Z-1475               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5031

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1986 Regular Session

By Senators Gaspard, Granlund, Bender, Bauer, Johnson and Saling;by request of Superintendent of Public Instruction

Read first time 1/24/86 and referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to the study of teacher evaluation standards and models; and amending RCW 28A.67.225.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 7, chapter 420, Laws of 1985 and RCW 28A.67.225 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop ((and test in local districts)) for field-test purposes, and in consultation with local school directors, administrators, and teachers, minimum procedural standards ((based on available research to be used by local districts in)) for evaluations conducted pursuant to RCW 28A.67.065.  ((The superintendent of public instruction shall compensate any district participating in such tests for the actual expenses incurred by the district.))  The minimum procedural standards for evaluation shall be based on available research and shall include:  (a) A statement of the purpose of evaluations; (b) the frequency of evaluations, with recognition of the need for more frequent evaluations for beginning teachers; (c) the conduct of the evaluation; (d) the procedure to be used in making the evaluation; and (e) the use of the results of the evaluation.

          ((In developing the minimum standards, the superintendent of public instruction shall consider a variety of proposals, such as proposals providing for peer review and evaluation, input by parents, input by students in appropriate circumstances, instructional assistance teams, and outside professional evaluation.))

          The superintendent of public instruction shall ((adopt)) propose the minimum procedural standards for field tests not later than July 1, 1986.  ((This subsection shall not preclude a local district from adopting local procedures or alternative programs which exceed the minimum standards.))

          (2) The superintendent of public instruction shall develop or purchase and conduct field tests in local districts during the 1987-88 school year model evaluation programs, including standardized evaluation instruments, which meet the minimum standards ((established)) developed pursuant to subsection (1) of this section and the minimum criteria established pursuant to RCW 28A.67.065.  In consultation with school directors, administrators, and teachers, the superintendent of public instruction shall consider a variety of programs such as programs providing for peer review and evaluation input by parents, input by students in appropriate circumstances, instructional assistance teams, and outside professional evaluation.  Such programs shall include specific indicators of performance or detailed work expectations against which performance can be measured.  The superintendent of public instruction shall compensate any district participating in such tests for the actual expenses incurred by the district.

(3) Not later than ((July)) September 1, 1988, the superintendent of public instruction shall adopt state procedural standards and select from one to five model evaluation programs which may be used by local districts in conducting evaluations pursuant to RCW 28A.67.065.  Local school districts shall establish an evaluation program by selecting one of the models approved by the superintendent of public instruction or by adopting an evaluation program pursuant to the bargaining process set forth in chapters 41.56 and 41.59 RCW.  Local school districts may adopt an evaluation program which contains criteria and standards in excess of the minimum criteria and standards established by the superintendent of public instruction.

(4) The superintendent of public instruction shall report to the legislature on the progress of the development and field testing of minimum procedural standards and model evaluation programs on or before January 1, 1987, and January 1, 1988.