| Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research |
BILL ANALYSIS |
| Education Committee | |
HB 2607
This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in
their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a
statement of legislative intent.
Brief Description: Requiring the professional educator standards board to convene a work group regarding English language learner students.
Sponsors: Representatives Santos, Hasegawa, Ormsby, Anderson, Lantz, Hudgins, Upthegrove, Sullivan, Chase, Darneille and Simpson.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 1/22/08
Staff: Barbara McLain (786-7383).
Background:
According to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), 76,966 students were
enrolled in the Transitional Bilingual Program (TBP) as of April 2007, representing 7.5 percent
of total K-12 enrollment. These English language learner (ELL) students spoke 177 different
languages, with two-thirds speaking Spanish as their first language.
Just over 10 percent of ELL students receive some form of bilingual education in two languages.
The remaining students are served almost equally in one of two models: pull-out tutoring (often
by an instructional assistant) or Sheltered English. Sheltered English relies on instruction only in
English, primarily by the regular classroom teacher. The ELL students are taught language and
academic content along with the rest of the class. According to the OSPI, more schools are
adopting the Sheltered English model of instruction.
However, not all teachers have been trained in language acquisition theories or techniques for
teaching both ELL students and native speakers at the same time. Legislation enacted in 2007
created a demonstration project for improving ELL instruction. Funding was provided for the
Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory (NWREL) to study the competencies for developing
academic English skills that all classroom teachers should acquire in initial teacher preparation
programs and through professional development. An interim report is due November 1, 2008.
The Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) is the state agency with responsibility and
authority for policy and oversight of Washington's system of educator preparation and
certification.
Summary of Bill:
The PESB must convene a workgroup to develop recommendations to improve the knowledge
and skills standards for teacher preparation and expected teacher competencies in how students
acquire language, how to teach academic content to ELL students, and cultural competence.
The workgroup includes the Washington Association of Colleges for Teacher Education; school
districts with significant numbers of ELL students of a single language and multiple languages;
English as a Second Language, Bilingual Education, and classroom teachers; principals; and the
Higher Education Coordinating Board. The PESB must invite participation from the NWREL,
and the workgroup will be informed by the ELL demonstration projects authorized in 2007 and
the NWREL's research and evaluation.
A report from the workgroup is due December 1, 2008.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 16th, 2008.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.