6185-S

AN ACT Relating to incentive grants for innovation and quality; amending RCW 28B.120.010, 28B.120.020, and 28B.120.040; and making an appropriation.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28B.120.010 and 1991 c 98 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

The Washington fund for ((~~excellence~~)) innovation and quality in higher education program is established. The higher education coordinating board shall administer the program. Through this program the board may award on a competitive basis incentive grants to state public institutions of higher education or consortia of institutions to encourage cooperative programs designed to address specific system problems. Grants shall not exceed a two-year period. Each institution or consortia of institutions receiving the award shall contribute some financial support, either by covering part of the costs for the program during its implementation, or by assuming continuing support at the end of the grant period. Strong priority will be given to proposals that involve more than one sector of education, and to proposals that show substantive institutional commitment. Institutions are encouraged to solicit nonstate funds to support these cooperative programs.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.120.020 and 1991 c 98 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

The higher education coordinating board shall have the following powers and duties in administering the program:

(1) To adopt rules necessary to carry out the program;

(2) To establish one or more review committees to assist in the evaluation of proposals for funding. The review committee shall include individuals with significant experience in higher education in areas relevant to one or more of the funding period priorities;

(3) To establish each biennium specific guidelines for submitting grant proposals consistent with the overall goals of the program. During the ((~~1991‑93~~)) 1995-97 biennium the guidelines shall be consistent with the following ((~~priorities~~)) desired outcomes of increasing access, improving time to degree, improving student learning, and increasing efficiency and collaboration between institutions of higher education and the private sector through projects that may emphasize:

(a) Minority and diversity initiatives that encourage the participation of minorities in higher education, including students with disabilities, at a rate consistent with their proportion of the population;

(b) K‑12 teacher preparation models that encourage collaboration between higher education and K‑12 to improve the preparedness of teachers, including provisions for higher education faculty involved with teacher preparation to spend time teaching in K‑12 schools;

(i) Collaborative instructional programs involving K‑12, community and technical colleges, and four‑year institutions of higher education to develop a three‑year degree program, or reduce the time to degree;

(ii) Instructional technology and multimedia curricular projects; and

(iii) A degree offered entirely on the internet;

(d) Individual institutional or faculty pilot projects to:

(i) Improve efficiency by five percent per year in cost or graduation rate;

(ii) Improve student retention;

(iii) Develop competencies and outcomes for general education or university requirements and degree programs;

(iv) Contract with public or private institutions or businesses to provide services or the development of collaborative programs; ((~~and~~

~~(c)~~)) (e) Articulation and transfer activities to smooth the transfer of students from K‑12 to higher education, or from the community colleges and technical colleges to four-year institutions; and

(f) Other innovative proposals.

After June 30, ((~~1993~~)) 1996, and each biennium thereafter, the board shall determine funding priorities for collaborative proposals for the biennium in consultation with the governor, the legislature, the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges ((~~education~~)), the ((~~state board for vocational education~~)) work force training and education coordinating board, higher education institutions, educational associations, and business and community groups consistent with state-wide needs;

(4) To solicit grant proposals and provide information to the institutions of higher education about the program; and

(5) To establish reporting, evaluation, accountability, monitoring, and dissemination requirements for the recipients of the grants.

Sec. 3. RCW 28B.120.040 and 1991 c 98 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

The fund for ((~~excellence~~)) innovation and quality is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer. The higher education coordinating board shall deposit in the fund all moneys received under RCW 28B.120.030. Moneys in the fund may be spent only for the purposes of RCW 28B.120.010 and 28B.120.020. Disbursements from the fund shall be on the authorization of the higher education coordinating board. The fund is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The sum of five million dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1997, from the general fund to the higher education coordinating board to award grants from the fund for innovation and quality to public institutions of higher education.