3068 AMS EDU S5020.1

HB 3068  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

     Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"Sec. 1   RCW 28A.660.042 and 2007 c 396 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is created.
     (2)(a) Except as provided under subsection (3) of this section, participation is limited to paraeducators without a college degree who have at least three years of classroom experience. It is anticipated that candidates enrolled in this program will complete their associate of arts degree at a community and technical college in two years or less and become eligible for a mathematics, special education, or English as a second language endorsement via route one in the alternative routes to teacher certification program provided in this chapter.
     (((2))) (b) Entry requirements for candidates under this subsection (2) include district or building validation of qualifications, including three years of successful student interaction and leadership as a classified instructional employee.
     (3) Subject to the availability of pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship funds for the program under RCW 28A.660.050 after qualified candidates under subsection (2) of this section have been accepted, individuals who participated in one of the recruiting Washington teachers grant programs under RCW 28A.415.370 may participate in the pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program if the individual meets the criteria for the scholarship under RCW 28A.660.050.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.660.050 and 2009 c 539 s 3 and 2009 c 192 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for these purposes, the conditional scholarship programs in this chapter are created under the following guidelines:
     (1) The programs shall be administered by the higher education coordinating board. In administering the programs, the higher education coordinating board has the following powers and duties:
     (a) To adopt necessary rules and develop guidelines to administer the programs;
     (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 programs.
     (2) Requirements for participation in the conditional scholarship programs are as provided in this subsection (2).
     (a) The alternative route conditional scholarship program is limited to interns of the partnership grant programs under RCW 28A.660.040. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:
     (i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment in alternative certification routes through the partnership grant program;
     (ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of the alternative route certification program and receipt of a residency teaching certificate; and
     (iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed eight thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. 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.
     (b) The pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program is limited to qualified ((paraeducators)) individuals as provided by RCW 28A.660.042. Paraeducators who apply for the program under RCW 28A.660.042(2) shall receive first priority in scholarship awards. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards, recipients shall:
     (i) Be accepted and maintain enrollment at a community and technical college for no more than two years and attain an associate of arts degree;
     (ii) Continue to make satisfactory progress toward completion of an associate of arts degree. This progress requirement is a condition for eligibility into a route one program of the alternative routes to teacher certification program for a mathematics, special education, or English as a second language endorsement; and
     (iii) Receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed four thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the alternative route certification program in which the recipient is enrolled. The board may adjust the annual award by the average rate of tuition and fee increases at the state community and technical colleges.
     (c) The retooling to teach mathematics and science conditional scholarship program is limited to current K-12 teachers and individuals having an elementary education certificate but who are not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate as provided by RCW 28A.660.045. In order to receive conditional scholarship awards:
     (i) Individuals currently employed as teachers shall pursue a middle level mathematics or science, or secondary mathematics or science endorsement; or
     (ii) Individuals who are certificated with an elementary education endorsement, but not employed in positions requiring an elementary education certificate, shall pursue an endorsement in middle level mathematics or science, or both; and
     (iii) Individuals shall use one of the pathways to endorsement processes to receive a mathematics or science endorsement, or both, which shall include passing a mathematics or science endorsement test, or both tests, plus observation and completing applicable coursework to attain the proper endorsement; and
     (iv) Individuals shall receive no more than the annual amount of the scholarship, not to exceed three thousand dollars, for the cost of tuition, test fees, and educational expenses, including books, supplies, and transportation for the endorsement pathway being pursued.
     (3) The Washington professional educator standards board shall select individuals to receive conditional scholarships. In selecting recipients, preference shall be given to eligible veterans or national guard members.
     (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 who 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) The higher education coordinating board may deposit all appropriations, collections, and any other funds received for the program in this chapter in the future teachers conditional scholarship account authorized in RCW 28B.102.080.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.660.040 and 2009 c 192 s 1 and 2009 c 166 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     Partnership grants funded under this chapter shall operate one to four 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 and four 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 or former participants in the recruiting Washington teachers program who enter through the pipeline for paraeducators conditional scholarship program under RCW 28A.660.042 who are seeking residency teacher certification with endorsements in mathematics, 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 one year 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 one year 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. 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 professional educator standards board. 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) A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The individual's grade point average may be considered as a selection factor;
     (b) Successful completion of the content test, once the state content test is available;
     (c) External validation of qualifications, including demonstrated successful experience with students or children, such as reference letters and letters of support from previous employers;
     (d) Meeting the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements adopted by rule for teachers; and
     (e) Successful passage of statewide basic skills exams, when available.
     (4) Partnership grant programs seeking funds to operate route four programs shall enroll individuals with baccalaureate degrees, who are employed in the district at the time of application, or who hold conditional teaching certificates or emergency substitute certificates. 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. In addition, partnership programs shall uphold entry requirements for candidates that include:
     (a) A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education. The individual's grade point average may be considered as a selection factor;
     (b) Successful completion of the content test, once the state content test is available;
     (c) External validation of qualifications, including demonstrated successful experience with students or children, such as reference letters and letters of support from previous employers;
     (d) Meeting the age, good moral character, and personal fitness requirements adopted by rule for teachers; and
     (e) Successful passage of statewide basic skills exams, when available.
     (5) Applicants for alternative route programs who are eligible veterans or national guard members and who meet the entry requirements for the alternative route program for which application is made shall be given preference in admission."

HB 3068  - S COMM AMD
     By Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

     On page 1, line 2 of the title, after "program;" strike the remainder of the title and insert "amending RCW 28A.660.042; and reenacting and amending RCW 28A.660.050 and 28A.660.040."

EFFECT:  Clarifies that the Recruiting Washington Teachers participants must meet the qualifications for the Pipeline for Paraeducators conditional scholarship and that only the Pipeline for Paraeducators conditional scholarships will be available for the Recruiting Washington Teachers participants and not all of the conditional scholarships in RCW 28A.660.050.

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