HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 2769

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to certificated school employee evaluations.

Brief Description:  Changing a standard for certificated school employee evaluations.

Sponsors:  Representatives Pelesky, Poulsen and Brumsickle.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  1/30/96, 2/1/96 [DP].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 19 members:  Representatives Brumsickle, Chairman; Elliot, Vice Chairman; Johnson, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Clements; Fuhrman; Hatfield; Linville; McMahan; Pelesky; Poulsen; Quall; Radcliff; Smith; Talcott; B. Thomas; Thompson and Veloria.

Staff:  Susan Ronn (786-7292).

Background:  The Superintendent of Public Instruction establishes minimum criteria for the evaluation of certificated teachers and support personnel.  For teachers, the following categories must be evaluated:  instructional skill, classroom management, professional preparation and scholarship, effort toward improvement when needed, handling discipline and attendance problems, and interest in teaching and knowledge of the subject matter.  The board of directors of each school district establishes evaluation criteria and procedures which include these minimum criteria.  The principal or his or her designee evaluates all teachers and support personnel in the school.

Every employee whose work is judged unsatisfactory based on these criteria is notified in writing, and a probation period may be established during which the employee is given an opportunity to improve.

When an employee has been judged satisfactory for four years, the district may choose to use a short form of evaluation, an evaluation emphasizing professional growth, the standard evaluation process, or a combination of these.  However, the standard evaluation must be used at least once every three years unless a collective bargaining agreement provides otherwise.

No evaluation other than the standard evaluation may be used as a basis for finding that an employee's work is unsatisfactory.

Summary of Bill:  The standard by which certificated teachers and certificated support personnel are evaluated is changed from satisfactory to effective.

When a word is not defined by statute, its ordinary meaning is used in interpretation.  Satisfactory is defined as "good enough to fill a requirement; adequate."  Effective is defined as "producing a definite or desired result."  (Webster's New World Dictionary).

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  None.

Testimony Against:  There is no indication of what this change is supposed to mean.  When changing a standard, more discussion is necessary to determine that everything the standard affects is included in the bill.

Testified:  Judy Hartmann, Washington Education Association (con).