FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 1758

C 524 L 09

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Expanding options for students to earn high school diplomas.

Sponsors: House Committee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Quall, Hope, Wallace, Sullivan, Goodman, Kagi, Santos, Morrell, Hasegawa and Ormsby).

House Committee on Education

House Committee on Education Appropriations

Senate Committee on Early Learning & K-12 Education

Background:

The State Board of Education (SBE) establishes minimum statewide high school graduation requirements. These requirements include 19 credits of a specified distribution of courses, a high school and beyond plan, and a culminating project. Beginning with the graduating class of 2008, an additional state requirement for graduation from a public high school is achievement of a Certificate of Academic Achievement (CAA) or Certificate of Individual Achievement (CIA). Through the class of 2012, there is an exception to this requirement for students who did not successfully meet the state standard on the high school mathematics assessment. Local school districts may adopt additional requirements. School districts issue high school diplomas to students who satisfactorily complete all state and local graduation requirements.

Community and technical colleges are also authorized under state law to issue high school diplomas or certificates, based on rules adopted by the SBE. The rules require individuals to meet the same credit requirements to earn a diploma from a college (also called a high school completion diploma) as are required for a diploma from a high school. For individuals over age 18, colleges have flexibility to award credit based on college courses, correspondence courses, independent study, testing, work experience, and other evidence of educational attainment. For individuals under 18 years of age, a high school principal must approve the program of studies that will lead to the diploma. Students over the age of 21 are not required to earn a CAA or a CIA.

Students who are juniors or seniors in high school can earn both high school and college credit simultaneously by enrolling in a community or technical college and some four-year higher education institutions through the Running Start program. School districts redirect basic education funds to the college to pay the cost of attendance, and the student is not required to pay tuition. There are a number of laws requiring school districts to notify students about the Running Start program and other educational options.

Summary:

In addition to high school completion diplomas issued under rules adopted by the SBE, community and technical colleges are authorized to issue high school diplomas, on written request of the student, to:

1. individuals enrolled in Running Start who enroll in the college and complete an Associate's Degree; and

2. individuals over 21 who enroll in the college for the purpose of obtaining an Associate's Degree and who complete the degree.

It is clarified that the individuals over 21 are not eligible for state K-12 funding.

School districts must include these options in various required notifications to students about available educational options.

Votes on Final Passage: