SENATE BILL REPORT

SSB 5677

As Passed Senate, February 3, 2004

Title: An act relating to cooperation among education policy boards.

Brief Description: Requiring annual meetings to focus on implementing cross-sector education policies.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Carlson, Parlette, Eide, Rasmussen, Regala, Schmidt, Kohl-Welles and Shin).

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Higher Education: 2/24/03 [DPS].

Passed Senate: 2/3/04, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5677 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

      Signed by Senators Carlson, Chair; Schmidt, Vice Chair; Horn, Kohl-Welles, Mulliken, B. Sheldon and Shin.

Staff: Jean Six (786-7423)

Background: Currently the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB), the State Board of Education (SBE), and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) meet separately to do the work of their respective boards.

With many states moving toward creating a more integrated and cohesive education system, it is believed by some that requiring the various policy boards to meet jointly at least once per year can foster collaboration among the sectors of education in Washington.

Summary of Bill: In September or December, an annual meeting shall be held to discuss issues of cross-sector relevance. The meeting shall have a focused agenda on issues including but not limited to transition from K-12 to higher education; the role of college placement tests and the WASL; new ways to challenge students in the 11th and 12th grades; the role of college in the high school and other dual credit programs such as Running Start; preparation of teachers in the colleges of education; and the role of guidance counselors in both secondary and postsecondary education.

Participants in the annual meeting shall be the SBE, HECB, OSPI, SBCTC, COP, and legislative members of the House and Senate education, higher education, and fiscal committees.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: There are several measures just this year calling for more coordination among educational sectors. To implement any of the proposals will require a lengthy amount of time. Cooperation is needed now and meeting together is a good first step.

It needs to be noted that there is more communication and interaction among the education agencies than may be commonly understood.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: Senator Rosemary McAuliffe, prime sponsor; Larry Davis, Executive Director, SB.

House Amendment(s): The WTECB is added to the education agencies required to participate in an annual meeting in either September or December. Beginning in 2004 with the COP, responsibility for coordinating and summarizing the meeting results and proposing an action plan will rotate among the participating agencies.