| Passed by the House February 13, 2008 Yeas 95 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives Passed by the Senate March 6, 2008 Yeas 47 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate | I, Barbara Baker, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 2870 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth. BARBARA BAKER ________________________________________ Chief Clerk | |
| Approved March 18, 2008, 2:06 p.m. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | March 19, 2008 Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 60th Legislature | 2008 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/12/08.
AN ACT Relating to professional development for instructional assistants; adding a new section to chapter 28A.415 RCW; and creating new sections.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that classified
instructional assistants are key partners with classroom teachers in
improving student achievement. Research on rigorous reading programs,
including the reading first programs in our own state, proves that when
instructional assistants are skilled, well-trained in a particular
intervention, and positively supported by the classroom teacher or
coach, they can have a significant impact on student reading
attainment. The legislature further finds that school district
practice provides sufficient evidence of the need for instructional
assistants. Statewide, school districts relied on more than nineteen
thousand classified instructional assistants, equal to nearly ten
thousand full-time equivalent staff, during the 2006-07 school year.
Therefore, the legislature intends to support instructional assistants
by providing opportunities for high quality professional development to
make them more effective partners in the classroom.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2 A new section is added to chapter 28A.415
RCW to read as follows:
The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in
consultation with various groups representing school district
classified employees, shall develop and offer a training strand through
the summer institutes and the winter conference targeted to classified
instructional assistants and designed to help them maximize their
effectiveness in improving student achievement.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3 If specific funding for the purposes of this
act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by
June 30, 2008, in the omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and
void.