H-3737

AN ACT Relating to academic, vocational, and technological education; adding new sections to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; making an appropriation; 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 14 of this act is to equip students with increased academic and vocational education opportunities through the establishment of three 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 three 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, with the assistance of the state board of education and in consultation with the work force training and education coordinating board, 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. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall appoint a task force on academic and vocational integration. 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, and review and selection of projects under section 3 of this act.

(2) The task force of ten people shall be appointed by the superintendent of public instruction. Appointed members who are not legislators shall be reimbursed for travel expenses under RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060. Appointed members who are members of the legislature shall be reimbursed for travel expenses under RCW 44.04.120. Members of the task force shall serve for a period of six years.

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 application may be submitted for board consideration by November 1 of subsequent years. 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 provisions for certificated school staff and classified school employees whose primary duties are the daily educational instruction of students, to be employed on supplemental contracts with additional compensation for a minimum of ten additional days beyond the general state-funded school year allocations, and staff development time as provided by legislative appropriation, and, if there is an application for a waiver of a provision of RCW 28A.400.200, district resources may be used to fund the employment of staff beyond the ten additional days for the purposes of the pilot project;

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

(5) Identifies the technical resources desired, the potential costs of those resources, and the institutions of higher education, educational service districts, or consultants available to provide such services;

(6) Identifies the evaluation and accountability processes to be used to measure school-wide student and project performance, and identifies a model that provides the basis for a staff incentive pay system. Implementation of the staff incentive pay system is not required;

(7) Justifies each request for waiver of specific state statutes or administrative rules during at least the first two years of the project;

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

(9) 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 pilot schools' projects;

(10) Includes evidence that the school district employs a certified vocational education administrator; and

(11) Includes written statements of support from the district's board of directors, the district superintendent, the principal and staff of the building requesting to become a pilot school; and statements of support, willingness to participate, or concerns from any interested parent, business, or community organization.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6. The superintendent of public instruction and the task force, after reviewing project proposals, shall, subject to money being appropriated by the legislature for this purpose, select:

(1) Not more than ten projects during each biennium;

(2) Projects that reflect, as much as possible, a balance among geographic areas and school characteristics and sizes.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 7. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall administer sections 1 through 14 of this act and may award grant funding, subject to money being appropriated by the legislature for this purpose for projects selected by the superintendent under section 6 of this act.

(2) 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.

(3) The academic and vocational integration development projects may be conducted for up to six years, if funds are provided. Subject to approval by the superintendent of public instruction and continued state funding, projects initially funded for two years may be extended for a total period not to exceed six years. Future funding shall be conditioned on a positive evaluation of the project.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 8. (1) The superintendent of public instruction may accept, receive, and administer for the purposes of sections 1 through 14 of this act such gifts, grants, and contributions as may be provided from public and private sources for the purposes of sections 1 through 14 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 14 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. 9. 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.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 10. 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. 11. (1) The superintendent of public instruction shall ensure that successful applicant school districts will be afforded resource and special support assistance, as specified in legislative appropriations, in undertaking academic and vocational integration development program activities. The superintendent shall develop a process that coordinates and facilitates linkages among participating school districts, technical colleges, and colleges and universities. Staff from schools or districts selected to participate in the academic and vocational integration development program shall be given priority consideration for participation in state-sponsored staff development programs and summer institutes that are directly related to the goals of the selected projects.

(2) The state board of education may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to implement its duties under sections 1 through 14 of this act.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction may adopt rules under chapter 34.05 RCW as necessary to implement the superintendent's duties under sections 1 through 14 of this act.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 12. (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 January 15 of each odd-numbered year, including a recommendation on the number of additional pilot schools that should be authorized and funded. The first report shall be submitted by January 15, 1993.

(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. 13. 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. 14. Sections 1 through 14 of this act may be known and cited as the academic and vocational integration development program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 15. Sections 1 through 14 of this act are each added to chapter 28A.630 RCW.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 16. Sections 1 through 14 of this act shall expire June 30, 1999.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 17. The sum of two hundred fifty thousand dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for the biennium ending June 30, 1993, from the general fund to the superintendent of public instruction for the purposes of the academic and vocational integration development program under sections 1 through 14 of this act. Grants to individual pilot projects shall not exceed one hundred thousand dollars per biennium.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 18. 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. 19. 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. 20. 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.