HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1254

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.

As Reported by House Committee On:

Education

Title: An act relating to an educational grant program to promote confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students.

Brief Description: Establishing a competitive educational grant program to promote confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students.

Sponsors: Representatives Young, Santos, McCaslin, Ortiz-Self, Stambaugh, Bergquist, Lovick, Tarleton, Stanford and Ormsby.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education: 1/26/17, 1/15/18, 1/18/18 [DPS].

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

Requires the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, subject to the appropriation of specific funding, to establish a temporary pilot project grant program to award grants to two school districts for the promotion of confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students in grades 2 through 5.
Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to report findings and recommendations on the grant program to the education committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate by December 1, 2020.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 19 members: Representatives Santos, Chair; Dolan, Vice Chair; Stonier, Vice Chair; Harris, Ranking Minority Member; Muri, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Caldier, Hargrove, Johnson, Kilduff, Lovick, McCaslin, Ortiz-Self, Senn, Slatter, Steele, Stokesbary, Valdez and Volz.

Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).

Background:

In addition to its constitutional charge of supervising all matter pertaining to public schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and its office has numerous and broad responsibilities prescribed in statute, including:

making rules and regulations necessary for the administration of public education requirements;
preparing courses of study and other materials and books for the discharge of education duties; and
fulfilling financial responsibilities, including distributing legislatively allocated funds to districts for the operation of the public school system, and awarding numerous state and federally funded grants.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction must establish a pilot project grant program to award grants to two school districts for the promotion of confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students in grades 2 through 5. The program, which expires June 20, 2021, must be developed according to a schedule that provides districts with sufficient time to apply for and receive grants in the 2018-19 school year. The requirement to establish the program is subject to the appropriation of funds for its establishment.

Grants awarded through the program must be for one school district in Western Washington and one school district in Eastern Washington proposing to collaborate with a partner district for the purpose of replicating an implemented after-school program that:

promotes confidence, public speaking, and leadership skills in students in grades 2 through 5; and
is fully or partially administered and funded with private funds.

School districts applying for or receiving grants through the program are encouraged to seek partnerships with public and private entities for the purpose of enhancing student benefits and minimizing costs to recipient districts and schools.

By December 1, 2020, the SPI must report findings and recommendations for the program to the education committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The report must include an assessment of whether the program accomplished established goals and should be expanded.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

The substitute bill makes the following changes to the original bill:

reconstitutes the competitive grant program as a pilot project grant program that may award grants to one Eastern Washington school district and one Western Washington school district;
modifies requirements governing an assessment of the program to require the SPI to determine if the program should be "expanded" rather than "renewed"; and
advances all dates by one year.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This program is a gem that has been shown to produce good results with young students and especially with young girls. The program that the bill seeks to replicate is one that partners Toastmasters mentors with young students to promote public speaking skills. The bill has been around for multiple sessions, but might have been drowned out by McCleary efforts. The bill can produce a good model for the state that can be replicated. Students have entered an existing local public speaking program with their eyes down and with whisper-soft voices, but the program has transformed them into confident and active students. The program allows them to find their own voices and to find voices to speak up for others, and this can help in bullying situations. The program is a benefit to the community.

A local public-speaking program has given students, especially girls, confidence to speak to others and share ideas. Other girls around the state would benefit from this program. The program also teaches students about friendship. The local program is more than a public speaking program, because it allows students to choose topics, form opinions, and make presentations. The students improve writing and public speaking abilities, and develop skills and habits, including giving and receiving feedback, in a safe environment. The program is a small program with huge results.

The proposed program sustains Washington's learning standards and promotes social and emotional development and leadership. The program proposed in the bill should be modified to apply to third through fifth graders, and the implementation timeframes should be modified.

The Peninsula School District has a local program designed to introduce female scholars to careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The Little Toasters program builds upon this local program and encourages students to take and do well in more challenging courses. The proposed program can give students additional tools they may need to be successful.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Young, prime sponsor; Jud Morris and Victoria Beeber, Children's Home Society; Maris Johnson; Amanda Walston; Aira Jackson, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and David Olson, Peninsula School Board.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.