2008 Policy Priorities
K-12 and Higher Education
Empowering our children to succeed in the jobs of the future
Refocus our K-12 education system to prepare students for higher education and 21st century careers
Our state economy is increasingly knowledge-based and demands a highly educated, math, science and technology-literate workforce. Washington’s students will need education and training beyond high school to compete for the family-wage jobs of tomorrow. Our state needs an integrated 21st century education system that accurately reflects the expectations of college and the workplace, provides a rigorous curriculum and opportunities to pursue advanced coursework, and prepares our students to compete in the global economy.
Strengthen the quality of early learning in order to provide Washington’s children with a solid foundation for success:
It is essential for Washington’s children to arrive in kindergarten ready to learn. The state should develop indicators of school readiness, establish a uniform, statewide system for evaluating the quality of early learning programs, and enhance provider training to give students the best possible start to their education.
Maintain a commitment to standards and the requirement that Washington’s students demonstrate knowledge in core subject areas:
It is critical that students be able to demonstrate achievement in reading, writing, mathematics and other core academic subjects before graduating from high school and entering higher education and the workforce. The TA encourages our state leaders to maintain a commitment to high standards and provide the resources and policy framework that will enable our students to meet these expectations.
Align the minimum course-credit requirements for high school graduation with the level of knowledge and skills required to be successful in higher education:
Washington’s high school graduation requirements are not in line with the level of preparation our students need to be successful in post-secondary education and training. Nearly half of Washington’s high school graduates enrolled in our community and technical colleges are required to take non-credit remedial courses, and students who complete the minimum required high school curriculum are ineligible to attend a public four-year college or university. Washington must, as an immediate first step, align high school graduation requirements with the minimum entry requirements of our public four-year institutions, including at least three years of math through Algebra II, to ensure all students graduate from high school equipped to succeed in college-level coursework.
To stop there, however, would compromise the future competitiveness of Washington’s economy and our students' ability to compete for the jobs of the future. The TA recommends the next step be to increase course-taking requirements to four credits of math and three credits of science, to truly reflect the knowledge and skills our students will need to succeed in a variety of sectors in the rapidly changing global economy.
Elevate student achievement in math and science, with a focus on curriculum and teaching, hands-on learning, and opportunities to pursue advanced coursework:
The TA supports implementation of a limited number of state-approved math and science curricula and incorporation of hands-on science learning opportunities for students throughout the state. Washington must also strengthen math and science teaching by focusing on quality pre-service training; effective, ongoing professional development; and incentives for retaining effective, experienced teachers in these subjects. The state should also pursue strategies to incentivize students to complete Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate coursework in math and science.
Increase high-demand bachelor’s degree production
While Washington is among the top states in the nation for our science and engineering workforce, our higher education system is not equipped to meet the increasing demand: our state ranks 38th in production of bachelor’s degrees in STEM* disciplines, and 37th in bachelor’s degree production overall. We must invest in meeting future undergraduate capacity needs, funded at appropriate levels. The TA urges the state to move forward with a strategy to significantly increase degree production in line with recommendations put forward by the Prosperity Partnership and the Higher Education Coordinating Board, focusing on the high-demand fields of computer science; engineering; life sciences; medical research; nursing; and math and science secondary teaching.
Strengthen STEM graduate degree programs
Strong graduate programs are an essential component of a world-class higher education system. Graduate education supports university research and produces the highly educated workforce required by our innovative industries, which directly account for nearly 12% of employment and support nearly half of all jobs in our state. Companies such as Microsoft, Google and Amgen increasingly seek employees with advanced degrees: for example, graduate degree holders account for 35% of Google’s growing Washington-based engineering staff. The future success of our innovation economy will hinge on the ability of our innovative companies to recruit highly educated employees in Washington State.
Expand graduate degree capacity to be competitive with other leading technology states:
Although we have a high concentration of technology companies that depend upon a highly educated workforce, Washington ranks last among the Global Challenge States^ in advanced degree production, and 44th in the nation for participation in science and engineering graduate programs. The TA urges our state leaders to work with the Higher Education Coordinating Board and our universities to expand advanced degree production, with a strong emphasis on STEM disciplines, to elevate Washington into the 50th percentile of GCS.
Restore support enabling our universities to attract the best and brightest graduate students:
Our research universities attract graduate students from across the nation and around the globe, many of whom remain in Washington upon completion of their studies and contribute to our economy. This diverse student body represents the business leaders, technology innovators and groundbreaking researchers of tomorrow. In the 2007 session, the state reduced the general fund subsidy for non-resident graduate students, a step backward at a time when our universities’ ability to attract the best and brightest students is integral to their stature as world-class institutions. It is essential that Washington restore support for non-resident graduate student education and further strengthen these programs for the future.
Research Capacity
Generating the ideas and innovations of tomorrow
Enhance state support for our public research universities
The University of Washington and Washington State University are engines of our innovation economy, and yet our state support for university research historically has been among the lowest in the nation, ranking 47th on a per capita basis in 2003. It is vital that the state provide operating resources and support for capital projects at our public universities to fuel our research enterprise and provide essential educational opportunities for our science and engineering students.
Preserve the state commitment to the Life Sciences Discovery Fund:
Our state took a significant, positive step to support research in Washington through creation of the Life Sciences Discovery Fund. The LSDF Authority assembled private philanthropic support while waiting for public funds to become available, which enabled it to commence grant-making activities in 2007. With this forward momentum, it is critical that state leaders preserve the commitment of public funds to the LSDF to support research with high potential for commercialization that will improve human health and advance Washington’s position as a leader in life sciences research.
Build infrastructure to support academic research in areas of strategic opportunity for our state:
We have two world-class, public research universities that form the backbone of our increasingly R&D-based economy. While both institutions have been very successful in attracting research funding – UW is the top public higher education recipient of federal research dollars in the nation – the overall size of our academic research enterprise is small compared to that of many other states which benefit from the presence of private research universities. Our state must continue to build capacity at our public institutions through investments in capital facilities and a sustained commitment to recruiting and retaining top science and engineering faculty.
Provide “gap funding” to our universities to move promising research toward commercialization:
Gap funds support projects that show commercial promise but are not yet ready to be licensed to an existing company or form the basis of a new company startup. Projects at this phase typically have moved past the point of eligibility for federal research funding, but still require additional proof-of-concept or prototype creation before they can attract early stage investment or a licensing agreement. To fulfill a critical need and help move university research from the laboratory to the marketplace, the state should provide funding in the budget specifically for this purpose.
Entrepreneurial Climate
Supporting the growth of companies translating scientific discoveries and innovative technologies into new products, services and jobs in our state
Encourage more robust technology transfer and commercialization of research discoveries at Washington institutions
Washington should build upon improvements it made to state law governing technology transfer activities at our public research institutions. Technology transfer offices should be encouraged to streamline their procedures, reduce time to license for new technologies, and focus on new company formation. The TA plans to incorporate metrics on university technology transfer into our benchmarking work in order to gauge progress in this area.
Implement programs and policies that promote the growth of young, innovative companies
Washington has a highly entrepreneurial culture with a solid venture capital industry. Early stage companies are a critical component of a vibrant technology-based economy, turning ideas and research discoveries into services and products exported around the world, creating jobs, and contributing to our tax base. Our state should focus on addressing challenges faced by entrepreneurs in order to nurture the growth of early stage technology companies in Washington.
Partner with community-focused angel investor organizations to provide essential support and resources to entrepreneurs:
Angel investor organizations fulfill a critical need in our state by connecting entrepreneurs at promising young companies with investors seeking early stage investment opportunities. They also cultivate a sophisticated and engaged entrepreneurial and investor community through educational events and outreach. The state should, as part of its economic development strategy, capitalize on this existing infrastructure by contracting for entrepreneur support services with Washington-based, not-for-profit angel groups that have a track record of facilitating access to capital and a demonstrated commitment to investor and entrepreneur education.
Ensure access to affordable space for early stage technology companies:
New technology companies operate with very little capital upon initial startup and achieve successful growth by controlling costs while directing their limited resources to hiring the best minds and investing in product development. It is critical that such companies be able to find affordable office and laboratory space which is appropriate to their needs. For this reason, state and local governments should implement sensible land use policies that recognize the needs of 21st century industries and pursue strategies that enable communities to build infrastructure that will attract and retain innovative businesses with potential for growth.
Amend Washington’s constitution to provide the state with more flexibility to implement programs that strengthen our entrepreneurial climate:
Currently, Washington’s state constitution precludes the use of public funds to assist entrepreneurs in growing young companies. Many states have committed resources to supporting entrepreneurs and facilitating the growth of new companies in their jurisdictions through a variety of programs, posing a competitive challenge for our state. A constitutional amendment would provide Washington with the flexibility to target resources at encouraging the growth of innovative, emerging companies in our state.
Remove barriers to the retention of educated, entrepreneurial talent
Our research institutions and companies attract students, faculty and employees from all over the world, who perform groundbreaking research, attract new talent and funding, create new companies, and contribute to a critical mass of ideas, people, institutions and companies that makes us a recognized leader in science and technology. While thought of as a federal issue, the ability to attract and retain talent is a significant state economic development issue: Washington is among the top five states in terms of the number of public firms founded by foreign-born residents who, according to the National Venture Capital Association, start 40% of all public, venture-backed technology companies in the U.S. The state should advocate for federal immigration policies that enable us to retain highly educated graduates who come from abroad to train at our institutions of higher education, and increase our ability to attract other educated, entrepreneurial talent to live and work in Washington State and contribute to our growing innovation economy.
* Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics.
^ The Global Challenge States are a group of eight states designated for their potential to succeed in the new economy: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington.