H-1316

AN ACT Relating to education; amending RCW 28A.230.090 and 28B.80.350; and reenacting and amending RCW 28A.410.010.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28A.230.090 and 1990 1st ex.s. c 9 s 301 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students who commence the ninth grade subsequent to July 1, 1985, that meet or exceed the

following:

SUBJECT CREDITS

English 3

Mathematics 2

Social Studies

United States history

and government 1

Washington state

history and government 1/2

Contemporary world

history, geography,

and problems 1

Science (1 credit

must be in

laboratory science) 2

Occupational Education 1

Physical Education 2

Electives 5 1\2

Total 18

(2) For the purposes of this section one credit is equivalent to one year of study.

(3) The Washington state history and government requirement may be fulfilled by students in grades seven or eight or both. Students who have completed the Washington state history and government requirement in grades seven or eight or both shall be considered to have fulfilled the Washington state history and government requirement.

(4) A candidate for graduation must have in addition earned a minimum of 18 credits including all required courses. These credits shall consist of the state requirements listed above and such additional requirements and electives as shall be established by each district.

(5) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board.

(6) Pursuant to any foreign language requirement established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district foreign language graduation requirement.

(7) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses while in seventh and eighth grade shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:

(a) The course was taken with high school students and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or

(b) The course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.

(8) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (7) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit. Subsection (7) of this section shall also apply to students enrolled in high school on April 11, 1990, who took the courses while they were in seventh and eighth grade.

Sec. 2. Section 28A.410.010 and 1988 c 172 s 3 and 1988 c 97 s 1 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

The state board of education shall establish, publish, and enforce rules and regulations determining eligibility for and certification of personnel employed in the common schools of this state, including certification for emergency or temporary, substitute or provisional duty and under such certificates or permits as the board shall deem proper or as otherwise prescribed by law. Except for applicants who are applying for certificates which restrict the holder of the certificate to the teaching of students who are sixteen years of age or older, the rules shall require that the initial application for certification shall require a background check of the applicant through the Washington state patrol criminal identification system at the applicant's expense.

In establishing rules pertaining to the qualifications of instructors of American sign language the state board shall consult with the national association of the deaf, "sign instructors guidance network" (s.i.g.n.), and the Washington state association of the deaf for evaluation and certification of sign language instructors.

The superintendent of public instruction shall act as the administrator of any such rules and regulations and have the power to issue any certificates or permits and revoke the same in accordance with board rules and regulations.

Sec. 3. RCW 28B.80.350 and 1988 c 172 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

The board shall coordinate educational activities among all segments of higher education taking into account the educational programs, facilities, and other resources of both public and independent two and four-year colleges and universities. The four-year institutions and the state board for community college education shall coordinate information and activities with the board. The board shall have the following additional responsibilities:

(1) Promote interinstitutional cooperation;

(2) Establish minimum admission standards for four-year institutions, including a requirement that coursework in American sign language shall satisfy any foreign language requirement the board or the institutions may establish as a general undergraduate admissions requirement;

(3) Establish transfer policies;

(4) Adopt rules implementing statutory residency requirements;

(5) Develop and administer reciprocity agreements with bordering states and the province of British Columbia;

(6) Review and recommend compensation practices and levels for administrative employees, exempt under chapter 28B.16 RCW, and faculty using comparative data from peer institutions;

(7) Monitor higher education activities for compliance with all relevant state policies for higher education;

(8) Arbitrate disputes between and among four-year institutions or between and among four-year institutions and community colleges at the request of one or more of the institutions involved, or at the request of the governor, or from a resolution adopted by the legislature. The decision of the board shall be binding on the participants in the dispute;

(9) Establish and implement a state system for collecting, analyzing, and distributing information;

(10) Recommend to the governor and the legislature ways to remove any economic incentives to use off-campus program funds for on-campus activities; and

(11) Make recommendations to increase minority participation, and monitor and report on the progress of minority participation in higher education.