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                                   HOUSE BILL 2375
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                      Passed Legislature - 2000 Regular Session

State of Washington         56th Legislature       2000 Regular Session

By Representatives Lantz, Esser, Carlson, Kenney, Dunn, O'Brien and
Haigh

Read first time 01/12/2000.  Referred to Committee on Higher Education.
     AN ACT Relating to information and technology literacy in higher
education; adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW; and creating a
new section.

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

     {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 1. The legislature finds that competence
in information literacy and fluency in information technology are
increasingly important in the workplace as well as in day-to-day
activities.  The legislature finds that to prepare students to meet the
challenges of the work force and society, students must be able to
effectively manage and apply information from a variety of sources.  In
addition, the legislature finds that institutions of higher education
have the opportunity to provide students with a framework and approach
to use information and technology effectively.

     {+ NEW SECTION. +}  Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter
28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Beginning in April 2000, representatives of the public
baccalaureate institutions designated by the council of presidents, in
consultation with representatives of the community and technical
colleges and representatives of the higher education coordinating
board, shall convene an interinstitutional group to begin to: (a)
Develop a definition of information and technology literacy; (b)
develop strategies or standards by which to measure the achievement of
information and technology literacy; and (c) develop a financial
assessment of the cost of implementation.
     (2) The baccalaureate institutions shall provide the house of
representatives and senate committees on higher education with a
progress report in January 2001.
     (3) By the end of January 2002, the baccalaureate institutions
shall deliver to the house of representatives and senate committees on
higher education a report detailing:  (a) The definition of information
and technology literacy; (b) strategies or standards for measurement;
(c) institutionally specific plans for implementation; and (d) an
evaluation of the feasibility of implementation taking into
consideration cost.
     (4) If the legislature determines that implementation is feasible,
the public baccalaureate institutions shall pilot test strategies to
assess and report on information and technology literacy during the
2002-03 academic year.
     (5) By the end of January 2004, the institutions shall report to
the house of representatives and senate committees on higher education
the results of the 2002-03 pilot study.
     (6) Implementation of assessment strategies shall begin in the
academic year 2003-04.
     (7) The higher education coordinating board shall report results to
the house of representatives and senate committees on higher education
in the 2005 legislative session.
     Passed the House February 8, 2000.
     Passed the Senate March 2, 2000.
     Approved by the Governor March 27, 2000.
     Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2000.