AN
ACT Relating to high-quality alternative routes to teacher certification;
adding a new chapter to Title 28A RCW; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 1. The
legislature finds and declares:
(1)
Teacher qualifications and effectiveness are the most important influences on
student learning in schools.
(2)
Preparation of individuals to become well-qualified, effective teachers must be
high quality.
(3)
Teachers who complete high-quality alternative route programs with intensive
field-based experience, adequate coursework, and strong mentorship do as well
or better than teachers who complete traditional preparation programs.
(4)
High-quality alternative route programs can provide more flexibility and
expedience for individuals to transition from their current career to teaching.
(5)
High-quality alternative route programs can help school districts fill subject
matter shortage areas and areas with shortages due to geographic location.
(6)
Regardless of route, all candidates for residency teacher certification must
meet the high standards required by the state.
The
legislature recognizes widespread concerns about the potential for teacher
shortages and finds that classified instructional staff in public schools
represent a great untapped resource for recruiting the teachers of the future.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 2. There
is hereby created a statewide partnership grant program to provide new
high-quality alternative routes to residency teacher certification. To the
extent funds are appropriated for this specific purpose, funds provided under
this partnership grant program shall be used solely for school districts, or
consortia of school districts, to partner with state-approved higher education
teacher preparation programs to provide one or more of three alternative route
programs in section 5 of this act, aimed at recruiting candidates to teaching
in subject matter shortage areas and areas with shortages due to geographic
location. Districts, or consortia of districts, may also include their
educational service districts in their partnership grant program. Partnership
programs receiving grants may enroll candidates as early as January 2002.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 3. (1)
Each district or consortia of school districts applying for state funds through
this program shall submit a proposal to the Washington professional educator
standards board specifying:
(a)
The route or routes the partnership program intends to offer and a detailed
description of how the routes will be structured and operated by the
partnership;
(b)
The number of candidates that will be enrolled per route;
(c)
An identification, indication of commitment, and description of the role of
approved teacher preparation programs that are partnering with the district or
consortia of districts;
(d)
An assurance of district provision of adequate training for mentor teachers
either through participation in a state mentor training academy or
district-provided training that meets state-established mentor-training
standards specific to the mentoring of alternative route candidates;
(e)
An assurance that significant time will be provided for mentor teachers to
spend with the alternative route teacher candidates throughout the internship.
Partnerships must provide each candidate with intensive classroom mentoring
until such time as the candidate demonstrates the competency necessary to
manage the classroom with less intensive supervision and guidance from a
mentor;
(f)
A description of the rigorous screening process for applicants to alternative
route programs, including entry requirements specific to each route, as
provided in section 5 of this act; and
(g)
The design and use of a teacher development plan for each candidate. The plan
shall specify the alternative route coursework and training required of each
candidate and shall be developed by comparing the candidate's prior experience
and coursework with the state's new performance-based standards for residency
certification and adjusting any requirements accordingly. The plan may include
the following components:
(i)
A minimum of one-half of a school year, and an additional significant amount of
time if necessary, of intensive mentorship, starting with full-time mentoring
and progressing to increasingly less intensive monitoring and assistance as the
intern demonstrates the skills necessary to take over the classroom with less
intensive support. For route one and two candidates, before the supervision is
diminished, the mentor of the teacher candidate at the school and the
supervisor of the teacher candidate from the higher education teacher
preparation program must both agree that the teacher candidate is ready to
manage the classroom with less intensive supervision. For route three
candidates, the mentor of the teacher candidate shall make the decision;
(ii)
Identification of performance indicators based on the knowledge and skills
standards required for residency certification by the state board of education;
(iii)
Identification of benchmarks that will indicate when the standard is met for
all performance indicators;
(iv)
A description of strategies for assessing candidate performance on the
benchmarks;
(v)
Identification of one or more tools to be used to assess a candidate's
performance once the candidate has been in the classroom for about one-half of
a school year; and
(vi)
A description of the criteria that would result in residency certification
after about one-half of a school year but before the end of the program.
(2)
Districts may apply for program funds to pay stipends to both mentor teachers
and interns during their mentored internship. For both intern stipends and
accompanying mentor stipends, the per intern district request for funds may not
exceed the amount designated by the BA+0 cell on the statewide teacher salary
allocation schedule. This amount shall be prorated for internships and
mentorships that last less than a full school year. Interns in the program for
a full year shall be provided a stipend of at least eighty percent of the
amount generated by the BA+0 cell on the statewide teacher salary allocation
schedule. This amount shall be prorated for internships that last less than a
full school year.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 4. (1)
The professional educator standards board, with support from the office of the
superintendent of public instruction, shall select school districts and
consortia of school districts to receive partnership grants from funds
appropriated by the legislature for this purpose. Factors to be considered in
selecting proposals include:
(a)
The degree to which the district, or consortia of districts in partnership, are
currently experiencing teacher shortages;
(b)
The degree to which the proposal addresses criteria specified in section 3 of
this act and is in keeping with specifications of program routes in section 5
of this act;
(c)
The cost-effectiveness of the proposed program; and
(d)
Any demonstrated district and in-kind contributions to the program.
(2)
Selection of proposals shall also take into consideration the need to ensure an
adequate number of candidates for each type of route in order to evaluate their
success.
(3)
Funds appropriated for the partnership grant program in this chapter shall be
administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 5.
Partnership grants funded under this chapter shall operate one to three
specific route programs. Successful completion of the program shall make a
candidate eligible for residency teacher certification. For route one and two
candidates, the mentor of the teacher candidate at the school and the
supervisor of the teacher candidate from the higher education teacher
preparation program must both agree that the teacher candidate has successfully
completed the program. For route three candidates, the mentor of the teacher
candidate shall make the determination that the candidate has successfully
completed the program.
(1)
Partnership grant programs seeking funds to operate route one programs shall
enroll currently employed classified instructional employees with transferable
associate degrees seeking residency teacher certification with endorsements in
special education, bilingual education, or English as a second language. It is
anticipated that candidates enrolled in this route will complete both their
baccalaureate degree and requirements for residency certification in two years
or less, including a mentored internship to be completed in the final year. In
addition, partnership programs shall uphold entry requirements for candidates
that include:
(a)
District or building validation of qualifications, including three years of
successful student interaction and leadership as a classified instructional
employee;
(b)
Successful passage of the statewide basic skills exam, when available; and
(c)
Meeting the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements
adopted by rule for teachers.
(2)
Partnership grant programs seeking funds to operate route two programs shall
enroll currently employed classified staff with baccalaureate degrees seeking
residency teacher certification in subject matter shortage areas and areas with
shortages due to geographic location. Candidates enrolled in this route must
complete a mentored internship complemented by flexibly scheduled training and
coursework offered at a local site, such as a school or educational service
district, or online or via video-conference over the K-20 network, in
collaboration with the partnership program's higher education partner. In
addition, partnership grant programs shall uphold entry requirements for
candidates that include:
(a)
District or building validation of qualifications, including three years of
successful student interaction and leadership as classified staff;
(b)
A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
education. The individual's college or university grade point average may be
considered as a selection factor;
(c)
Successful completion of the content test, once the state content test is
available;
(d)
Meeting the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements
adopted by rule for teachers; and
(e)
Successful passage of the statewide basic skills exam, when available.
(3)
Partnership grant programs seeking funds to operate route three programs shall
enroll individuals with baccalaureate degrees, who are not employed in the
district at the time of application, or who hold emergency substitute
certificates. When selecting candidates for certification through route three,
districts shall give priority to individuals who are seeking residency teacher
certification in subject matter shortage areas or shortages due to geographic
locations. For route three only, the districts may include additional
candidates in nonshortage subject areas if the candidates are seeking
endorsements with a secondary grade level designation as defined by rule by the
state board of education. The districts shall disclose to candidates in
nonshortage subject areas available information on the demand in those subject
areas. Cohorts of candidates for this route shall attend an intensive summer
teaching academy, followed by a full year employed by a district in a mentored
internship, followed, if necessary, by a second summer teaching academy. In
addition, partnership programs shall uphold entry requirements for candidates
that include:
(a)
Five years' experience in the work force;
(b)
A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher
education. The individual's grade point average may be considered as a
selection factor;
(c)
Successful completion of the content test, once the state content test is
available;
(d)
External validation of qualifications, including demonstrated successful
experience with students or children, such as references letters and letters of
support from previous employers;
(e)
Meeting the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements
adopted by rule for teachers; and
(f)
Successful passage of statewide basic skills exams, when available.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 6. The
alternative route conditional scholarship program is created under the
following guidelines:
(1)
The program shall be administered by the higher education coordinating board.
In administering the program, the higher education coordinating board has the
following powers and duties:
(a)
To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the program;
(b)
To collect and manage repayments from participants who do not meet their
service obligations; and
(c)
To accept grants and donations from public and private sources for the program.
(2)
Participation in the alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited
to classified staff in routes one and two of the partnership grant programs
under section 5 of this act. The Washington professional educator standards
board shall select classified staff to receive conditional scholarships.
(3)
In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall be
accepted and maintain enrollment in alternative certification routes through
the partnership grant program, as provided in section 5 of this act.
Recipients must continue to make satisfactory progress towards completion of
the alternative route certification program and receipt of a residency teaching
certificate.
(4)
For the purpose of this chapter, a conditional scholarship is a loan that is
forgiven in whole or in part in exchange for service as a certificated teacher
employed in a Washington state K-12 public school. The state shall forgive one
year of loan obligation for every two years a recipient teaches in a public
school. Recipients that fail to continue a course of study leading to
residency teacher certification or cease to teach in a public school in the
state of Washington in their endorsement area are required to repay the
remaining loan principal with interest.
(5)
Recipients who fail to fulfill the required teaching obligation are required to
repay the remaining loan principal with interest and any other applicable
fees. The higher education coordinating board shall adopt rules to define the
terms for repayment, including applicable interest rates, fees, and deferments.
(6)
To the extent funds are appropriated for this specific purpose, the annual
amount of the scholarship is the annual cost of tuition for the alternative
route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled, not to exceed
four thousand dollars. The board may adjust the annual award by the average
rate of resident undergraduate tuition and fee increases at the state
universities as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.
(7)
The higher education coordinating board may deposit all appropriations,
collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in
the student loan account authorized in RCW 28B.102.060.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 7. This
chapter expires June 30, 2005.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 8. The
Washington state institute for public policy shall submit to the education and
fiscal committees of the legislature, the governor, the state board of
education, and the Washington professional educator standards board, an interim
evaluation of partnership grant programs funded under this chapter by December
1, 2002, and a final evaluation by December 1, 2004. If specific funding for
the purposes of this section, referencing this section and this act by bill or
chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2001, in the omnibus appropriations
act, this section is null and void.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 9.
Sections 1 through 8 and 10 of this act constitute a new chapter in Title 28A
RCW.
NEW
SECTION. Sec. 10.
School districts or approved private schools' ability to employ personnel under
certification for emergency or temporary, substitute, or provisional duty as
authorized by chapter 28A.410 RCW are not affected by the provisions of this
act.
