Background:

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

In addition to its constitutional charge of supervising all matters pertaining to public schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and its office has numerous and broad responsibilities prescribed in statute, including:

making rules and regulations necessary for the administration of public education requirements;
preparing courses of study and other materials and books for the discharge of education duties; and
fulfilling financial responsibilities, including distributing legislatively allocated funds to districts for the operation of the public school system, and awarding numerous state and federally funded grants.

Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

The Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board) provides planning, coordination, evaluation, monitoring, and policy analysis for the state training system as a whole, and advice to the Governor and Legislature concerning the state training system, in cooperation with the state training system and the Washington Student Achievement Council.

Career and Technical Education.

As defined in statute, "career and technical education," or CTE, is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. State law specifies that CTE enables the achievement of high academic standards, leadership, options for high skill, high wage employment preparation, and advanced and continuing education.

High School and Beyond Plans.

One of the state graduation requirements is the completion of a High School and Beyond Plan (HSBP). Rules adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) provide that each student must have a HSBP for their high school experience, including what they expect to do the year following graduation. The content of the plan and whether a student's plan meets the requirement is determined at the district level.

Summary of Bill:

Work-Integrated Learning Demonstration Pilot Project.

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the work-integrated learning demonstration pilot project (pilot project) is established. The purpose of the pilot project is to promote work-integrated learning experiences for students by providing:

an opportunity for students to engage in work-based academic programs, such as internships, externships, and apprenticeships, with public and private sector employers; and
a framework for the development and replication of successful work-integrated learning programs throughout the state.

Demonstration programs established through the pilot project must:

provide academic curricula in a work-integrated and career-contextualized manner, and include an external mentor for each student in the program;
be developed by the participating school district or school in collaboration with students and parents or guardians, local employers, community members, and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI);
reflect local circumstances, including local industries, employers, and labor markets;
comply with the 24-credit graduation requirements established by the SBE; and
be integrated into the HSPB policies and practices of the districts in which the selected schools are located.

The OSPI and a newly created Work-Integrated Learning Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) must develop an application process for high schools and jointly select three or four schools to develop work-integrated learning project programs. Of the selected schools, at least one must be from a county located in eastern Washington, at least one must be from a county located in western Washington that has fewer than 600,000 residents, and at least one must be from a county with more than 1.5 million residents.

The schools selected to develop and implement programs must, after the conclusion of their programs, agree to serve as resources and examples to other schools of how to provide work-integrated learning through internship, externship, and apprenticeship programs through the provision of technical and other assistance.

By August 1, 2019, and August 1, 2020, the participating schools must submit to the OSPI, the Workforce Board, and the Advisory Committee, an interim and end-of-project report, respectively, that includes numeric and other data summarizing the effects of their work-integrated learning project programs on high school graduation rates, state test scores, and community partnerships, including partnerships with local employers and industries.

Work-Integrated Learning Advisory Committee.

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose the Workforce Board must convene the Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Legislature and the education and workforce sectors on creating opportunities for students to: explore and understand a wide range of career-related opportunities through applied learning; engage with industry mentors; and plan for career and college success. Staff support for the Advisory Committee must be provided by the Workforce Board.

The Advisory Committee is charged with:

advising the SPI and the Workforce Board on the development and implementation of work-integrated instructional programs;
reviewing the instructional programs of the school selected to participate in the pilot project;
analyzing barriers to statewide adoption of work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities and instructional programs;
recommending policies to implement work-integrated and career-related strategies that increase college and career readiness of students statewide; and
consulting with individuals from the public and private sectors with expertise in CTE and work-integrated training, including representatives of labor unions, professional technical organizations, and business and industry.

The Advisory Committee must, at a minimum, be composed of the following members:

one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the House of Representatives and the Senate;
the SPI or the Superintendent's designee;
one educator representing the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) CTE sector, appointed by the SPI;
one school counselor appointed by the SPI;
one educator representing the community and technical colleges;
one member of the Governor's office specializing in CTE and workforce needs;
one member of the Workforce Board;
one or more members from employers representing manufacturing and industry, as determined by the Advisory Committee; and
other members with specialized expertise, as determined by the Advisory Committee.

The chair or cochairs of the Advisory Committee must be selected by the members of the Advisory Committee.

The Advisory Committee must report its findings and recommendations to the SPI, the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the SBE, and the education committees and economic development committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate by July 1, 2021.

Review and Analysis Duties.

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the Workforce Board and the OSPI must jointly review and analyze the reports and data submitted by schools selected to participate in the pilot project to evaluate their work-integrated learning project programs. The evaluation must determine:

the impact on in-school progress, high school graduation rates, and other indicators of career and college readiness, both overall and in reducing opportunity gaps;
best practices for partnering with industry and the local community to create opportunities for applied learning through internships, externships, apprenticeships, and mentorships; and
best practices for linking the HSBP with work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities, and increasing college readiness.

The evaluation must be completed with sufficient time for the Advisory Committee to review the results and incorporate any provisions into its findings and recommendations.

All provisions are null and void unless funded in the omnibus appropriations act.