HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1056
As Reported by House Committee On:
Education
Title: An act relating to gathering and maintaining teacher education and experience information.
Brief Description: An act relating to gathering and maintaining teacher education and experience information; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.
Sponsors: Representatives Haigh, Cox, Hunt, Talcott, Rockefeller, Linville, Kagi, McDermott, Schual‑Berke, Keiser, Anderson, Edwards, Kenney and Jackley.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Education: 1/24/01, 2/14/01 [DPS].
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Brief Summary of Substitute Bill
$Requires the Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) to convene a workgroup to explore and make recommendations on the feasibility of a central repository for teacher education and experience information.
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Talcott, Republican Co‑Chair; Anderson, Republican Vice Chair; Haigh, Democratic Vice Chair; Cox, McDermott, Pearson, Rockefeller, D. Schmidt and Schual‑Berke.
Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 2 members: Representatives Ericksen and Schindler.
Staff: Susan Morrissey (786‑7111).
Background:
Through the apportionment program, the state makes payments to school districts for certificated instructional staff salaries based on a state salary allocation schedule. This state salary allocation schedule is used by the state to account for differences in the education and experience of each district=s certificated instructional staff. Typically, the greater the experience and education of such staff, the greater the allocation from the state for salary purposes. Actual salaries are negotiated locally, within certain state established constraints. There are eligibility criteria and limits regarding the educational credits school districts may count as having advanced the experience level of their certificated instructional staff.
Education credits include college quarter-hour credits, equivalent credits for approved in-service, approved continuing education, or approved internship hours computed in accordance with current law. Education and experience information typically is gathered, maintained, and audited on a district by district basis; some of the information is went to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction for apportionment and other purposes.
Summary of Substitute Bill:
The Legislative Evaluation and Accountability Program Committee (LEAP) must convene a workgroup to explore and recommend the feasibility of a central repository for information on teacher education and experience. The feasibility study will include an analysis of the costs and benefits of a central repository, including the likeliness of increased accuracy of the information, cost savings, teacher benefits, and more efficient audits. Before convening the workgroup, the committee will identify or design one or more multiple user data systems that could be incorporated into the concept of a central repository.
The workgroup includes the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the State Auditor, the Department of Information Services, and a representative from the following groups: teachers, a large school district, a small school district, educational service districts, and school administrators. The LEAP committee may appoint others to the workgroup at its discretion. Staffing is provided by the committee and the state agencies in the workgroup.
The feasibility study and recommendations must be provided to the education and fiscal committees of the Legislature by December 15, 2001. The provisions in this bill expire on December 31, 2001.
Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:
Before convening the workgroup, the LEAP committee will identify or design one or more multiple user data systems that could be incorporated into the concept of a central repository
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date of Substitute Bill: The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.
Testimony For: Information about the experience of and educational credits earned by teachers is of vital importance to the state since it is one of the factors used to determine the amount of funding that each school district receives. School districts are required to maintain accurate records that include this information, but there is no uniform system used for that purpose. The lack of uniformity is a major complication for the auditors that must monitor the information, and is one of the leading causes of audit exceptions. It is also a complication for districts during the hiring practice. Districts must have written proof of a teacher=s professional experience and education from each of the teacher=s former employers. If the district could acquire the information from a central repository it would make the hiring process more efficient and less costly.
Testimony Against: None
Testified: (In support) Greg Roberts, Washington School Personnel Association; Barbara Mertens, Washington Association of School Administrators; Karen Davis, Washington Education Association; Ken Kanikeberg, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Dan Steele, Washington State School Directors= Association.