PROPOSED RULES
Original Notice.
Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 11-16-097.
Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: WAC 180-51-050 High school credit -- Definition.
Hearing Location(s): Educational Service District #112, 2500 N.E. 65th Avenue, Vancouver, WA 98661-6812, on November 9, 2011, at 1:00 p.m.
Date of Intended Adoption: November 10, 2011.
Submit Written Comments to: Loy McColm, Washington State Board of Education, P.O. Box 47206, 600 Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504-7206, e-mail loy.mccolm@k12.wa.us, fax (360) 586-2357, by November 4, 2011.
Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Loy McColm, (360) 725-6027, by November 2, 2011, TTY (360) 664-3631 or (360) 725-6027.
Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: The proposed amendments: (1) Remove from the definition of a high school credit the requirement to include one hundred fifty hours of planned instructional activities; (2) substitute a nontime-based definition of a credit and clarifies that this definition is related to: (a) Successful completion of course work; and (b) proficiency/competency based credit for knowledge or skills gained outside of a public school classroom setting; (3) eliminates the provision providing for high school credit for courses taken in grades seven and eight and instead references RCW 28A.230.090 (which proscribes the circumstances under which a district can award credit for courses taken prior to high school); and (4) eliminates the requirement for the state board of education (SBE) to notify the state board for community and technical colleges (SBCTC) and the higher education coordinating board (HECB) of any school or school district awarding credit for proficiency/competency.
Reasons Supporting Proposal: Deletion of the one hundred fifty hours from the definition of WAC 180-51-050 and substitution of a nontime-based definition for credit provides for the award of high school credit unrelated to any specific number of hours of instruction. The language currently in WAC 180-51-050 providing for high school credit for courses taken in grades seven and eight is inconsistent with the language in RCW 28A.230.090. The amendment is intended to insure that high school credit is granted to a student meeting the requirements of RCW 28A.230.090. Deletion of the requirement for the SBE to notify SBCTC and the HECB regarding the award of credit for proficiency/competency is based on the fact that no authority requires such reporting and this requirement has not been implemented in recent years.
Statutory Authority for Adoption: RCW 28A.230.090.
Statute Being Implemented: RCW 28A.230.090.
Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.
Name of Proponent: Washington state board of education, governmental.
Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting: Loy McColm, 600 Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504-7206, (360) 725-6027; Implementation and Enforcement: Ben Rarick, 600 Washington Street, Olympia, WA 98504-7206, (360) 725-6027.
No small business economic impact statement has been prepared under chapter 19.85 RCW. Not required.
A cost-benefit analysis is not required under RCW 34.05.328. Not required.
September 19, 2011
Ben Rarick
Executive Director
OTS-4316.1
AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 05-19-105, filed 9/20/05,
effective 10/21/05)
WAC 180-51-050
High school credit -- Definition.
As used
in this chapter the term "high school credit" shall mean:
(1) Grades nine through twelve or the equivalent of a
four-year high school program, ((and grades seven and eight
under the provisions of)) or as otherwise provided in RCW 28A.230.090(4) ((and (5))):
(a) ((One hundred fifty hours of planned instructional
activities approved by the district;)) Successful completion,
as defined by written district policy, of courses taught to
the state's essential academic learning requirements (learning
standards). If there are no state-adopted learning standards
for a subject, the local governing board, or its designee,
shall determine learning standards for the successful
completion of that subject; or
(b) Satisfactory demonstration by a student of ((clearly
identified competencies established pursuant to a process
defined in written district policy. Districts are strongly
advised to confirm with the higher education coordinating
board that the award of competency-based high school credit
meets the minimum college core admissions standards set by the
higher education coordinating board for admission into a
public, baccalaureate institution)) proficiency/competency, as
defined by written district policy, of the state's essential
academic learning requirements (learning standards).
(2) College and university course work. At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours shall equal 1.0 high school credit: Provided, That for the purpose of this subsection, "college and university course work" means course work that generally is designated 100 level or above by the college or university.
(3) Community/technical college high school completion program - Diploma awarded by community/technical colleges. Five quarter or three semester hours of community/technical college high school completion course work shall equal 1.0 high school credit: Provided, That for purposes of awarding equivalency credit under this subsection, college and university high school completion course work includes course work that is designated below the 100 level by the college and the course work is developmental education at grade levels nine through twelve or the equivalent of a four-year high school program. (See also WAC 180-51-053)
(4) Community/technical college high school completion program - Diploma awarded by school district. A minimum of .5 and a maximum of 1.0 high school credit may be awarded for every five quarter or three semester hours of community/technical college high school completion course work: Provided, That for purposes of awarding equivalency credit under this subsection, college and university high school completion course work includes course work that is designated below the 100 level by the college and the course work is developmental education at grade levels nine through twelve or the equivalent of a four-year high school program. (See also WAC 180-51-053)
(5) Each high school district board of directors shall adopt a written policy for determining the awarding of equivalency credit authorized under subsection (4) of this section. The policy shall apply uniformly to all high schools in the district.
(6) Each high school district board of directors shall adopt a written policy regarding the recognition and acceptance of earned credits. The policy shall apply to all high schools in the district. The policy may include reliance on the professional judgment of the building principal or designee in determining whether or not a credit meets the district's standards for recognition and acceptance of a credit. The policy shall include an appeal procedure to the district if it includes reliance on the professional judgment of the building principal or designee.
(7) A student must first obtain a written release from their school district to enroll in a high school completion program under subsection (3) of this section if the student has not reached age eighteen or whose class has not graduated.
(((8) The state board of education shall notify the state
board for community and technical colleges and the higher
education coordinating board of any school or school district
that awards high school credit as authorized under subsection
(1)(b) of this section.))
[Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.230 RCW. 05-19-105, § 180-51-050, filed 9/20/05, effective 10/21/05. Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.230 RCW and RCW 28B.50.915. 04-20-093, § 180-51-050, filed 10/5/04, effective 11/5/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.150.220(4), 28A.305.140, and 28A.305.130(6). 04-04-093, § 180-51-050, filed 2/3/04, effective 3/5/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090. 00-23-032, § 180-51-050, filed 11/8/00, effective 12/9/00; 99-10-093, § 180-51-050, filed 5/4/99, effective 6/4/99. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090 and 28A.305.130. 97-08-020, § 180-51-050, filed 3/25/97, effective 4/25/97; 96-09-027, § 180-51-050, filed 4/9/96, effective 5/10/96. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090, 28A.305.130 and 1994 c 222. 95-16-063, § 180-51-050, filed 7/27/95, effective 8/27/95. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090(1) and 28A.305.130 (8) and (9). 94-13-017, § 180-51-050, filed 6/3/94, effective 7/4/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.230.090. 94-03-100 (Order 1-94), § 180-51-050, filed 1/19/94, effective 9/1/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 28A.05.060. 85-12-041 (Order 12-85), § 180-51-050, filed 6/5/85. Statutory Authority: Chapter 28A.05 RCW. 84-11-049 (Order 7-84), § 180-51-050, filed 5/17/84.]