HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1802

BYRepresentatives Spanel, Peery, Betrozoff, Crane, Walker, Schoon, Silver, Moyer, Butterfield, Doty, May, D. Sommers, Basich, Miller, P. King and Hine

Changing requirements for admission to teacher preparation programs.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:  Do pass.  (20)

      Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Appelwick, Betrozoff, Butterfield, Cole, Cooper, Ebersole, Fuhrman, Holland, Holm, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Rust, Schoon, Taylor, Todd, Valle and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE FEBRUARY 9, 1988

BACKGROUND:

In 1987, the Legislature adopted a requirement that persons entering teacher preparation programs must demonstrate competency in basic skills by achieving a specified score on the Washington Precollege Test or an equivalent standardized test.  Prior to that date these requirements had been in rule and were subject to change.  At the present time there is no statutory requirement for admission to any other school or colleges within the four year degree granting institutions.  Each school or college within the four year institutions sets its own criteria for admission for candidates majoring within the subject area and for admission to upper division courses.

SUMMARY:

The requirement that a person must demonstrate competency in the basic skills of oral and written communication and computation before being admitted to a professional teacher preparation program is waived if (a) The person has completed a baccalaureate degree; (b) The person has completed a graduate degree program; or (c) The person is over twenty-one years of age, has completed two or more years of college level course work and demonstrated competency through course work and a written essay.

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

Effective Date:The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    Jack Gilroy, Washington Council of Deans of Education; Rita Pougiales, Dean, The Evergreen State College; Monica Schmidt, State Board of Education; and Judy Hartmann, Superintendent of Public Instruction.

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:    There are better methods of determining a student's competency in the basic skills.  There is also under consideration a exam for all college sophomores as a prerequisite for moving on to upper division courses.  In education we are also developing an exit exam for teachers.  The current test score requirements also are inappropriate entrance requirements for returning adults who may have a bachelors or masters degree or are college seniors with undergraduate work evidencing their ability to handle college level courses.  The standards also tend to eliminate minority students and set up a standard that changes from year to year so that the colleges and universities cannot advise students on whether or not they will be eligible for admission.

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.