HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1729

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Higher Education

Title:  An act relating to a teacher training pilot program.

Brief Description:  Creating a teacher training pilot program.

Sponsors:  Representatives Kenney, Carlson, Lantz, Quall, Skinner, Reardon, Gombosky, Edwards, Anderson, Veloria, Edmonds, Dunn, Stensen, McIntire, Kagi, Conway, Regala, Lovick, D. Schmidt, Ogden, Keiser, Dickerson and Santos.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Higher Education:  2/17/99, 2/26/99 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$A teacher training pilot project is created.

$The Higher Education Coordinating Board will award grants to institutions of higher education.

$Priority will be given to proposals involving shared facilities, shared resources and co-curricular planning.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Carlson, Republican Co-Chair; Kenney, Democratic Co-Chair; Lantz, Democratic Vice Chair; Radcliff, Republican Vice Chair; Dunn; Edmonds; Esser and Gombosky.

Staff:  Marilee Scarbrough (786-7196).

Background:

Nationwide it is predicted that it is necessary to recruit and train more than 2.2 million teachers over the next decade.  According to the Office of the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, teacher attrition rates have increased by 70 percent since 1990.   Additionally, between 1990 and 1996, the number of teachers with 25 or more years of experience grew by 28 percent. These increases in attrition and retirement rates have generated new efforts to attract and retain teachers in the profession.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

The teacher training pilot program is created.  The Higher Education Coordinating Board, in consultation with the State Board of Education will administer the program.  Grants will be awarded on a competitive basis to institutions of higher education.  Priority is given to proposals that involve shared facilities, shared resources and co-curricular planning.

The outcomes for the first year of the biennium are listed.  The outcomes include:  (1) designing a college level course for high school students interested in teaching; (2) designing lower division courses that support K-12 education reform; (3) designing an educational studies minor; (4) designing mentoring and service learning activities at the community college level; and (5) designing a certification process that involves course work and internships.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board shall submit an annual written report beginning in December 2001.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

Substitute bill clarifies that new programs will help perspective teachers to satisfy certification requirements.  The term "liberal arts" is changed to interdisciplinary arts and science.  Students in future teacher academies are added as candidates for college courses.

Appropriation:  The sum of $300,000 per biennium, or as much thereof as may be necessary from the general fund.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on proposed substitute February 24, 1999.

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

Testimony For:  This bill will design a program to meet the need for future teachers.  For too long we have treated education as discrete chunks.  This bill takes steps to integrate the three systems.  It is likely to become a model for teacher education programs in other states.  We need a program that focuses on early recruitment and creates a career track for teacher training.  We need innovative and creative programs to bring people into teaching.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Kenney, prime sponsor; Victoria Munoz Richart, Cascadia Community College; Stan Slater, University of Washington - Bothell; Bruce Botka, Higher Education Coordinating Board; and Larry Davis, State Board of Education.