S-915                 _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5519

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Rinehart, Bailey, Murray and Saling

Read first time 1/26/89 and referred to Committee on   Education.

AN ACT Relating to collaborative projects between higher education institutions, schools, and school districts; adding new sections to chapter 28A.04 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The legislature finds that encouraging collaborative relationships between the state's higher education institutions and schools and school districts will enhance the common school and higher education elements of the state's education system.  The legislature believes that such collaborative relationships should be encouraged through the professional education advisory boards of each higher education institution with a state board of education approved professional preparation program for teachers, administrators, or educational staff associates.

          It is the intent of the legislature to establish a program to support both the provisions of RCW 28B.10.132 and the creation of mutually beneficial cooperative arrangements between the common school and higher education sectors of the state's education system.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.04 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The state board of education, with the assistance and advice of the superintendent of public instruction, the higher education coordinating board, institutions of higher education, and representatives of common schools, including teachers and administrators, shall establish a program to encourage and promote collaborative relationships between higher education faculty and the building-level staff of Washington's elementary, junior high/middle, and senior high schools, and school districts' central office administrative staff.

          (2) The program established under subsection (1) of this section shall be based on "school improvement hours."  One school improvement hour shall be based on services provided by higher education faculty to building-level or district-level staff, or both, or services provided by higher education faculty to schools or school districts generally, or both.  School improvement hours may be rendered during the school year, or during the interim between school years, or both.

          (3)  Each professional education advisory board shall recommend annually priority areas of service emphasis.  Each board may, and is encouraged to, develop and recommend a framework to permit academic faculty outside the school, college, department, or division of education to participate in the program established under subsection (1) of this section.

          (4)  The maximum amount of reimbursement that may be distributed to a higher education institution through the professional education advisory boards, based on school improvement hour services provided under subsections (1) and (2) of this section, shall not exceed ten thousand dollars per year per higher education institution.

          (5)  Any higher education institution with a state board of education approved professional preparation program for teachers, administrators, or educational staff associates shall be eligible to participate in the program established under subsection (1) of this section.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.04 RCW to read as follows:

          The state board of education shall, not later than June 30, 1990, adopt rules as necessary to carry out the provisions of sections 1 and 2 of this act.  Such rules shall include a definition of "school improvement hour services" and assure that services to be provided, to the extent possible, are coordinated with existing and appropriate building-level or district-level committees, advisory groups, or similar entities.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.04 RCW to read as follows:

          The state board of education shall submit biennially to the legislature a report on the services provided under the program established under section 2 of this act.  The first report shall be submitted not later than January 15, 1992.