5079-SAMSFINKS2007.1SSB 5079S AMD42By Senators Finkbeiner, HargroveADOPTED 03/06/2003 Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert thefollowing:NEW SECTION.Sec. (1) Effective, natural science, wildlife,and environmental education programs provide the foundation for thedevelopment of literate children and adults, setting the stage forlifelong learning. Furthermore, integrating the basic subject areas ofthe common school curriculum in chapter 28A.230 RCW through naturalscience, wildlife, and environmental education offers manyopportunities for achieving excellence in our schools. Welldesignedprograms, aligned with the state's essential academic learningrequirements, contribute to the state's educational reform goals. (2) Washington is fortunate to have institutions and programs thatcurrently provide quality natural science, wildlife, and environmentaleducation and teacher training that is already aligned with the state'sessential academic learning requirements. (3) The legislature intends to further the development of naturalscience, wildlife, and environmental education by establishing acompetitive grant program, funded through state moneys to the extentthose moneys are appropriated, or made available through other sources,for proven natural science, wildlife, and environmental educationprograms that are fully aligned with the state's essential academiclearning requirements.NEW SECTION.Sec. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300RCW to read as follows: The Washington natural science, wildlife, and environmentaleducation partnership account is hereby created in the custody of thestate treasurer to provide natural science, wildlife, and environmentaleducation opportunities for teachers and students to help achieve the 1 highest quality of excellence in education through compliance with theessential academic learning requirements. Revenues to the accountshall consist of appropriations made by the legislature or othersources. Grants and their administration shall be paid from theaccount. Only the superintendent of public instruction or thesuperintendent's designee may authorize expenditures from the account.The fund is subject to allotment procedures under chapter 43.88 RCW,but an appropriation is not required for expenditures.NEW SECTION.Sec. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300RCW to read as follows: (1) The natural science, wildlife, and environmental educationgrant program is hereby created, subject to the availability of fundsin the natural science, wildlife, and environmental educationpartnership account. The program is created to promote proven andinnovative natural science, wildlife, and environmental educationprograms that are fully aligned with the state's essential academiclearning requirements and includes but is not limited to instructionabout renewable resources, responsible use of resources, andconservation. (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall establish andpublish funding criteria for environmental, natural science, wildlife,forestry, and agricultural education grants. The office ofsuperintendent of public instruction shall involve a crosssection ofstakeholder groups to develop socially, economically, andenvironmentally balanced funding criteria. These criteria shall bebased on compliance with the essential academic learning requirementsand use methods that encourage critical thinking. The criteria mustalso include environmental, natural science, wildlife, forestry, andagricultural education programs with one or more of the followingfeatures: (a) Interdisciplinary approaches to environmental, natural science,wildlife, forestry, and agricultural issues; (b) Programs that target underserved, disadvantaged, andmulticultural populations; (c) Programs that reach out to schools across the state that wouldotherwise not have access to specialized environmental, naturalscience, wildlife, forestry, and agricultural education programs; 2 (d) Proven programs offered by innovative community partnershipsdesigned to improve student learning and strengthen local communities. (3) Eligible uses of grants include, but are not limited to: (a) Continuing inservice and preservice training for educatorswith materials specifically developed to enable educators to teachessential academic learning requirements in a compelling and effectivemanner; (b) Proven, innovative programs that align the basic subject areasof the common school curriculum in chapter 28A.230 RCW with theessential academic learning requirements; the basic subject areasshould be integrated by using environmental education, natural science,wildlife, forestry, agricultural, and natural environment curricula tomeet the needs of various learning styles; and (c) Support and equipment needed for the implementation of theprograms in this section. (4) Grants may only be disbursed to nonprofit organizations exemptfrom income tax under section 501(c) of the federal internal revenuecode that can provide matching funds or inkind services. (5) Grants may not be used for any partisan or politicalactivities.SSB 5079S AMD42By Senators Finkbeiner, HargroveADOPTED 03/06/2003 On page 1, line 2 of the title, after education; strike theremainder of the title and insert adding new sections to chapter28A.300 RCW; and creating a new section.--- END --- 3