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Senate Ways and Means Marathon – Tuition Policy and Teacher Preparation

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This afternoon the Senate Ways & Means Committee held public hearings on twenty-seven different bills with plans to move out of committee nearly nineteen bills.

The stars of this afternoon’s hearing were two education related bills. 

Senate Bill 6562 a.k.a. the tuition policy bill. SB 6562 authorizes the University of Washington, Washington State University, and the Western Washington University governing boards to set tuition rates. The average annual compounded rate of change of undergraduate tuition fees may not exceed 9 percent based on the previous 15 years, or 14 percent in any one year.

The Committee on Higher Education Performance is created and authorized to approve performance agreements. The performance agreement must be six years in duration. Annual adequate performance as determined by the committee is required to maintain tuition setting authority. The committee is composed of the chairs and ranking members of the Senate Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee, Senate Ways and Means Committee, House Higher Education Committee, and House Education Appropriations.

The UW, WSU, and WWU must waive full-time tuition fees for resident undergraduate students based on family and state median family incomes. Waivers of full time tuition fees for resident undergraduate students are provided on a graduated scale in 4.5 percent increments based on state median family income and the institution’s tuition fee rate. The waivers must be reduced by the amount of any state need grant, federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants, and waivers. Such waivers are exempt from tuition waiver limitations.

Tuition fee setting authority remains the same as current law for Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, the Evergreen State College, and the community and technical colleges.

The State Actuary presented to the committee the potential impact on the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET) Program.  The State Actuary, given the assumptions in the bill, concluded there is virtually no risk of the GET Program running out of assets over the next 50 years if the program remains open and all other current policies and provisions remain unchanged. The one cautionary note shared by the State Actuary was that the impact may differ if purchaser behavior changes.

President Emmert (UW), President Floyd (WSU), and Trustee Phil Sharpe (WWU) testified in support of the bill. Each one stated that the bill provided the balance needed between a quality education and an accessible education for Washingtonians. 

Members of the Senate Ways & Means Committee asked several questions, including the current percentage of state funds that make up the budget of those institutions in the bill and how under these policy changes policymakers can be assured that  student-debt load would not rise and economic and ethnic diversity would not decline. In addition members asked whether or not the tuition setting authority in the bill allows the state to back away from future state support.  Additional questions posed included the impact on retention and the middle-income student population.

Charlie Earl, Executive Director, Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and the League of Education Voters also testified in support of the bill.  The Washington Student Association and students from WSU, UW, and WWU testified in opposition to the bill. Students raised concerns regarding the increases in tuition identified in the bill and the fiscal pressure that will be placed on funding for state financial aid.

Senate Bill 6696 comprises several policy changes to K-12 to make Washington more competitive for Race to the Top dollars. The House proposed similar legislation, but disaggregated the policy changes among three bills – HB 3059, 3068, 3035.

Senate Bill 6696 seeks policy and structural changes in the areas of school and teacher evaluation, assessment, and preparation.  Of importance to Evergreen are the policy changes to teacher preparation programs. In particular the bill would require Evergreen’s teacher preparation programs to offer an alternate route program, which may negatively impact the College.  If grants and Race to the Top dollars are not received, Evergreen would be left to shoulder the costs of developing and implementing this program with no additional funds. Evergreen proposed a change to the language that would make offering alternate route programs permissive. The change in language was not included in the final bill approved by the committee and passed to the floor.

Evergreen also kept an eye on several other bills.

  • SSB 6702 makes available educational programs for juveniles confined in adult jails. Each school district, within which there exists an adult jail, must provide a program of education for juveniles confined therein. Districts may contract with educational service districts, community and technical colleges, four-year institutions or other qualified entities to provide all or part of these services.
  • SSB 6761 implements the recommendations put forward by the Quality Education Council during the interim.
  • SSB 6362 requires the Legislature to identify ten government priorities to verify that state agencies and activities are performing at their highest efficiency. The ten priorities include improving: student achievement in K-12; quality and respect for the public workforce; value of state college or university education; health of state citizens; security of the state’s vulnerable children and adults; the economic vitality of businesses and individuals; statewide mobility of people, goods, information, and energy; safety of people and property; quality of the state’s natural resources; and cultural and recreational opportunities throughout the state. The State Auditor is required to select the highest priorities to audit and the lowest priorities to assess. In addition, the State Auditor is required to present its work plan at an open public meeting for evaluation and recommendations prior to commencing audits.
  • SB 6374 requires the Office of Financial Management (OFM) to include economic modeling or other procedures that take into account increased economic activity which may result from economic development contemplated in legislation  in fiscal note instructions.
  • SSB 5543 requires producers of mercury-containing lights (lamps, bulbs, tubes, or other devices containing mercury and providing illumination) sold in or into Washington to participate in product stewardship programs that are fully implemented by 2013.
  • SB 6843  temporarily suspends the two-thirds vote requirement for tax increases and permanently modifying provisions of Initiative Measure No. 960 for improved efficiency and consistency with state budgeting.
  • SB 6833 allows the Office of the State Treasurer to enter agreements with state agencies for investment by the Treasurer of funds not currently deposited with the Treasurer.  At this time higher education is exempt from the bill. Evergreen supports the bill in its current form.
  •  SB 6845 requires the collection and use of additional information regarding information technology projects, including  the requirement that OFM obtain specific information about IT projects, including current and future costs by category, estimated operating savings and other benefits, and estimated start and end dates.

House Ways and Means Works through Weekend

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The House Ways & Means Committee held public hearings and executive sessions on a slew of bills this weekend. The Committee is focused on moving bills forward as the fiscal committee deadline, February 9, looms.

The Committee held public hearings on twenty-two bills ranging from teacher preparation to public disclosure laws.

Evergreen is watching a handful of the bills that were before the Committee.

House Bill 3174 allows the Office of the State Treasurer to enter agreements with state agencies for investment by the Treasurer of funds not currently deposited with the Treasurer.  At this time higher education is exempt from the bill. Evergreen supports the bill in its current form.

House Bill 2914 establishes a producer-designed product stewardship program for the collection, recycle, and disposal of mercury-containing lights.  Evergreen supports this effort.

Finally, two teacher preparation related bills were also heard this weekend. House Bill 3035 and House Bill 3038.  Both bills focus on accountability and evaluations for schools, teachers, and principles. Evergreen has expressed support for both bills throughout the legislative process.

 
 

 

February State Economic Review: Recovery in Economic Activity Continues

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On Friday, the Washington Economic & Revenue Forecast Council released a preview of the upcoming revenue forecast.

Overall, things may be looking up.

The report states that recovery in economic activity continues in the fourth quarter of 2009, but recovery in jobs continues to lag.

Though concerns remain regarding credit to small business, the recovery of the construction sector, and the tentative nature of consumer confidence, there are reasons for positive thinking. Washington’s economy will outperform the nation, benefitting from higher overall exports and relative stability in aerospace and softwar publishing. In addition, cumulative revenue collections are on track to come in at $45-50 million above the November forecast.

Details

  • Continued tight credit for small businesses poses a significant challenge for recovery and will slow down the recovery in jobs.
  • Though consumer confidence is improving, this is tentative. Holiday shopping figures showed some evidence of a modest release of pent-up demand, but were mostly positive in growth because of the very poor results a year ago.
  • House marketing indicators are signaling a potential turnaround. Single family housing starts, sales and prices have begun to firm-up, despite the overhang of excess housing which has yet to be absorbed.
  • The state’s economy continues to lose jobs but the rate has slowed to a trickle in recent months and growth in some sectors has already turned positive. In addition, initial state unemployment claims seem to be indicating an imminent turnaround in the state’s labor market.
  • New housing construction in the state continues to improve according to housing permit data.
  • Construction employment continues to decline. It is estimated there is a one-year lag between turning points in permits and turning points in housing related construction employment.
  • Washington’s manufacturing sector is poised for a rebound
  • Washington’s personal income is now growing moderately.

Though things seem to be improving it is important to note that downside risks remain significant and at the same level as in November. There is a risk of a double-dip  or “W-shaped” recovery where economic activity lags in the fourth quarter of 2010. This is likely to happen if by the middle of next year consumer spending and confidence fails to recover as is expected.

The official February revenue forecast is scheduled for February 12.

Obama Unveils Higher Education Agenda

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Along with his 2011 budget proposal, President Obama revealed his agenda for higher education.

Many of the objectives laid out in his agenda are not new. Most have been key components of his budget proposals since his inauguration in 2008. The focus continues to remain on efforts to assist college students and their families in meeting the costs of higher education.

Highlights

Make permanent the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credit. This tax credit applies to 100% of the first $2,000 of tuition and related college expenses, plus 25% of the next $2,000.

Require college students and higher education institutions to use the federal direct loan program to apply for student loans starting with the fall term.

Monthly payments made by college graduates to repay their student loans would be capped at 10% of their income. And any remaining loan balances would be forgiven after 20 years.

Pell Grants would be come a new federal entitlement program not subject to annual budget deliberations by Congress.

Increase the maximum Pell Grant from $5,350 in the current year to $5,710 in 2011.

In addition, the Administration continues to play an active leadership role through the Middle Class Task Force.

In January President Obama and Vice President Biden hosted a meeting of the Task Force. President Obama and Vice President Biden identified key investments for middle income families. Among these investments includes limiting students federal laon payments to 10% of their discretionary income.

Congress created the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program in 2007. The Administration’s plan would improve the program by lowering the cap on federal student loan payments from 15% to 10% of discretionary income and forgiving any remaining debt after 20 years of payments, rather than the current 25 years.

Legislature Week 5: What is Happening

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As the Washington State Legislature gears up for the fifth week of the 2010 supplemental session all eyes will be on the fiscal committees in each chamber.

All fiscal committees must move bills with fiscal impacts to the floor of their respective chambers by end of day Feburary 9.

The appropriations committees (i.e. Senate Ways & Means and House Ways & Means) will meet Monday and Tuesday to continue their work on budget related matters and meet the legislative deadline.

The remainder of the week will be focused on the floors of the House and Senate. Both chambers will have until February 16 to move House bills to the Senate and vice versa.

After February 16 the process will re-start in a way as House bills go through the committee and floor process in the Senate and vice versa.

House Education Appropriations Wraps Up Work for the Week

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Today the House Education Appropriations Committee took up many of the bills passed yesterday by the House Education Committee.

House Bill 3068 passed out of committee with no amendments. HB 3068 provides that, if scholarship funds are available after qualified paraeducators have been accepted, individuals who participated in one of the Recruiting Washington Teachers programs for high school students can participate in the Pipeline for Pareducators conditional scholarship program.

House Bill 2852 passed out of committee with no amendments. HB 2852 excludes public and accredited institutions of higher education from laws that regulate providers of online learning in K-12 schools and authorizes school districts to claim basic education funding for students enrolled in college credit-bearing courses offered by these types of higher education institutions. Evergreen did not weigh in on the bill.

A second substitute bill for House Bill 3059 was passed out of committee. Evergreen was successful in amending the bill in response to the College’s concern about the lack of funding to accompany the requirement to provide a teacher preparation alternative route program and the impact on institutional mission.

Senate Policy Committees Continue to Take Action on Bills

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Today Senate Policy Committees were busy moving bills forward before the cut-off deadline on Friday.

Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development

The Senate Higher Education & Workforce Development Committee passed a tuition policy bill for the University of Washington, Washington State University, and Western Washington Univerrsity.

Substitute Senate Bill 6562 allows the board’s of UW, WSU, and WWU to set tuition rates within limits. Tuition (the average annual compounded rate of change of undergraduate tuition fees)at these institutions is not allowed to exceed 9% based on the previous 15 years or 14% in any one year. In addition, the Committee on Higher Education Performance is created and authorized to approve performance agreements for UW, WSU, and WWU. Finally, these institutions must waive full-time tuition/fees for resident undergraduate students based on family and state median family income levels. The waivers are based on a graduated scale based on state median family income and institutional tuition fee rates.

For Evergreen as well as Central Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and the community and technical colleges tuition fee setting authority remains the same as current law.

The substitute bill was further amended in committee. The amendments establish a sunset for tuition setting authority for the three institutions in the bill at the end of the 2017-18 academic year; change the title from Relating to higher education finance to Relating to higher education accountability and access; and modifies the Committee on Higher Education Performance to include members from the minority party.

Substitute Senate Bill 6562 passed unanimously out of committee. The bill is now headed to Senate Ways & Means for their consideration.

Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education

The Senate Early Learning & K-12 Education committee took action on an omnibus teacher preparation and K-12 bill. Substitute Senate Bill 6696 includes the following changes related to teacher preparation.

Section 402: Clarifies that community colleges and non-higher education providers can be considered for new providers of the alternative routes. Moves the option for residency teacher preparation programs to provide a summary of procedures providing flexible completion opportunities to section 403 and makes it part of what alternative route providers must include in their application.

Section 403: Removes “higher education” since such institutions will not be the only providers of alternative routes.

Section 409: Clarifies that the service regions for institutions of higher education is for those institutios of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016 (all the 4-year universities and college & the community and technical colleges).

In addition, Substitute Senate Bill 6696 was amended as follows related to teacher preparation: (1) Amends the four-level evaluation system for teachers to use student growth data if available and relevant to the teacher and subject matter. Requires the school districts participating in the pilot of the teacher and principal evaluations to submit all student data to OSP; (2) Amends section 202 by adding a parent representative to the group that will create models for implementing the new teacher and principal evaluation system, student growth tools, professional development programs, and evaluator training for classroom teachers and principals. The parent representative must have certain specified qualities and will be chosen by the PTA using a lottery system; (3) Moves the phrase addressing professional development so that it applies to both closing the achievement gap and STEM; and (4) Amends the evaluation criteria for classroom teachers in section 202 to include collaborating, not just communicating with parents and school community.

House Education Moves Teacher Preparation Legislation Forward

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Yesterday the House Education Committee moved a number of bills Evergreen has tracked related to teacher preparation.

House Bill 3068 passed out of committee with no amendments. HB 3068 provides that, if scholarship funds are available after qualified paraeducators have been accepted, individuals who participated in one of the Recruiting Washington Teachers programs for high school students can participate in the Pipeline for Pareducators conditional scholarship program.

Though Evergreen expressed support for HB 3068 in general the College expressed concerns that the bill would limit access to Retooling Grants to only those individuals who seek math and science endorsements. This would leave out students seeking endorsements in other areas, such as special education and ELL. Evergreen encouraged the committee to reconsider limiting Retooling Grants to only math and science endorsements.

House Bill 3068 will have a public hearing tomorrow, February 4 before House Education Appropriations.

HB 2654 provides that, if scholarship funds are available after qualified paraeducators have been accepted, individuals who participated in one of the Recruiting Washington Teachers programs for high school students can participate in the Pipeline for Pareducators conditional scholarship program.

HB 2654 passed out of committee amended as follows: (1) In the prototypical school funding formula, removes the separate allocation of one Elementary Math Specialist per elementary school, but includes them as a type of “professional development coach” (which is an existing staffing category in the formula); (2) Specifies that the PESB must develop the standards for the new specialty endorsement by July 1, 2011; (3) Revises the description of the role of an Elementary Math Specialist to include not only direct instruction to students, but also serving as a coach by demonstrating best practices to the regularly assigned teacher, using a research-based coaching model; and (4) Makes the standards for the specialty endorsement reflect the coaching role.

Evergreen shared our excitement about the potential prospect of incorporating a track for this training in The Evergreen State College’s M.Ed. program. In addition, Evergreen shared two ways in which HB 2654 could be strengthened. First, Evergreen hopes the Committee will think broadly with regard to the current terminology in the bill, “widely accessible to elementary teachers across the state,” to mean more than online coursework. Second, we encourage legislators to push for more than the “minimum of additional coursework” required in the bill.

House Bill 2852 passed out of committee with no amendments. HB 2852 excludes public and accredited institutions of higher education from laws that regulate providers of online learning in K-12 schools and authorizes school districts to claim basic education funding for students enrolled in college credit-bearing courses offered by these types of higher education institutions. Evergreen did not weigh in on the bill. HB 2852 will have a public hearing before House Education Appropriations tomorrow, February 4.

A substitute bill for House Bill 3059 was passed out of committee. Substitute HB 3059, among other changes,: (1) Clarifies candidates who complete residency program in 2012-13 must take the new assessment, (2) Adds authority for the PESB to contract for the administration of the assessment with a third party, and (3) Requires all public colleges of education that offer a residency certificate who are not already offering an alternative route program to submit a proposal to PESB, does not allow these colleges to submit a “summary of flexible procedures” as an alternative to submitting a proposal. Instead makes this a part of the proposal.

Evergreen expressed concerns regarding the lack of funding that accompanies the requirement to provide a teacher preparation alternative route program and the impact on institutional mission. HB 3059 will have a public hearing before House Education Appropriations tomorrow, February 4.

House Bill 3035 passed out of committee as amended. HB 3035 requires all school districts to establish revised evaluation criteria and a four-level rating system for classroom teachers and principals and specifies minimum criteria for each system. HB 3035 was amended as follows: (1) Directs the Superintendent of Public Instruction to create common, statewide models for the criteria and the rating system, (2) Beginning in 2013-14, requires all school districts to either: a) implement the common statewide models; or b) submit a modified evaluation system to SPI, (3) Requires any modifications to the teacher evaluation system to have been developed through collective bargaining, and (4) Revises one of the minimum criteria for teacher evaluation to be “communicating and collaborating with parents and the school community.”

House Bill 3035 moved to House Ways & Means.

Obama Releases Proposed 2011 Budget – Education Focus

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Early this week President Obama released his proposed budget for 2011. The proposed budget makes a strong statement about the importance of investing in higher education.

The 2011 fiscal year budget request seeks to increase discretionary education spending by $4.5 billion to $50.7 billion and implements many of the student aid changes proposed in the 2010 budget.

The budget:

– Makes Pell Grants an entitlement by funding it entirely with mandatory funds.

– Increases the maximum Pell award by $160 to $5,710 in 2011. After 2011, the maximum award would increase annually by the rate of inflation plus 1 percent.

– Eliminates the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and originates all federal student loans through the Direct Loan Program.

– Expands and redesigns the Perkins Loan Program.

– Funds, over seven years, a College Access and Completion Fund to support innovative strategies to increase the number and percentage of students entering and completing college.

– Invests funds over 10 years for the American Graduation Initiative to invest in promising reforms to raise graduation rates.

– Expands over 10 years income-based repayment.

– Funds over 10 years the American Opportunity Tax Credit to make it permanent.

– Provides level funding for Federal Work-Study, Supplemental Educational Opporuntity Grants, the Federal TRIO Program, and GEAR UP.

– Eliminates funding for the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnerships (LEAP).

– Eliminates funding for the Byrd Honors Scholarship.

– Allows for the expiration of the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the National SMART Grant.

– Eliminates the Department of Labor’s Career Pathways Innovation Fund.

– Reduces the budget of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

– Increases funding for several key scientific research agencies for job creation purposes.

– Increases financial support for the AmeriCorps national service program.

House Moves Furlough Bill Forward to the Floor

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Monday evening the House Ways & Means Committee passed Senate Bill 6503 (a.k.a. the furlough bill) out of committee and to the House floor. After four scheduled executive sessions on the bill the committee finally moved the bill forward by a 12-10 vote along party lines.

The bill headed to the House floor for a vote looks different than the bill received from the Senate.

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The subsitute bill includes, but is not limited to, the following:

– An intent section is added stating the Legislature intends that state agencies and institutions of higher education reduce government operating costs through the methods described in the act by $50 million from the General Fund-State and the Education Legacy Account, as well as additional proportionate amounts from other funds.

– The Office of Financial Management (OFM) shall certify to each state agency the compensation reduction amount to be achieved by the executive branch agency or institution.

– Executive branch general government state agencies and higher education institutions may submit plans that achieve compensation cost savings equal to closing the agency for 11 days to the OFM by May 15, 2010.

– Compensation reduction plans submitted by higher education institutions may include leave without pay, temporary layoffs, reductions in force, reduced work hours, and voluntary retirement, separation, and other incentive programs authorized by law. By June 1, 2010, the OFM shall review, approve, and submit the higher education institution plans that achieve the required cost reductions to the legislative fiscal committees. Those institutions that do not have approved plans will close on the 11 dates specified in the amendment.

Senate Bill 6503 now goes to the House floor for a vote. If it passes the House, the bill will return to the Senate for consideration of the amended legislation.