S-4684               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 6294

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Saling, Bauer, von Reichbauer, Stratton, Rinehart, Smitherman, Bailey, Cantu, Bender, Warnke and Johnson)

Read first time 2/1/90.

AN ACT Relating to the local master's degree teacher training program; creating a new section; and making an appropriation.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     (1) The higher education coordinating board shall establish the local master's degree teacher training program.  The purpose of the program shall be to plan for field based master's level education in local school districts for teachers.  The goals of the program are to:

          (a) Test the feasibility of offering master's degrees in the local school districts;

          (b) Build a research base necessary to evaluate the effectiveness of such programs; and

          (c) Develop collaborative relationships between four-year institutions and local school districts on innovative models for teacher education.

          (2) Field based master's degrees in teacher training shall:

          (a) Assure expertise in the "art of teaching" utilizing the latest research; and

          (b) Include advanced study in specific subject matter areas, or other areas of educational specialization.

          (3) The program shall provide up to five grants to develop local master's degrees in teacher training.  The grants shall be awarded by the higher education coordinating board to institutions of higher education or local school districts.  A minimum of two grants shall be awarded for proposals involving cooperatives formed by two or more school districts.  At least one of these recipient cooperatives shall be among rural school districts.

          (4) The proposals shall be developed by local advisory boards.  The local advisory boards shall include representation from higher education institutions, local school districts, and classroom teachers.  Teachers shall comprise at least fifty percent of the membership.  Local advisory boards shall work with university professional education advisory boards and local education associations to develop proposals.

          (5) Higher education participation shall be limited to institutions whose main campuses are located in the state of Washington.

          (6) Proposals shall be submitted to the higher education coordinating board by November 1, 1990, and shall document:

          (a) Research on collegiality and peer coaching;

          (b) Utilization of the latest teaching research and technologies, including those available from teacher effectiveness research centers;

          (c) Understanding of the unique characteristics of a field based model of graduate teacher training;

          (d) Involvement of local teachers and other experts in the training process;

          (e) Commitment of the local school district to the program;

          (f) Support from Washington institutions of higher education for program development and implementation;

          (g) Provision for formal evaluation of the project;

          (h) Identification of an agreed upon fiscal agent; and

          (i) Assurance and evidence of quality comparable to that available at existing campus-based graduate programs.

          (7) A review committee is established to make grant recommendations to the higher education coordinating board.  Review committee composition shall be:  Two participants from higher education institutions; two representatives of the superintendent of public instruction's office; two representatives of the state board of education; and one representative designated by the higher education coordinating board.

          (8) The awards shall be granted by December 30, 1990.

          (9) In granting the awards, the higher education coordinating board shall ensure that the proposed degrees provide graduate level education comparable in quality to that available at existing campus-based graduate programs.

          (10) All proposals for local master's degrees in teacher training involving public universities shall be approved by the higher education coordinating board pursuant to procedures established by RCW 28B.80.340.

          (11) The higher education coordinating board shall submit a report on the program to the legislature by January 31, 1993.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The sum of three hundred thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general fund to the higher education coordinating board for the biennium ending June 30, 1991, for planning and development grants.