HOUSE BILL REPORT

                E2SHB 1898

                       As Passed House

                       March 19,  1997

Title:  An act relating to teacher assessment for certification.

Brief Description:  Establishing teacher assessments for certification.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by  Representatives Johnson, Cole, Blalock, Zellinsky, Cooper, Tokuda, Dickerson, Keiser, Regala, Ogden, Conway and Linville; by request of Board of Education).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education:  2/28/97, 3/4/97 [DPS];

Appropriations:  3/8/97 [DP2S(w/o sub ED)].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/19/97, 98‑0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 11 members:  Representatives Johnson, Chairman; Hickel, Vice Chairman; Cole, Ranking Minority Member; Keiser, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Linville; Quall; Smith; Sterk; Sump; Talcott and Veloria.

Staff:  Pat Shelledy (786-7149).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

Majority Report:  The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass and do not pass the substitute bill by Committee on Education.  Signed by 30 members:  Representatives Huff, Chairman; Alexander, Vice Chairman; Clements, Vice Chairman; Wensman, Vice Chairman; H. Sommers, Ranking Minority Member; Doumit, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Gombosky, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Benson; Carlson; Chopp; Cody; Cooke; Crouse; Dyer; Grant; Keiser; Kenney; Kessler; Linville; Lisk; Mastin; McMorris; Parlette; Poulsen; Regala; D. Schmidt; Sehlin; Sheahan; Talcott and Tokuda.

Minority Report:  Without recommendation.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Lambert.

Staff:  Jack Daray (786-7178).

Background:  A person may not be admitted to a professional teacher certification program in the state without demonstrating that the person is competent in basic skills of oral and written communication, reading, and computation.  The person may demonstrate that in a variety of ways including successful completion of an examination of basic skills, completion of a baccalaureate or graduate degree program, completion of two years of college and a demonstration of competency in basic skills and an essay, or earning a combined score of more than the statewide median score of all persons taking the test in the prior school year.

Individuals who want to teach in the public schools must be certificated.  There are a number of requirements to obtain a certificate.

Summary of Bill:  The Legislature makes a number of findings about the importance of improving the system of teacher preparation and certification.

The State Board of Education (SBE) must implement one or more means of assessing the knowledge or abilities of all applicants for teaching certificates required by the SBE in the following areas: basic skills, teaching skills and theory, and subject knowledge.  Deadlines for implementing the assessments are established.

The SBE or the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) may contract with third parties to develop and implement the assessments.  Applicants for teaching must pay fees established by the board for the assessments.  The fees must be related to the costs of implementing assessments.  Fee revenues will be deposited into a new account, the teacher assessment account.  Moneys deposited in the account must be spent to fund the assessment program.

The SBE, the SPI, and the Commission on Student Learning must develop and implement the assessments on a collaborative basis.  The SBE must ensure that teachers, administrators, and representatives of higher education institutions participate in the process.  The SBE must submit the proposed assessments to the education committees of the house and senate for the committees= review prior to implementing the assessments.

The SBE must prepare a biennial report on the number and percentage of candidates who successfully pass the assessments.  The first report is due December 1, 1998. The information must be reported for individual schools, on an aggregate basis and also on a dis-aggregate basis demographically. 

The provision governing the minimum qualifications necessary to enter a school of professional teacher preparation is repealed.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  (Education)  This is a request of the state board to be able to implement new tests for various teaching skills. Many people are concerned about the quality of our teacher preparation programs and are asking of more accountability.

(Appropriations)  This is the top priority legislation for the State Board of Education, which has been working for several years on a system of performance assessments of teachers consistent with the policy of performance measures for students.

Testimony Against:  (Education)  None.

(Appropriations)  None.

Testified:  (Education)  Kathleen Anderson, State Board of Education; and Judy Hartmann, Washington Education Association.

(Appropriations)  Larry Davis, State Board of Education.