Higher Education Policy Committees Adjourn; More Bills Move Forward

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The Senate deadline to move House policy bills either to an appropriations committee or the Senate floor is this Friday.

Despite this deadline, the  Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee took final action on five bills this afternoon and adjourned for the session.

The Senate Higher Education & Development Committee passed two bills of interest to Evergreen. House Bill 2854 establishes eligibility criteria for the Higher Education Loan Program (HELP) created in the 2009 legislative session.

Students eligible for HELP must meet the following criteria:

  • An annual family income, adjusted for family size, that is no greater than 130% of the Washington median family income.
  • Completion of the FAFSA.
  • Be a Washington resident.
  • Not enrolled in Theology as a field of study.
  • Enrolled at least half-time in an aid-eligible certificiate or degree program up to and including graduate and professional degrees.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress determined by the attending institution.
  • In good standing, not delinquent or in default, on federal and state student loans.
  • Current on child-support obligations.

The Committee also took action on House Bill 2930 in the afternoon. HB 2930 directs the Higher Education Coordinating Board to give priority to selecting Future Teachers Scholarship recipients to those individuals who are seeking specialty endorsements in math as well as individuals who are uniquely qualified to help schools address the achievement gap.

Evergreen supported the legislation since its introduction and continues to encourage policymakers to keep in mind students seeking endorsements in English Language Learners and special education.

The Committee amended HB 2930 with clarifying language. Specifically, the amendment clarifies that the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) is not required to award loan repayments to all program participants. In addition, it stipulates that the HECB must begin loan repayment for the Alternate Route Program upon documentation of federal student loan indebtedness and completion of the first year of teaching service.

In the House, policy committees diligently worked to move Senate bills forward in the process right up to yesterday’s deadline.

The House State Government & Tribal Affairs Committee took action on Senate Bill 6196. SB 6196 grants military leave for required military duty, training, or drills including those in the National Guard and clarifies that an officer or a state or local government employee can only be charged military leave for the days he/she is regularly scheduled to work.  

The House Education committe took action on Senate Bill 6696. SB 6696 comprises several policy changes to K-12 to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top dollars, including policies and structural changes in the areas of school and teacher evaluation, assessment, and preparation.

The Committee amended Senate Bill 6696 is several ways:

  • Requires all educator preparation program providers approved by the PESB to adhere to the same standards and comply with the same requirements.
  • Requires the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges to select up to three community colleges to offer a BA plus teaching certificate in a subject matter shortage area. Specifies that programs are subject to degree and certificate program approval procedures by the SBCTC, HECB, and PESB.
  • Clarifies that candidates in all alternative route programs have their performance evaluated by both their mentor and the preparation program supervisor before moving to less supervision.
  • Repeals several additional sections of law pertaining to student teaching centers and the partnership grant aspects of the alternative route program.
  • Removes a duplicate section pertaining to the HECB and needs assessments for the educator workforce.
  • Declares that an essential aspect of overall education reform is reform in state financing for Basic Education, both in the way that funds are distributed and the overall level of state support to school districts.
  • Sets forth in statute baseline values for Basic Education funding, as recommended by a technical working group and the Quality Education Council, for the prototypical school funding formula adopted in 2009 legislation,effective September 1, 2011. Modifies various prototypical school formula elements and allocation categories.
  • Increases the maintenance, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC) factors in the funding formula to a total of $1,082.76 per student over a three-year period.
  • Provides a K-3 class size allocation of 15.0 students per classroom teacher, to be phased in over a five-year period starting with high poverty schools.
  • Requires continued incremental phase-in of full-day kindergarten according to the statutory schedule, with full implementation in 2018.
  • Implements a new pupil transportation funding formula as of 2011 rather than 2013, and states that full funding of the new pupil transportation formula is to be phased in over a three-year period.
  • Restores a requirement that school districts maintain a minimum staffing ratio for Basic Education of 46 Certificated Instructional Staff per 1,000 students rather than repealing the requirement as of 2011.
  • Requires a report from a Compensation Working Group by June 30, 2012, rather than December 1, 2012, and changes the lead agency to OSPI. Starts a Local Finance Working Group immediately with a report due November 30, 2010. Expands tasks of the Group.
  • Continues the Funding Formula Technical Working Group to monitor implementation of the formula and provide technical advice to the Quality Education Council.
  • Directs the Washington State Institute for Public Policy to calculate a savings from improvement in graduation rates and requires OSPI to publish this in an annual report.
  • Directs OSPI to implement an internet portal displaying the prototype school allocations compared to actual allocations, by building.