Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Education Committee
E2SSB 5670
Brief Description: Providing summer running start for rising juniors.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Hawkins, Randall, Holy, Kuderer, Nguyen, Nobles, Salda?a and Wilson, L.).
Brief Summary of Engrossed Second Substitute Bill
  • Allows students who have completed their tenth grade year and not yet begun their eleventh grade year to enroll in Running Start courses during the summer academic term.
  • Requires information about Running Start summer enrollment opportunities to be provided to students in grades 10 through 12 and their parents and guardians.
Hearing Date: 2/15/24
Staff: Megan Wargacki (786-7194).
Background:

Running Start Program Generally.
Every school district, charter school, and state-tribal education compact school must allow eleventh and twelfth grade students to participate in the Running Start (RS) program. 
 
The RS program allows students in grades 11 and 12, and students who have not yet received the credits required for the award of a high school diploma and are eligible to be in the eleventh or twelfth grade, to enroll in college courses at certain institutions of higher education and to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit. 
 
Students choosing to participate in the RS program are responsible for applying for admission to the institution of higher education.  Students do not pay for tuition, but do pay for educational materials, course fees, and transportation costs.
 
School districts must provide general information about the RS program to all students in grades 10 through 12, and the parents and guardians of those students.  
 
Summer Running Start.
In 2020 legislation was enacted that created a two-year Running Start Summer School Pilot program to evaluate interest in and barriers to expanding the RS program to include the summer academic term.  Legislation enacted in 2023 codified a requirement that the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) adopt rules for state funding of RS student enrollment during the summer academic term.  The 2023 legislation also required that the rules limit funding for RS summer enrollments to 10 college credits per student per summer academic term. 
 
In September 2023, the OSPI filed emergency rules for the RS program.  Among other policy changes, the emergency rules permit students who have completed the tenth grade at the end of the standard school year to enroll as RS students in up to 10 credits at an institution of higher education during the summer academic term prior to their eleventh grade.
Summary of Bill:

Students who have completed their tenth grade year and not yet begun their eleventh grade year (known as rising eleventh grade students) may enroll in Running Start courses for up to 10 quarter credits, or the semester equivalent, during the summer academic term.


Along with otherwise required information about the Running Start program provided to students in grades 10 through 12 and their parents and guardians, school districts must provide information about Running Start enrollment opportunities during the summer academic term.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Preliminary fiscal note available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.