BILL REQ. #:  S-0467.2 

Read first time 01/19/2007.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to a mentoring program for students in grades eight through twelve; adding a new section to chapter 28B.35 RCW; creating a new section; and making appropriations.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The purpose of this act is to increase the number of college and university students mentoring students in grades eight through twelve. By increasing the number of mentors, the legislature intends to improve mathematics and science proficiency of students in grades eight through twelve, increase the likelihood that those students will attend postsecondary institutions of higher education, develop and improve workforce skills of students, improve citizenship skills, attitudes, and behaviors of students, and improve retention of college and university student mentors.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28B.35 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The Washington campus compact at Western Washington University shall develop a statewide network of partnerships between institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 and common schools serving students in any of grades eight through twelve. The partnerships shall include programs for postsecondary students to mentor students in grades eight through twelve.
     (2) The Washington campus compact at Western Washington University shall compile statewide data to measure the impact of the mentoring program on the success of students in grades eight through twelve and on the retention rates of postsecondary students.
     (3) Funding for the mentoring program in this section shall be used for:
     (a) Outreach and training of postsecondary students to serve as mentors to students in grades eight through twelve, and coordination of service-learning projects;
     (b) Training for partnerships between institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 and common schools serving students in any of grades eight through twelve;
     (c) Improving accountability by developing strong assessment mechanisms that measure how mentoring impacts: (i) Academic improvement of youth; (ii) retention of postsecondary students; (iii) access to institutions of higher education; and (iv) the development of workforce and citizenship skills, attitudes, and behaviors; and
     (d) Disseminating best practices and impacts of mentoring programs statewide.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) The sum of four hundred eighty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, from the general fund to the Washington campus compact at Western Washington University for the purposes of this act.
     (2) The sum of four hundred eighty-five thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2009, from the general fund to the Washington campus compact at Western Washington University for the purposes of this act.