HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 982

BYHouse Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Fuhrman, Valle, Betrozoff, Pruitt, Holland, Ebersole, Walker, L. Smith, Nealey, Doty, Patrick, May, Brough, Ballard, Lewis, B. Williams, Padden, Allen, Cole, Rasmussen, P. King, Belcher, K. Wilson, Sprenkle, Baugher, Beck, Hargrove, C. Smith, Peery, Cooper, Taylor, Chandler, Bumgarner, Sutherland, Day, Kremen, Silver, Ferguson, Todd, Jesernig, Basich, Moyer and Winsley)

Permitting the substitution of instructional assistance as a teacher's aide for up to fifteen units of methods and teacher training requirements.

House Committe on Education

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (20)

     Signed by Representatives Ebersole, Chair; Spanel, Vice Chair; Betrozoff, Cole, Cooper, Fuhrman, Holland, Holm, P. King, Peery, Pruitt, Rasmussen, Rayburn, Rust, Schoon, L. Smith, Taylor, Todd, Valle and Walker.

House Staff:Susan Patrick (786-7111)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 18, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Many individuals enter the teaching profession from various routes. The teaching profession also allows an individual to leave the profession for a period of time and then elect to return.  The training requirements for individuals who have experience in providing instruction to children under the supervision of a certificated teacher are the same as for individuals who have no such experience.  Teacher's aide positions in some circumstances are filled by individuals who have a certificate, but have not elected to accept a full time position.  If such an individual holding a certificate is not employed as a teacher for a specified period of time, the certificate must be renewed by completing fifteen units of credit.

SUMMARY:

The State Board of Education shall adopt administrative rules that will allow a teacher certification candidate to substitute one year of employment as a teacher's aide for up to fifteen quarter hours of methods and teacher training requirements.  To allow this substitution the candidate must have worked at least 50 percent of the work as a teacher's aide involved in instructional activities with children under the supervision of a certificated teacher and receive an evaluation recommending that the work be substituted for credit by the supervising teacher.  This method of substitution may also be used by teachers who are renewing an expired certificate.  The candidate must have worked a minimum of 630 hours for one school year.

An advisory committee shall advise the State Board of Education on the guidelines for allowing credit for experience as defined in this act. The advisory committee shall consist of representatives of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, public and private teacher preparation institutions, teachers, school administrators, and principals.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):  Additional limitations on how work experience may be applied to teacher preparation requirements are outlined.  The rules adopted by the state board of education on allowing experience as a teacher's aide to fulfill teacher preparation requirements shall include, but not be limited to the following:  (1)  limitations on the recency of the experience as a teacher's aide; (2) limitations on the amount of work experience which may be substituted for course work; (3) application for such credit and the evaluation of the the candidate's experience shall be provided at the time of the candidate's enrollment in the teacher preparation program; (4) final determination of what requirements may be met by the experience is given to the institutions of higher education; and (5) provisions indicating that such experience may also be used for the renewal of certificates are eliminated.

Fiscal Note:    Requested February 19, 1987.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Howard Coble, Washington Association of School Administrators; Bob Maier, Washington Education Association; Bob O'Banion, self; Kris Van Gorkum, for Monica Schmidt, Executive Director, State Board of Education; Ben Edlund, Washington State School Directors Association.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     It is important that we recognize the importance of experience in working with children in the training of teachers.  This provides a teacher training candidate with a mixture of academic and practical experience.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Yeas 98