H-2236.1          _______________________________________________

                            SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1936

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              52nd Legislature             1991 Regular Session

By House Committee on Higher Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Dorn, Ferguson, Jacobsen, Orr, Grant, Roland, Rasmussen, Winsley, Broback and Rayburn).

Read first time March 6, 1991.  Allowing high school graduation requirements to satisfy coursework requirements for undergraduate admissions.

     AN ACT Relating to college and university admission standards; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.      By May 15, 1991, or as soon as possible thereafter, the higher education coordinating board and the superintendent of public instruction shall jointly convene a task force to recommend a process for evaluating and accepting a student's high school coursework for entrance into a state university, regional university, or state college.  In selecting or adding task force members, the agencies shall consult with the work force training and education coordinating board and other appropriate organizations.  The process shall be designed to accomplish the following goals:

     (1) Give college freshmen a reasonable assurance that their high school coursework has prepared them to successfully proceed through college.

     (2) Recognize the changing nature of high school crediting and instruction and award appropriate credit for curriculum and competencies learned in a variety of ways, including through interdisciplinary classes, equivalency classes, and the academic components of vocational and technical classes.

     (3) Recognize and award appropriate credit to measurable student competencies.

     (4) Achieve decisions within a reasonable amount of time.

     (5) Under special circumstances, provide for on-site program or coursework reviews.

     (6) Provide an appeal process that, under special circumstances, may provide an additional review of competencies, coursework, or classes.

     By December 20, 1991, the higher education coordinating board and the superintendent of public instruction shall report recommendations to the governor and the house of representatives and senate higher education and education committees.  In the event that the two agencies are unable to reach agreement on a process, the report may include points of agreement and disagreement.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.      This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and shall take effect immediately.