BILL REQ. #:  H-1503.1 

Read first time 02/06/2007.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to establishing the recruiting diverse Washington teachers program; amending RCW 28A.415.200; adding a new section to chapter 28A.415 RCW; and repealing RCW 28A.415.205.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.415.200 and 1989 c 146 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     The legislature finds that it is important to have a teaching force that reflects the rich diversity of the students served in the public schools. A diverse and culturally competent teaching force provides a unique social, emotional, and academic learning environment for a diverse student body. The legislature further finds that certain groups, as characterized by ethnic background, are traditionally underrepresented in the teaching profession in the state of Washington and that the ethnic diversity of the student population in the state of Washington is increasing. ((The legislature intends to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups entering our teaching force.)) The legislature further finds that Washington lacks a systemic and strategic recruitment approach to increasing diversity among educators. Additional steps must be taken to increase the number of diverse high school students who seek to enter the teaching profession, especially in teacher shortage areas.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.415 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The recruiting diverse Washington teachers program is established to recruit and provide training and support for diverse high school students to enter the teaching profession, especially in teacher shortage areas. The program shall be administered by the Washington professional educator standards board.
     (2) The program shall consist of the following components:
     (a) Targeted recruitment of diverse students in grades nine through twelve through outreach and communication strategies. The focus of recruitment efforts shall be on encouraging students to consider and explore becoming future teachers in mathematics, science, bilingual education, special education, and English as a second language;
     (b) A curriculum that provides future teachers with opportunities to observe classroom instruction at all grade levels; includes preteaching internships at all grade levels with a focus on shortage areas; and covers such topics as lesson planning, learning styles, student learning data and information, the achievement gap, cultural competency, and education policy;
     (c) Academic and community support services for students to help them overcome possible barriers to becoming future teachers, such as supplemental tutoring; advising on college readiness, applications, and financial aid processes; and mentoring; and
     (d) Future teacher camps held on college campuses where students can attend workshops and interact with college faculty and current teachers.
     (3) As part of its administration of the program, the professional educator standards board shall:
     (a) Develop the curriculum and program guidelines in consultation with an advisory group of teachers, representatives of teacher preparation programs, teacher candidates, students, and representatives of diverse communities;
     (b) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, allocate grant funds through a competitive process to partnerships of high schools, teacher preparation programs, and community-based organizations to design and deliver programs that include the components under subsection (2) of this section; and
     (c) Conduct an evaluation of the effectiveness of current strategies and programs for recruiting diverse teachers in Washington and in other states. The board shall use the findings from the evaluation to revise the recruiting diverse Washington teachers program as necessary and make other recommendations to teacher preparation programs or the legislature.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   RCW 28A.415.205 (Minority teacher recruitment program) and 2005 c 497 s 211, 1991 c 238 s 75, & 1989 c 146 s 2 are each repealed.