SENATE 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

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):February 18, 1988; February 22, 1988

Majority Report:  Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Saling, Chairman; Patterson, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Hansen, McMullen, Smitherman, von Reichbauer.

Senate Staff:Scott Huntley (786-7421)

                  February 22, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, FEBRUARY 22, 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.  No other kind of professional school at four year institutions has such testing requirements.  It is argued that these test score entrance requirements are inappropriate and redundant in the case of adults who have a bachelors or graduate degree or have completed undergraduate work which demonstrates their ability to handle college level 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 the person has completed a baccalaureate degree; completed a graduate degree program; or is over 21 years of age, has completed two or more years of college level course work and demonstrated competency through course work and a written essay.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      none requested

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

Senate Committee - Testified: Representative Spanel, prime sponsor; Monica Schmidt, State Board of Education (for)