FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5677

FULL VETO

As Passed Legislature

Brief Description: Requiring annual meetings to focus on implementing cross-sector education policies.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Carlson, Parlette, Eide, Rasmussen, Regala, Schmidt, Kohl-Welles and Shin).

Senate Committee on Higher Education

House Committee on Higher Education

Background: Currently the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB), the State Board of Education (SBE), and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) meet separately to do the work of their respective boards.

With many states moving toward creating a more integrated and cohesive education system, it is believed by some that requiring the various policy boards to meet jointly at least once per year can foster collaboration among the sectors of education in Washington.

Summary: In September or December, an annual meeting must be held to discuss issues of cross-sector relevance. The meeting shall have a focused agenda on issues including but not limited to efforts to improve articulation; the role of advising and assessment; and development of standards for the knowledge and skills students need to be ready for college-level work.

Participants in the annual meeting are the SBE, HECB, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, SBCTC, the Council of Presidents (COP), the Work Force Training and Education Coordinating Board, and legislative members of the House and Senate education, higher education, and fiscal committees.

Beginning in 2004 with the COP, responsibility for coordinating and summarizing the meeting results and proposing an action plan rotates among the participating agencies.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48  0

House       94  0    (House amended)

Senate       48  0    (Senate concurred)