BILL REQ. #:  H-1175.1 

Read first time 02/04/2005.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to teacher certification; amending RCW 28A.410.220; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that excellent teachers are the backbone of the state's education system. These educators work tirelessly to give their students the academic skills and knowledge necessary to be successful in life. They also exhibit a passion for learning and a deep sense of caring for their students. The legislature also finds that teachers spend four to six or more years in college preparing to enter the classroom. Many teachers enter the profession with master's degrees. In addition to having baccalaureate or advanced degrees, by law new teachers and experienced teachers from out-of-state are required to pass a basic skills test. The legislature finds that the basic skills testing requirement is duplicative, meaningless, a waste of time, a needless expense, and a barrier to the recruitment of good educators.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.410.220 and 2002 c 92 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1)(((a) Beginning not later than September 1, 2001, the Washington professional educator standards board shall make available and pilot a means of assessing an applicant's knowledge in the basic skills. For the purposes of this section, "basic skills" means the subjects of at least reading, writing, and mathematics. Beginning September 1, 2002, except as provided in (c) of this subsection and subsection (3) of this section, passing this assessment shall be required for admission to approved teacher preparation programs and for persons from out-of-state applying for a Washington state residency teaching certificate.
     (b) On an individual student basis, approved teacher preparation programs may admit into their programs a candidate who has not achieved the minimum basic skills assessment score established by the Washington professional educator standards board. Individuals so admitted may not receive residency certification without passing the basic skills assessment under this section.
     (c) The Washington professional educator standards board may establish criteria to ensure that persons from out-of-state who are applying for residency certification and persons applying to master's degree level teacher preparation programs can demonstrate to the board's satisfaction that they have the requisite basic skills based upon having completed another basic skills assessment acceptable to the Washington professional educator standards board or by some other alternative approved by the Washington professional educator standards board.
     (2))) Beginning not later than September 1, 2002, the Washington professional educator standards board shall provide for the initial piloting and implementation of a means of assessing an applicant's knowledge in the subjects for which the applicant has applied for an endorsement to his or her residency or professional teaching certificate. The assessment of subject knowledge shall not include instructional methodology. Beginning September 1, 2005, passing this assessment shall be required to receive an endorsement for certification purposes.
     (((3))) (2) The Washington professional educator standards board may permit exceptions from the assessment requirements under subsection((s)) (1) ((and (2))) of this section on a case-by-case basis.
     (((4))) (3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall provide for reasonable accommodations for individuals who are required to take the assessments in subsection (1) ((or (2))) of this section if the individuals have learning or other disabilities.
     (((5))) (4) With the exception of applicants exempt from the requirements of subsection((s)) (1) ((and (2))) of this section, an applicant must achieve a minimum assessment score or scores established by the Washington professional educator standards board on each of the assessments under subsection((s)) (1) ((and (2))) of this section.
     (((6))) (5) The Washington professional educator standards board and superintendent of public instruction, as determined by the Washington professional educator standards board, may contract with one or more third parties for:
     (a) The development, purchase, administration, scoring, and reporting of scores of the assessments established by the Washington professional educator standards board under subsection((s)) (1) ((and (2))) of this section;
     (b) Related clerical and administrative activities; or
     (c) Any combination of the purposes in this subsection.
     (((7))) (6) Applicants for admission to a Washington teacher preparation program and applicants for residency and professional certificates who are required to successfully complete one or more of the assessments under subsection((s)) (1) ((and (2))) of this section, and who are charged a fee for the assessment by a third party contracted with under subsection (((6))) (5) of this section, shall pay the fee charged by the contractor directly to the contractor. Such fees shall be reasonably related to the actual costs of the contractor in providing the assessment.
     (((8))) (7) The superintendent of public instruction is responsible for supervision and providing support services to administer this section.
     (((9))) (8) The Washington professional educator standards board shall collaboratively select or develop and implement the assessments and minimum assessment scores required under this section with the superintendent of public instruction and shall provide opportunities for representatives of other interested educational organizations to participate in the selection or development and implementation of such assessments in a manner deemed appropriate by the Washington professional educator standards board.
     (((10))) (9) The Washington professional educator standards board shall adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW that are reasonably necessary for the effective and efficient implementation of this section.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   This act takes effect August 1, 2005.