SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6145

BYSenators Rinehart, Bailey, Bauer, Saling, Gaspard, Kiskaddon, Smitherman and Benitz

Establishing a program to promote collaborative relationships between various educational faculty and staff.

Senate Committee on Higher Education

Senate Hearing Date(s):January 18, 1988

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6145 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

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

Senate Staff:Scott Huntley (786-7421); Larry Davis (786-7422)

                  January 18, 1988

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION, JANUARY 18, 1988

BACKGROUND:

In 1987 the Legislature adopted language encouraging the state's school districts and higher education institutions with teacher preparation programs to explore ways to establish cooperative arrangements.  Such arrangements could have significant educational benefits.  A program to help schools and higher education institutions establish collaborative relationships could provide significant educational benefits to the state and the entire education system.

SUMMARY:

The State Board of Education shall establish a program to promote and encourage collaborative relationships between higher education faculty and common school personnel.  Any higher education institution in the state with a State Board of Education approved professional preparation program for school personnel is eligible to participate in the program.

The program shall be based in "school improvement hour services", to be defined in rule by the State Board of Education, provided by higher education faculty to schools or school districts.  Services may be provided during or between school years.

The Professional Education Advisory Board of each participating higher education institution must establish priority areas of service emphasis on an annual basis.

Based upon the provision of "school improvement hour services," the maximum amount of reimbursement that may be distributed to each participating institution through its Professional Education Advisory Board is $10,000 per year.

The State Board of Education must adopt rules by June 30, 1989, and beginning no later than January 15, 1991, submit a biennial report to the Legislature on the School Improvement Hour Services Program.

EFFECT OF PROPOSED SUBSTITUTE:

The Professional Education Advisory Boards are directed to recommend rather than establish priority areas of service emphasis, and to recommend rather than adopt a framework to permit faculty outside of the teacher preparation program to participate in this program.  The Professional Education Advisory Board is directed to encourage rather than coordinate these collaborative programs.

Appropriation:    none

Revenue:    none

Fiscal Note:      requested January 14, 1988

Senate Committee - Testified: Dr. John Gilroy, Seattle University; Dr. Carol Hosman, University of Puget Sound; Dr. M. Stephen Lilly, Washington State University; Bob Fisher, WEA