H-1642.1  _______________________________________________

                    SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1206

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1997 Regular Session

By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Schoesler, Boldt, Grant, Regala, Doumit, Wolfe, McMorris, Dunn, Cole, Poulsen, DeBolt, Carlson, Honeyford, Sheahan, Johnson, Mielke, Blalock, Linville, Hatfield, Kessler, Tokuda, O'Brien, Anderson, Murray, Zellinsky, Conway, Keiser, Cooper, Scott and Butler)

Read first time 02/10/97.

Requiring the superintendent of public instruction to maintain support for the state-wide coordination of vocational student leadership organizations.

    AN ACT Relating to vocational student leadership organizations; adding a new section to chapter 28A.300 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature recognizes the benefit of vocational student leadership organizations in preparing students for career experiences beyond high school.  Through the efforts of these organizations, students receive opportunities to develop personal, leadership, vocational, and technical skills that may not be attained through classroom activities.

    The unique opportunities offered by these organizations are an integral part of the vocational technical instructional program, facilitating the development of interpersonal, communication, and leadership skills of participating students.  These skills are necessary for the critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making responsibilities of the work force and for the management of work, community, and family roles.  The emphasis on such skills is essential in the transition from school to career, focusing students' attention to the application of education and training to gainful employment and community and family interactions.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) The legislature recognizes the necessity for maintaining and promoting vocational student leadership organizations as an integral part of the instruction in approved vocational technical programs.  The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall maintain support for the state-wide coordination of vocational student leadership organizations within the office of the superintendent of public instruction for each approved vocational technical program established within the office of the superintendent of public instruction.  Programs include but shall not be limited to:  Agriculture; business; family and consumer sciences; marketing/diversified occupations; and trade/industrial, technology education, and health occupations.

    (2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall act as support for the coordination of the state-wide efforts of the various student leadership organizations.  The program director of those programs identified in subsection (1) of this section shall continue their management of these programs to maintain their continuity.  The superintendent of public instruction may continue to engage in independent contracts for vocational student leadership organization coordinators.

                            --- END ---