H-4407

AN ACT Relating to academic, vocational, and technological education; adding new sections to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; providing an expiration date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that improving the quality of education is essential to improving the ability of students to prosper in a changing work force. Today's employers have a tremendous need for technically skilled people whether they are graduating from high school, a community college, a four-year university, or a technical college.

(2) The legislature further finds that student motivation can be greatly increased by demonstration of practical application of course work content and relevancy to student career interests.

(3) The legislature further finds that our rapidly changing work force demands improving basic competencies and skills by challenging and motivating our students to compete in a global economy.

(4) The legislature further finds that students should have access to both academic and vocational education in accordance with their interests, needs, and abilities. The elimination of rigid tracking into educational programs will increase students post high school options and expose students to a wide range of vocational and academic opportunities.

(5) The purpose of sections 2 through 12 of this act is to equip students with increased academic and vocational education opportunities through the establishment of academic and vocational integration development projects geographically distributed throughout the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. There is established in the office of the superintendent of public instruction an academic and vocational integration development program which shall fund and coordinate pilot projects to develop model secondary school projects. The projects shall combine academic and vocational education into a single instructional system that is responsive to the educational needs of all students in secondary schools. Goals of the projects within the program shall include at a minimum:

(1) Integration of vocational and academic instructional curriculum into a single curriculum;

(2) Emphasis on increased vocational, personal, and academic guidance and counseling for students as an essential component of the student's high school experience;

(3) Active participation of educators in the planning, implementation, and operation of the project, including increased opportunities for professional development and in-service training; and

(4) Active participation by employers, private and public community service providers, parents, and community members in the development and operation of the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. The superintendent of public instruction shall develop a process for schools or school districts to apply to participate in the academic and vocational integration development program. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall review and select projects for grant awards, and monitor and evaluate the academic and vocational integration development program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint a ten-member task force on academic and vocational integration. The task force shall include at least one representative from the work force training and education coordinating board. The task force shall advise the superintendent of public instruction in the development of the process for applying to participate in the academic and vocational integration development program, in the review and selection of projects under section 3 of this act, and the monitoring and evaluation of the projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Initial applications to participate in the academic and vocational integration development program shall be submitted by the school district board of directors to the superintendent of public instruction not later than June 1, 1992. Subject to available funding, additional applications may be submitted for consideration by November 1 of subsequent years. The superintendent of public instruction shall distribute the initial award grants by July 30, 1992. The initial academic and vocational integration development projects shall commence with the 1992-93 school year. Each application shall include a proposed plan that:

(1) Enumerates specific activities to be carried out as part of the pilot school's project;

(2) Commits all parties to work cooperatively during the term of the pilot project;

(3) Includes budget plans for the project and additional anticipated sources of funding, including private grants and contributions, if any;

(4) Identifies the evaluation and accountability processes to be used to measure school-wide student and project performance;

(5) Identifies and justifies any request for waiver of specific state statutes or administrative rules;

(6) Includes a written statement that school directors and administrators are willing to exempt the school or schools from specifically identified local rules, as needed;

(7) Includes a written statement that the school directors and the local bargaining agents will modify those portions of their local agreements as applicable for the schools' projects; and

(8) Includes evidence that the school district employs a certified vocational education administrator.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall administer sections 1 through 12 of this act.

(2) The academic and vocational integration development projects may be conducted for up to six years, if funds are provided.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The superintendent of public instruction may accept, receive, and administer for the purposes of sections 1 through 12 of this act such gifts, grants, and contributions as may be provided from public and private sources for the purposes of sections 1 through 12 of this act.

(2) The academic and vocational integration development program account is hereby established in the custody of the state treasurer. The superintendent of public instruction shall deposit in the account all moneys received under this section. Moneys in the account may be spent only for the purposes of sections 1 through 12 of this act. Disbursements from this account shall be on the authorization of the superintendent of public instruction or the superintendent's designee. The account is subject to the allotment procedure provided under chapter 43.88 RCW, but no appropriation is required for disbursements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) The state board of education, where appropriate, or the superintendent of public instruction, where appropriate, may grant waivers to pilot project districts from the provisions of statutes or administrative rules relating to: The length of the school year; teacher contact hour requirements; program hour offerings; teacher to student ratios; salary lid compliance requirements; the commingling of funds appropriated by the legislature on a categorical basis for such programs as, but not limited to, highly capable students, transitional bilingual instruction, and learning assistance; and other administrative rules which in the opinion of the state board of education or the superintendent of public instruction may need to be waived in order to implement a pilot project proposal.

(2) State rules dealing with public health, safety, and civil rights, including accessibility by the handicapped, shall not be waived. A school district may request the state board of education or the superintendent of public instruction to ask the United States department of education or other federal agencies to waive certain federal regulations necessary to fully implement the proposed pilot project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 9. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall provide technical assistance to selected schools and shall develop a process that coordinates and facilitates linkages among participating school districts, technical colleges, and colleges and universities.

(2) The superintendent of public instruction and the state board of education may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to implement its duties under sections 1 through 12 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall report to the legislature on the progress of the schools for the academic and vocational integration development program by December 15 of each odd-numbered year.

(2) Each school district selected to participate in the academic and vocational integration development program shall submit an annual report to the superintendent of public instruction on the progress of the pilot project as a condition of receipt of continued funding.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 11. The superintendent of public instruction, through the state clearinghouse for education information, shall collect and disseminate to all school districts and other interested parties information about the academic and vocational integration development pilot projects.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. Sections 1 through 12 of this act may be known and cited as the academic and vocational integration development program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 13. Sections 1 through 12 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.630 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 14. Sections 1 through 12 of this act shall expire June 30, 1999.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. If any part of this act is found to be in conflict with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, the conflicting part of this act is inoperative solely to the extent of the conflict and with respect to the agencies directly affected, and this finding does not affect the operation of the remainder of this act in its application to the agencies concerned. The rules under this act shall meet federal requirements that are a necessary condition to the receipt of federal funds by the state.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 17. 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.