Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research |
BILL ANALYSIS |
Education Committee | |
SB 5289
Brief Description: Disregarding from federal accountability reporting those students receiving home-based instruction who participate in running start.
Sponsors: Senators McAuliffe, Hargrove, Stevens, Regala, Mulliken and Benton.
Brief Summary of Bill |
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Hearing Date: 3/23/05
Staff: Susan Morrissey (786-7111).
Background:
The Running Start program was established by the Legislature in 1990 to provide students with
the opportunity to earn high school and college credit simultaneously through taking college
courses in community colleges, technical colleges, or certain public baccalaureate institutions.
Under current law, students in the 11th and 12th grades who have not yet received their high
school diplomas and who meet entrance criteria established by participating colleges and
universities may participate in the program. Students who first enroll in the program in 11th
grade may participate in the program for the coursework equivalent to two academic years.
Students who first enroll in the program in grade 12 may participate for the coursework
equivalent to one academic year.
State rules established by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Higher
Education Coordinating Board, and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges
allow a student to continue to participate in the Running Start program beyond grade 12 due to
the student's absence, failure of one or more courses, or another similar reason as long as the
student takes only the course or courses required to meet high school graduation requirements.
During the 2003-04 school year, about 10 percent of public school juniors and seniors
participated in Running Start. The 15,610 students served equaled 9,007 Full Time
Equivalancies, an increase of about 6 percent over the previous year. Research suggests that
Running Start students perform as well as other college students. During the 2003-04 school
year, Running Start students enrolled in courses at Central Washington University earned an
average grade point of 3.44 (GPA), while those at Eastern Washington University earned an
average of a 3.25 GPA. In the same year, Running Start students who transferred to the
University of Washington earned a 3.14 GPA.
The federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that the state, school districts and high
schools report the percentage of students who graduate from high school with a regular diploma
in four years as a provision of making Adequate Yearly Progress. In addition, the state Academic
Achievement and Accountability Commission has established state-wide graduation rate
performance goals for the state, school districts, and schools.
Summary of Bill:
A provision is added to the Running Start enrollment criteria to clarify that 11th and 12th grade
students who meet entrance criteria established by participating colleges and universities are
eligible to participate in the Running Start as long as they have not earned the credits required for
a high school diploma.
Students receiving home-based instruction who enroll in a public high school for the sole
purpose of participating in the Running Start program will not be counted in state and federal
accountability reporting as long as the parents or guardians of the students file a declaration of
intent to provide home-based instruction and the students receive home-based instruction during
the school year before the school year in which the students intend to participate in the Running
Start program.
Students receiving home-based instruction and attending private schools are not required to take
the Washington Assessment of Student Learning, earn a Certificate of Academic Achievement or
a Certificate of Individual Achievement to graduate from high school, nor master the Essential
Academic Learning Requirements.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Not requested.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.