Title: An act relating to studying performance and funding of running start students.

Brief Description: Studying performance and funding of running start students.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Early Learning, K-12 & Higher Education (originally sponsored by Senators Brandland, Sheldon, Fairley, Berkey, Delvin, Benson and Rockefeller).

Brief History:

Higher Education & Workforce Education: 2/17/06, 2/23/06 [DPA].

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION & WORKFORCE EDUCATION

Majority Report: Do pass as amended. Signed by 12 members: Representatives Kenney, Chair; Sells, Vice Chair; Cox, Ranking Minority Member; Rodne, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Buri, Dunn, Fromhold, Hasegawa, Ormsby, Priest, Roberts and Sommers.

Staff: Jennifer Thornton (786-7111).

Background:

Running Start
In 1990 the Legislature created the Running Start dual-enrollment program as part of the Learning By Choice Act. Running Start provides 11th and 12th grade students with the option to attend courses at participating institutions of higher education for the purpose of earning dual high school and college/university credit. Students must meet entrance criteria established by the participating colleges and universities and may earn the equivalent of up to two academic years of college credit in the program.

Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA)
Beginning in 2008, graduates from public high schools in Washington must earn a CAA in order to receive a diploma. The CAA is evidence a student has met the state's academic standards in reading, writing and mathematics on the 10th-grade Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL). In 2010, meeting standards on the science WASL will also become a requirement for earning a CAA.

Summary of Amended Bill:

Within current budgets, the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), in consultation with the Higher Education Coordinating Board, are directed to conduct a study of public student performance on the high school WASL and subsequent performance participating in college-level courses under the Running Start program.

Amended Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:

The OSPI as the primary author is replaced to have the OSPI and the SBCTC as co-authors.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Amended Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: (In support) This is the second year this bill has come forward. This is not an anti-Running Start bill; it is based on school district administrator concerns that some of their students disappear and some students aren't prepared and need remediation. Running Start is a huge success for the vast majority of students who complete the program. This study is for the approximately 10 percent who don't. Additionally, there is a lot of conflicting information related to funding. The K-12 system and college system both think they are underfunded; this will get both sides together and get to the bottom of it. A great program will be even better.

It is important to make Running Start more rewarding, and learning more about Running Start through this study will enable that to happen. Preserving student options, aligning Running Start with education reform, and looking into the funding formula are all critical. Suggestions for expanding and changing the study were provided. The SBCTC and the OSPI agreed to co-author the study, as they work closely together on Running Start. A suggestion was made to uncouple WASL performance and running start entrance; the OSPI sponsored a study in 2002 that compared WASL scores with college placement tests. In terms of expansion, it would be beneficial to know about students' experience in the program including: student barriers to participation; qualitative information about student experiences; and data on the economic status of students.

The OSPI submitted a fiscal note, as they do not currently have funding to conduct this study.

Testimony Against: None.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Senator Brandland, sponsor.

(With concerns) Sally Zeiger Hanson, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges; and Kyra Kester, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.