Develop partnerships with local businesses to incorporate the work site as a work-based learning experience.

In selecting projects, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) is directed to give additional consideration to proposals that include:  (1) collaboration with middle schools or junior high schools; (2) a "tech prep" site; and (3) paid work-based learning opportunities.

SPI and the State Board of Education are permitted to develop a process for teacher preparation programs to apply to participate in the School-to-Work Transitions program.  These grants would be used to improve teacher preparation in areas related to school-to-work transitions.

The SPI-appointed Task Force on School-to-Work Transitions shall include a representative of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

If funds are not provided in the budget, the act will be null and void.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  requested

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately. 

TESTIMONY FOR:

It is important to help students make career related decisions earlier and to make coursework in school more relevant.  The bill makes an important statement about the relationship between education and the world of work.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:  None

TESTIFIED:  Rep. Randy Dorn, Sponsor; Ellen O`Brien Saunders, Executive Director, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board; Tom Lopp, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Walter Ball, Association of Washington School Principals; Kathleen Lopp, Executive Director, Washington Vocational Association