SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 6267

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                  Education, January 23, 1996

Title:  An act relating to the principal internship support program.

Brief Description:  Changing provisions relating to the principal internship support program.

Sponsors:  Senators McAuliffe, Sheldon, Johnson, Winsley, Rasmussen, Hochstatter, Drew and Smith.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  1/16/96, 1/23/96 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6267 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Staff:  Susan Mielke (786-7422)

Background:  As part of education reform, the Legislature created the Administrator Internship Program.  The program provides funds to employ substitutes for school district employees who are enrolled in an administrator preparation program that requires completion of a 45-day internship with a mentor administrator.  Candidates must apply to their local school district for an internship.  Each school district submits the names of internship applicants to its educational service district (ESD).  The ESD, with an advisory board, selects the participants.  Interns selected must reflect the percentage of minorities of the student population in the ESD region.  If this requirement cannot be met, the intern position is not filled.  Any unspent funds revert back to the state.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  Funds provided for the Administrator Internship Program are not limited to paying substitute costs, but may be used in a variety of ways to provide release time for the interns to complete their internship.

When qualified candidates cannot be found, the intern positions remain unfilled and the money reverts back to the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).  OSPI then provides the unspent funds to other ESDs that have qualified candidates, but not enough intern positions for them. 

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Language requiring participants in the principal and superintendent and program administrator internship programs to reflect the percentage of minorities of the student population in the ESD region, and to represent an equal number of women and men is deleted.  The funding method to facilitate use of funds when qualified minority candidates cannot be found is deleted.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 10, 1996.

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

Testimony For:  The administrator internship program provides a way for school employees to be released from their regular duties so they can get "on-the-job" administrator training.  Otherwise, participants in an administrator preparation program can only intern before school, after school or during their lunch period.  If there is no contact with students during the school day in an administrator capacity, the internship experience is not as beneficial.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Walter Ball, Tom Churchill, AWSP; Larry Nylana, WA Council of Education Administrator Prep Programs.