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                                          ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 5826

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State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1989 Regular Session

By Senators Bauer, Bailey, West, Rinehart, Saling, Barr, Patterson, Gaspard, Murray, Anderson, Fleming and Bender

Read first time 2/9/89 and referred to Committee on  Education.

AN ACT Relating to student teaching pilot projects; amending RCW 28A.70.400 and 28A.70.408; amending section 210, chapter 525, Laws of 1987 (uncodified); creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     (1) The legislature recognizes that strong teacher preparation programs are fundamentally important to the success of the state's entire educational system and that clinical field experiences are critical to the success of the teacher preparation programs.

          (2) The legislature believes:

          (a) Schools, school districts, and the colleges and universities mutually benefit from cooperative relationships to provide prospective teacher candidates with appropriate and necessary student teaching experiences;

          (b) Prospective teacher candidates should have field experiences and student teaching opportunities which are, to the extent reasonably possible, reflective of the diversity existing among schools and school districts state-wide; and

          (c) School districts state-wide, to the extent reasonably practical, should have access to student teachers.

        Sec. 2.  Section 205, chapter 525, Laws of 1987 and RCW 28A.70.400 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The state board of education shall establish the requirements for a ((two-year)) pilot program to enhance the student teaching component of teacher preparation programs  to support innovative ways to expand student teaching experiences for prospective teacher candidates and to expand opportunities for student teacher placements in school districts throughout the state.  The state board shall adopt necessary rules under chapter ((34.04)) 34.05 RCW to carry out this program.

          (2) In developing the pilot program requirements, the state board shall include a requirement that each grant application be jointly developed through a process including participation by school building and school district personnel, teacher preparation program personnel, ((program unit)) professional education advisory board members, and other personnel as appropriate.  Primary administration for each grant project shall be the responsibility of one or more of the cooperating grant project participants, as determined by the grant project participants.

(3) The state board of education shall establish an advisory group or use an existing professional education advisory group to:  (a) Assist the board and the pilot projects in addressing issues relating to the roles and responsibilities of the participating parties in implementing the projects; and (b) assist the board in studying issues relating to the roles and responsibilities of the common school and higher education elements of the state's education system in the preparation of prospective teachers.

        Sec. 3.  Section 209, chapter 525, Laws of 1987 and RCW 28A.70.408 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall evaluate the pilot projects and submit a preliminary report to the legislature not later than December 1, 1989.

(2) The state board of education shall evaluate the pilot projects and submit a report to the legislature not later than ((January 15,)) December 1, 1990, including findings and recommendations.

        Sec. 4.  Section 210, chapter 525, Laws of 1987 (uncodified) is amended to read as follows:

          Sections 205 through 209 of this act shall expire ((January 16,)) December 31, 1990.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill number, is not provided by June 30, 1989, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act shall be null and void.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.