SUPERINTENDENT OF

PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

The authority for this chapter is RCW 28A.600.390, which authorizes the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the ((higher education coordinating board)) Washington student achievement council to jointly develop and adopt rules governing RCW 28A.600.300 through 28A.600.380, and 28A.150.260 and 28A.150.290 which authorize the superintendent of public instruction to adopt rules governing basic education allocation moneys. The rules set forth in this chapter have been jointly developed and agreed upon by the three agencies, and adopted and codified in separate chapters of the Washington Administrative Code by each of the three agencies. The rules may be modified only by agreement of all three agencies.

As used in this chapter, the terms "running start" and "running start program" mean the part-time to full-time equivalent enrollment under this chapter of eligible eleventh and twelfth grade high school students in an institution of higher education for the purpose of earning at least high school credit to be awarded by a school district, and such additional college level or university level credit as may be awarded by the institution of higher education. A running start program's course must be open for registration to matriculated students at the participating institution of higher education and may not be a course consisting solely of high school students offered at a high school campus.

As used in this chapter, the term "eligible student" means any person, including a person who is otherwise attending a private school or receiving home-based instruction, who meets each of the following conditions:

(1) The person is under the age of twenty-one years of age as of September 1 of the school year.

(2) The person is eligible by reason of his or her residence or other criterion established by law to enroll in the school district through which the person seeks to obtain the award of running start program high school credit. See RCW 28A.225.160 (residents of a school district), RCW 28A.225.170 (residents of the United States and Indian Reservations), RCW 28A.225.210 (residents of "nonhigh" school districts), and RCW 28A.225.220 ("choice" students). Note: A running start student who changes his or her school district of residence, including after a rescindment of a choice transfer agreement following enrollment in running start, solely for the purpose of attending an institution of higher education under this chapter shall be deemed to have retained his or her residence in the school district of initial running start enrollment for high school graduation, funding and other purposes under this chapter.

(3) The person is eligible under the grade placement policies of the school district through which the person seeks to obtain running start program high school credit to be in the eleventh or the twelfth grade.

(4) The person has not as of the beginning of the school year earned the credits required for the award of a high school diploma by the school district through which the person seeks to obtain the award of running start program high school credit.

(5) The person has not as of the beginning of the school year received a high school diploma or its equivalent. Note: A general education development certificate is not considered to be the equivalent of a high school diploma for purposes of this subsection.

(6) The person's running start program enrollment to date is below the applicable eleventh or twelfth grade running start enrollment limitations established under WAC 392-169-055.

For the purposes of this chapter and chapter 392-121 WAC, "full-time equivalent (FTE) running start enrollment" (i.e., college or university enrollment) means the FTE of running start students on an enrollment count date when each student's FTE is determined subject to the limitations of WAC 392-169-022, 392-169-055 and 392-169-115 as follows:

(1) FTE for running start enrollment is the result of ((multiplying the quotient of)) dividing a student's enrolled college credits ((divided)) by fifteen ((and the quotient of three divided by the number of months the running start class is provided)). For Washington State University classes offered at the college campus only, the FTE for running start enrollment is the result of dividing a student's enrolled college semester credits by fifteen.

(2) The sum of the results of running start enrollment under subsection (1) of this section at all colleges shall not exceed 1.00 FTE per student on any count day except for the month of January or 1.00 annual average FTE in any school year.

For purposes of this chapter and chapter 392-121 WAC, "annual average full-time equivalent (AAFTE) running start enrollment" means((:

(1) For running start classes offered at the college campus,)) the sum of the AAFTE of all running start students for a school year when each running start student's AAFTE equals the sum of the student's running start FTE enrollment on the nine running start count dates divided by nine.

Running start program enrollment under this chapter is limited as follows (and as may be further limited for academic reasons under WAC 392-169-057):

(1) An eligible student who enrolls in grade eleven may enroll in an institution of higher education while in the eleventh grade for no more than the course work equivalent to one academic year of enrollment as an annual average full-time equivalent running start student (i.e., three college or university quarters as a full-time equivalent college or university student, two semesters as a full-time equivalent college or university student, or nine months as a full-time equivalent technical college student((, or ten months as a full-time equivalent student taking running start classes in the high school setting))).

(2) An eligible student who enrolls in grade twelve may enroll in an institution of higher education while in the twelfth grade for no more than the course work equivalent to one academic year of enrollment as an annual average full-time equivalent running start student (i.e., three college or university quarters as a full-time equivalent community college or university student, two semesters as a full-time equivalent college or university student, or nine months as a full-time technical college student((, or ten months as a full-time equivalent student taking running start classes in the high school setting))).

(3) Enrollment in an institution of higher education is limited to the fall, winter and spring college quarters, and the fall and spring college semesters((, and the district standard school year (September through June))).

(4) As a general rule a student's eligibility for running start program enrollment terminates at the end of the student's twelfth grade regular academic year, notwithstanding the student's failure to have enrolled in an institution of higher education to the full extent permitted by subsections (1) and (2) of this section: Provided, That a student who has failed to meet high school graduation requirements as of the end of the student's twelfth grade regular academic year (September through June) due to the student's absence, the student's failure of one or more courses, or another similar reason may continue running start program enrollment for the sole and exclusive purpose of completing the particular course or courses required to meet high school graduation requirements, subject to the enrollment limitation established by subsection (2) of this section.

Enrollment count dates for the running start program shall be as follows:

(1) For community and technical colleges and for Central Washington University and Eastern Washington University ((classes offered at the college campus)), the first college or university day of each of the months of October through June; and

(2) For Washington State University ((classes offered at the college campus)), the first university day of each of the months of September through May.