ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5410

BySenate Higher Education & Workforce Development (originally sponsored by Senators Mullet, Rivers, Palumbo, Liias, and Wilson, C.)

AN ACT Relating to a systemwide credit policy regarding advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge international exams; amending RCW 28B.10.054; creating a new section; and repealing RCW 28B.10.051.

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

The legislature feels strongly that students who have earned minimum scores of three on advanced placement exams, four on standard-level and higher-level international baccalaureate exams, or scores of E or higher on Cambridge assessment international education exams deserve to receive undergraduate college credit, including elective credit and, where appropriate, course equivalent credit, for their work.

The legislature finds it necessary to develop a systemwide credit policy that allows those students to easily understand in advance whether institutions of higher education will award them credit, as well as which type of credit students will receive and the rationale for the institution of higher education's determination.

The legislature further encourages institutions of higher education to establish a policy favoring the award of course equivalent credit for the successful completion of standardized and commonly required courses.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.10.054 and 2017 c 179 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The institutions of higher education must establish a coordinated, evidence-based policy for granting as many undergraduate college credits, as possible and appropriate, to students who have earned minimum scores of three on ((AP))advanced placement exams ((as possible and appropriate)), four on standard-level and higher-level international baccalaureate exams, or scores of E or higher on Cambridge assessment international education exams.

(2) Each institution of higher education must create a process for retroactively awarding international baccalaureate exam undergraduate college credits under the terms of this section to students who first enrolled in the institution of higher education in the 2018-19 academic year.

(3) Credit ((policy))policies regarding all ((AP))advanced placement and international baccalaureate exams must be posted on campus web sites effective for the ((2017))2019 fall academic term. Credit policies regarding all Cambridge assessment international education exams must be posted on campus web sites effective for the 2020 fall academic term. If an institution of higher education is unable to award a general education course equivalency, the student may request in writing an evidence-based reason as to why general education course equivalency cannot be granted. Institutions of higher education must maintain web sites regarding their advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge assessment international education policies in a publicly accessible way. The institutions of higher education must conduct biennial reviews of their ((AP))advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge assessment international education credit ((policy))policies and report noncompliance to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1st each ((year))biennium beginning November 1, 2019. The institutions of higher education must include in biennial reviews data including the number and proportion of students who requested and subsequently received or were denied college credit by exam type, subject area, and appropriate demographic information about credit recipients including transfer status, race or ethnicity, and state need grant status. The purpose of this data is to review equity in participation rates and success rates within the advanced placement, international baccalaureate, and Cambridge assessment international education programs, and subsequently compare that data with similar data from the general student populations of schools feeding into the programs.

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