HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1815

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                          Education

Title:  An act relating to programs for highly capable students.

Brief Description:  Requiring school districts to provide programs for highly capable students.

Sponsors:  Representatives Clements, Talcott and Huff.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Education:  2/18/99, 2/25/99 [DPS].

           Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

$Programs for highly capable students must be funded by the state and provided by school districts (both currently are optional).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  Signed by 14 members:  Representatives Quall, Democratic Co-Chair; Talcott, Republican Co-Chair; Haigh, Democratic Vice Chair; Schindler, Republican Vice Chair; Carlson; Cox; Keiser; Rockefeller; Santos; D. Schmidt; Schual-Berke; Stensen; Sump and Wensman.

Staff:  Charlie Gavigan (786-7340).

Background:

The Superintendent of Public Instruction must administer a program for highly capable students.  Part of this program involves allocating supplemental funds to school districts for additional costs of programs for highly capable students.

Supplemental funds may be provided by the state for programs for highly capable students on an excess cost basis based on a per student amount not to exceed 3 percent of any district's full-time equivalent enrollment.

School districts, individually or jointly, may establish and operate programs for highly capable students.

Summary of Substitute Bill:

Funds must be provided by the state for school district programs for highly capable students on an excess cost basis based on a per student amount not to exceed 3 percent of any districts full-time equivalent enrollment.  A minimum level of funding for small districts must be specified in the budget for programs for highly capable students.

School districts, individually or jointly, must establish and administer programs for highly capable students.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The substitute bill adds a provision requiring that a  minimum level of funding for small districts be specified in the budget for programs for highly capable students.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

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

Testimony For:  (Original bill) Addressing the needs of highly capable students should be mandatory, not optional.  Not addressing these needs results in underachievement; many students in alternative education programs are highly capable students whose needs were not met.  Helping highly capable students helps all students.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (Original bill) Representative Clements, prime sponsor; Paul Craggs, Washington Coalition for Gifted Education; Rainer Houser and Allison Olzendam, Association of Washington School Principals; Matt McDowell, student; Kathy Dwyer, Washington Association of Educators of Talented and Gifted; Connie Baesman, Northwest Gifted Child Association; Ken Limon, Lake Stevens School District; Joyce Donaldson, Edmonds School District; Barbara Casey, Washington State Parent Teacher Association; and Faith Jurs, Challenge Program, Lake Stevens School District.

(Concerns)(Original bill) Bob Butts, Superintendent of Public Instruction.