H-1819              _______________________________________________

                                           SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL NO. 361

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Peery, Betrozoff, Walker, L. Smith, Todd, Appelwick, Rasmussen, Pruitt, Cooper, Taylor, Schoon, Valle, Ebersole, Rayburn, Jacobsen, Sutherland, Wang, P. King, Fisch, Kremen, Silver, Doty, Meyers, May, Unsoeld, Spanel and Wineberry)

Read first time 2/18/87 and referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

AN ACT Relating to class size; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature has discussed and attempted to reduce class size based on the belief that lower class size results in more effective instruction of our children.  The sum of one hundred fifty thousand dollars or so much thereof as may be necessary is appropriated from the general fund for the 1987-89 biennium to the superintendent of public instruction to conduct a cluster analysis study of actual class size in the schools in this state.  The study shall include:

          (1) A written survey of approximately fifty diverse school districts on the actual class size in individual buildings within the school district;

          (2) An indepth study of a sample of diverse school districts, taking into consideration size, geographic location and economic factors, of actual class size, use of other instructional staff and teachers aides; and

          (3) Data collection on actual class size from other states including methods of funding, data collection, state-wide actual class size averages, and if possible class size in buildings within selected school districts.

          The study shall be conducted during the 1987-88 school year and the results shall be reported to the legislature no later than January 1, 1989.  The report shall also include recommendations for the revision of the data collection system currently used by the superintendent of public instruction.  The aim of revising the reporting system shall be to accurately reflect conditions in the classroom and to provide a more accurate basis for decision-making.  An advisory committee consisting of legislators and representatives of education organizations concerned with class size shall be appointed by the superintendent of public instruction.  There shall be four representatives of the legislature.  The speaker of the house of representatives shall appoint one member from each caucus to represent the house of representatives on the advisory committee.  The president of the senate shall appoint one member from each caucus to represent the senate on the advisory committee.  The advisory committee shall review the resulting recommendations of the study and present its position to the superintendent of public instruction.  This section shall expire on January 30, 1989.