SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5743

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Education, February 24, 1995

Title:  An act relating to an integrated curriculum of agriculture and history or language arts.

Brief Description:  Establishing a pilot program to develop an integrated vocational agricultural educational program.

Sponsors:  Senators Rasmussen, Hochstatter and Loveland.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  2/14/95, 2/24/95 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5743 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators McAuliffe, Chair; Pelz, Vice Chair; Finkbeiner, Gaspard, Hochstatter, Johnson and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  Washington has a rich agricultural history, and agriculture continues to be an important industry of the state.  While efforts have been made to integrate vocational and academic education, efforts have not been made to integrate vocational agriculture and academic education.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  If funds are appropriated, the Superintendent of Public Instruction must establish a pilot program and provide grants to selected districts to develop and implement an integrated curriculum of vocational agriculture, and history or language arts.  The district must develop curriculum cooperatively with the superintendent, and organizations interested in agriculture or Washington State history.  The curriculum developed must be provided to the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning to be distributed to interested districts.  The superintendent may adopt rules to implement the program. 

There is an expiration date of June 30, 1997.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original expiration date is June 30, 1995.  This is changed to June 30, 1997.

Appropriation:  $49,500.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 6, 1995.

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

Testimony For:  Vocational agriculture curriculum addresses not only the many different aspects of agriculture, but also provides leadership components and skills that can transfer to other subject areas.  Students who participate in a vocational agriculture program prepare for jobs not only in agriculture, but business and other areas of work.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Cory Rawding, Mike Hickman, Kari Beerbower, National Future Farmers of America (pro).