HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 2533
BYRepresentatives Jacobsen, Van Luven, Heavey, Ballard, Hine, Miller, Peery, Cooper, Betrozoff, G. Fisher, Walker, Rector, Dellwo, Scott, Fuhrman, May, Wood, Tate, Brumsickle, Ferguson and Sprenkle
Establishing the local master's degree teacher training program.
House Committe on Education
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. (18)
Signed by Representatives Peery, Chair; G. Fisher, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Ranking Republican Member; Brumsickle, Cole, Dorn, Fuhrman, Holland, Horn, Jones, P. King, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Schoon, Valle, Walker and K. Wilson.
House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)
AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION JANUARY 31, 1990
BACKGROUND:
After August 31, 1992, all teachers receiving professional certification will be required to earn a master's degree. Currently these programs are offered by institutions of higher education. The programs are offered on college and university campuses with some courses being offered in other locations to enable place bound students to take courses. In some instances, specific courses have been offered in a district when a number of teachers have been interested in a specific subject or the district has expressed an interest in training its teachers in a specific area.
SUMMARY:
SUBSTITUTE BILL: The Higher Education Coordinating Board is authorized to develop a local master's degree training program. The purpose of the program is to: 1) test the feasibility of offering a master's degree in local districts; 2) develop a collaborative relationship between four-year institutions and local school districts on innovative models to train teachers, and 3) build a research base necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs. To assist in the development of local master's degree training programs, the board shall award five grants to develop five pilot degree programs.
The five grants may be given to higher education institutions, school districts, or cooperatives of school districts to develop local master's degree programs. At least two of the grants shall go to cooperatives of two or more school districts. One grant must also be given to a rural school district.
Proposals for the grants shall be developed by a local advisory board. Fifty percent of the membership of the board shall be teachers. The board shall also include a higher education representative. The local advisory boards shall cooperate with the higher education institutions professional education advisory boards and local education associations in development of the proposals.
Applications shall be submitted by November 1, 1990. Higher education institutions with main campuses in the state of Washington are eligible to participate in this program.
A review team shall be composed of one member from the Higher Education Coordinating Board, two members from higher education institutions, two members representing the Superintendent of Public Instruction and two members representing the State Board of Education. They shall review the applications and make recommendations to the Higher Education Coordinating Board on recipients of the grants. The grants shall be awarded by December 30, 1990.
The application for the grants shall document research on peer coaching and collegiality; use of the latest research and technology on effective teaching , including information developed by teacher effectiveness research centers; understanding of the unique characteristics of field based graduate teacher training; support of the local school district and a Washington institution of higher education, provisions for formal evaluation of the project, identification of an agreed fiscal agent and assurances and evidence that the quality of the program will be comparable to campus based master's degree programs.
All proposals for local master's degrees involving public universities shall be approved by the Higher Education Coordinating Board under procedures defined in RCW 28B.80.340.
Implementation of the program is subject to an appropriation being made for this purpose in the supplemental appropriations act by June 30, 1990.
SUBSTITUTE BILL COMPARED TO ORIGINAL: The agency which is authorized to award the grants is the Higher Education Coordinating Board instead of the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The purpose of the program is more clearly defined to include issues of feasibility, effectiveness and advanced study in a specific area. Awards may be given to higher education institutions, not just to school districts. It is specified that two grants shall be given to cooperatives of two or more school districts and to one rural school district. Representatives of higher education are added to the local advisory board. It is made clear that the higher education institution that may be involved must have its main campus within the state of Washington. The selection process shall include a review and recommendations by a review board including the Higher Education Coordinating Board, Superintendent of Public Instruction, State Board of Education and institutions of higher education. The due date for applications is delayed by two months and the grants will be awarded one month later. The application content includes more documentation of research on peer coaching and effective teacher preparation, support from the local and higher education institution and evidence that the program will be as rigorous as a campus based graduate degree program. The degree programs developed by public universities in Washington must be approved by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Fiscal Note: Requested January 17, 1990.
House Committee ‑ Testified For: John Swiger, Superintendent of Public Instruction; Terry Teale, Council of Presidents; Bob Maier, Bob Pickles, Susan Albert and Ralph Carlson, Washington Education Association; Larry Nyland, Superintendent Pasco School District and Washington Association of School Administrators; Marilyn Baker, Higher Education Coordinating Board.
House Committee - Testified Against: No one.
House Committee - Testimony For: The development of master's degree programs in local school district sites will make the degree programs more available to teachers. This will also encourage the development of programs that emphasize the art of teaching based on the best available research on effective teaching techniques. All the parties involved in the development of these degree programs must be on the alert to assure that the program is rigorous and will meet the requirements of the Higher Education Coordinating Board in its approval of new degree programs. The State Board of Education will also need to be alert to assure that as a teacher preparation program the standards remain high. All parties have agreed on a process by which the new degrees shall be developed and that all parties will actively participate to make these degrees a reality.
House Committee - Testimony Against: None.