SENATE BILL REPORT

                                   SHB 1762

             AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION, APRIL 5, 1991

Brief Description:  Allowing eleventh and twelfth grade students to take courses at institutions of higher education for high school credit.

SPONSORS:House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Brough, Peery, Vance, Betrozoff, Brumsickle, Broback, Holland, P. Johnson, Dorn, Rasmussen, H. Sommers, Van Luven, Morton, Winsley, Jacobsen, Wineberry, Spanel, Tate, Miller, Bowman, Forner and D. Sommers).

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS

SENATE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Bailey, Chairman; Erwin, Vice Chairman; Anderson, Craswell, Metcalf, and Talmadge. 

Minority Report:  Do not pass as amended.

      Signed by Senators Murray, Pelz, Rinehart, and A. Smith.

Staff:  Leslie Goldstein (786‑7424)

Hearing Dates:March 27, 1991; April 5, 1991

BACKGROUND:

The Legislature created the Running Start Program in 1990.  This program allows 11th and 12th grade students to apply for enrollment at a community college or vocational-technical institute.  The student's school district is required to transmit to the community college or vocational-technical institute (VTI) the amount of state funds generated by a full time equivalent student and in proportion to the number of hours of instruction the student receives at the community college or VTI.

Under current law, the State Board for Community College Education is authorized to select up to five community college districts to participate in the Running Start Program during the 1990-1991 and 1991-1992 school years.  Beginning with the 1992-1993 school year, the program is available at all community colleges.

VTIs could elect to participate in the Running Start Program in the 1990-1991 school year and are required to participate in the 1991-1992 school year.

SUMMARY:

The Running Start Program is expanded to include state institutions of higher education, beginning with the 1992-93 school year.

Appropriation:  none

Revenue:  none

Fiscal Note:  available

SUMMARY OF PROPOSED SENATE AMENDMENT:

The educational enrichment program is created beginning with the 1993-94 school year.  The program permits 11th and 12th grade students to take up to five credits or three semester credits per quarter or semester at a state four-year institution of higher education.

The maximum number of students who may participate, determined on a head count basis, is 10 percent of the budgeted enrollment increase over the 1990-91 budgeted lower division enrollment at that four-year institution of higher education.

School districts transmit K-12 dollars in proportion to the hours of instruction the student receives at the college or university.  The college or university retains those dollars.  The student may receive both high school and college credits for the course.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Higher Education Coordinating Board may adopt rules.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Superintendent of Public Instruction together with the State Board for Community College Education shall develop recommendations for implementing the program.

TESTIMONY FOR:

This legislation would help high school students stay challenged and interested in education.  By providing some high school students with the opportunity to attend courses at the four-year institutions of higher education, gifted students could be prevented from dropping out of school.

TESTIMONY AGAINST:

The current pilot programs for high school students to attend the community colleges have only been in existence one year.  The pilot should be completed before the program is expanded.

Because of the enrollment lids at the four-year institutions of higher education, numbers of qualified high school graduates cannot attend a public college or university.  Under the proposed legislation, a high school student could attend college when qualified high school graduates are turned away.

It costs approximately $5,300 to educate a college student.  A high school student is only funded at $3,400. 

The program might hurt the advanced placement courses at high school since the more advanced students would take courses at college.  High school courses can be very challenging.  High schools provide students with a support system appropriate to their age and not found in college.

TESTIFIED:  Representative Jean Marie Brough, original sponsor (pro); Tim Washburn, University of Washington (con); Sue Durrant, Judy McNickle, Council of Faculty Representatives, Western Washington University (con); Don Barbacoui, Everett High School (con); Walter Ball, Association of Washington School Principals (con); Marcia Costello, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction