Brief Description: Providing a financial incentive to school districts for high school students who complete postsecondary credits.

Sponsors: Representatives Jarrett, Hunter, Talcott, Rodne, Tom, O'Brien and Woods.

Hearing Date: 1/19/06

Staff: Sarah Ream (786-7303).

Background:

Washington provides high school students with a number of paths to receive college credit while enrolled in high school. These paths include:

Running Start
This program allows high school juniors and seniors to take college-level courses, free of cost to the student, at Washington's community and technical colleges and at participating state universities. Students may earn up to the equivalent of two years of college credit in this program.

The superintendent of public instruction allocates to school districts funds for running start based on the number of running start enrollments at the district. A district then transfers to the participating colleges or universities each institution's share of the running start funding based on the number of students enrolled from the district.

Tech-Prep
This program provides high school students with career and technical courses taught on the high school campus by college faculty. Students receive college credit if they earn a B or better in the courses.
   
Funding for this program is provided by the federal government. There is no tuition charged to the participating students.

College-in the High School
This program allows high school students to take college level courses offered at their high school campus. These courses are college level and academic in nature, taught by college faculty, and included in the university's or college's regular curriculum. Participating students are officially enrolled in the college or university and must pay tuition for these courses.

Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate Programs
These programs provide students with advanced courses in various subjects that prepare the students to take approved national exams. Students earn college credit by scoring sufficiently well on the exams. Students are responsible for paying the exam fees.

Summary of Bill:

Subject to legislative appropriation, for every student who accumulates two academic years of post-secondary credit prior to graduation from high school, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate to the student's high school district an amount equal to the statewide annual average allocation for a full-time high school student. If a student accumulates fewer than two years of post-secondary credit the amount allocated to the district is prorated.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on January 10, 2006.

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