BP BHEAD INT H [Atlas:Generic]

AN ACT Relating to high school credit equivalencies; amending RCW 28A.230.090 and 28A.305.285; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. In 1994, the legislature directed the higher education board and the state board of education to convene a task force to examine and provide recommendations on establishing credit equivalencies. In November 1994, the task force recommended unanimously that the state board of education maintain the definition of five quarter or three semester college credits as equivalent to one high school credit. Therefore, the legislature intends to adopt the recommendations of the task force.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.230.090 and 1993 c 371 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students. Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements is encouraged to include information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.

(2) 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.

(3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English 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 or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.

(4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school 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, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, 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 academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and 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.

(5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit. Subsection (4) of this section shall also apply to students enrolled in high school on April 11, 1990, who took the courses before attending high school.

(6) At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours equals one high school credit.

Sec. 3. RCW 28A.305.285 and 1994 c 222 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

((~~(1)~~)) By May 1, 1994, or as soon as possible thereafter, the higher education coordinating board and the state board of education shall convene a task force creating a forum for ongoing discussion of curriculum issues that transect higher education and the common schools. In selecting members of the task force, the boards shall consult the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the commission on student learning, the state board for community and technical colleges, the work force training and education coordinating board, the Washington council on high school-college relations, representatives of the four-year institutions, representatives of the school directors, the school and district administrators, teachers, higher education faculty, students, counselors, vocational directors, parents, and other interested organizations. The process shall be designed to provide advice and counsel to the appropriate boards on topics that may include but are not limited to: ((~~(a)~~)) (1) The changing nature of educational instruction and crediting, and awarding appropriate credit for knowledge and competencies learned in a variety of ways in both institutions of higher education and high schools; ((~~(b)~~)) (2) options for students to enroll in programs and institutions that will best meet the students' needs and educational goals; and ((~~(c)~~)) (3) articulation agreements between institutions of higher education and high schools.

(((2) By December 30, 1994, after considering the advice of the task force created in this section, the higher education coordinating board and the state board of education shall report the recommendations on establishing credit equivalencies to the house of representatives and senate education and higher education committees.))