SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5536

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                 Education, February 18, 1997

Title:  An act relating to education program funding.

Brief Description:  Prohibiting the office of the superintendent of public instruction from allocating funds for the Goals 2000 program.

Sponsors:  Senators Stevens, Zarelli, Morton, Benton and Hochstatter.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Education:  2/11/97, 2/18/97 [DP, DNP].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Hochstatter, Chair; Finkbeiner, Vice Chair; Johnson and Zarelli.

Minority Report:  Do not pass.

  Signed by Senators Goings, McAuliffe and Rasmussen.

Staff:  Karen Carter (786-7424)

Background:  The federal Goals 2000: Educate America Act (Title III, Section 309) provides grants to support locally designed efforts to improve student academic learning.  Washington is entering the third year of its participation in this federal grant program.

Ninety percent of Title III monies a state receives must be "subgranted" to local education agencies on a competitive basis.  This biennium, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) budgeted federal Goals 2000 receipts as shown below.

1995-96 1996-97

Assessment Tool Development       $  389,475    $  372,698

State Planning & Grant Administration $  243,422    $  232,936

Grants to Districts and Tribal Schools $5,696,073 $5,450,706

Total Federal Receipts Anticipated    $6,308,970    $6,056,340

Congressional appropriations suggest that Washington receives 40 percent more in 1997-98, some $8.4 million.

OSPI plans to award the $5.4 million of grant funds on a competitive basis as follows:  

CMentor School Grants:  Grants ranging from $10,000 to $15,000 awarded to exemplary schools and school districts to encourage sharing of proven models and best practices. Federal funds may be used to provide specific training and technical assistance to teachers, schools and districts in the development and alignment of state essential learnings and assessment procedures.

CSchool District Grants:  Grants ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 awarded to help school districts plan, coordinate and implement the state's student learning goals. The size of the grant depends to a large extent on the number of students served by a district.  Fifty percent of a district's grant award must be allocated to schools with "special" needs as defined in federal law.

CRegional Network Grants:  Grants ranging from $100,000 to $150,000 awarded to as many as 12 regions to support educators as trainers.  Funds may be used to allow educators time away to interact with and learn from other educators.  Groups of school districts, educational service districts, or consortia in cooperation with institutes of higher education, nonprofit organizations, or any combination thereof are eligible to apply. Networks must focus on the state's learning goals and should place an emphasis on literacy.  Those receiving awards are expected to support principals, schools and districts in their region in collaboration with the Center for the Improvement of Student Learning and the Commission on Student Learning.

CTeacher Training Grants:  Grants ranging from $75,000 to $100,000 awarded to school districts, educational service districts or consortia thereof to (1) develop new curricula for pre-service teacher, counselor and administrator education or (2) field test procedures to implement the proposed teacher professional certification model.

Summary of Bill:  The Superintendent of Public Instruction may not allocate funds to implement the federal Goals 2000 program.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  The state opens itself up to federal mandates by accepting Goals 2000 funds. The amounts received by Washington do not justify having the federal government dictate what the schools should teach nor what services they should provide to Washington's K-12 students and their families.

Testimony Against:  Goals 2000 funds help school districts plan for and implement Washington's own education reform.  Congress has affirmed the state's right to set education policy and expressly restricts federal interference.  Local communities decide how and what to do with funds to improve student learning.  Accepting Goals 2000 does require that Washington's education community focus diligently on achieving higher student performance over time.

Testified: PRO: Senator Stevens, prime sponsor; Ron Taber; Debra Kolrud, parent; Jim Galbraith, Facts For Freedom; Cris Shardelman; Erika Cranmer; CON:  Hugh Walkup, OSPI; Karen Forys, Northshore Superintendent; Jim Hager, Kent Superintendent; Dan Penhallegon, Manager for Curriculum and Instruction, Yakima School District.