HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 2580

This analysis was prepared by non-partisan legislative staff for the use of legislative members in their deliberations. This analysis is not a part of the legislation nor does it constitute a statement of legislative intent.

Brief Summary of Substitute Bill

Provides that dual credit agreements between high schools or skill centers and community or technical colleges must be approved by, rather than subject to the approval of, the Chief Instructional Officer of the college and the career and technical education (CTE) director of the high school or skill center.
Directs that a college may not charge a student more than a standard transcription fee to accept an agreed-upon CTE course for college credit.

Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 13 members: Representatives Quall, Chair; Maxwell, Vice Chair; Priest, Ranking Minority Member; Hope, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Dammeier, Fagan, Hunt, Johnson, Liias, Orwall, Probst, Santos and Sullivan.

Background:

One of the provisions of comprehensive career and technical education (CTE) legislation enacted in 2008 was to direct that community and technical colleges create agreements with high schools and skill centers to offer college credit for secondary CTE courses, with agreements subject to approval by the Chief Instructional Officer of the college and the principal and CTE director of the high school or skill center. The legislation also required that, if a community or technical college has created a dual credit agreement with a high school or skill center, then all colleges must accept that course for an equal amount of college credit. Some colleges may offer to grant the credit, but only after charging the student a fee.

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Summary of Substitute Bill:

Dual credit agreements between high schools or skill centers and community or technical colleges must be approved by, rather than subject to the approval of, the Chief Instructional Officer of the college and the CTE director of the high school or skill center. A community or technical college may not charge a student more than a standard transcription fee when asked to grant college credit for a secondary CTE course where another college has agreed to offer such credit.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:

Provisions regarding approval of dual credit agreements by the Chief Instructional Officer of a community or technical college are added. A provision is removed regarding high schools or skill centers requesting assistance from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in a situation where a college was not following the law pertaining to granting college credit for secondary CTE courses. School districts are no longer required to establish procedures for determining when academic courses are considered equivalent to CTE courses.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This continues the good work of this Education Committee two years ago in passing comprehensive legislation to support CTE. As high schools and colleges have worked to develop dual credit agreements, a few "hiccups" have occurred. We have identified a few technical corrections to address areas of dispute. Some high schools and skill centers have been struggling for years to achieve the results intended from the legislation. They have difficulty getting credits at their local college. College instructional staff seem to have the authority to reject agreements without justification. Agreements should be created by the college academic officers, not individual instructors. Much is being achieved under the legislation from two years ago. Regarding equivalency crediting, school districts want to grant occupational education credit for courses that do not meet CTE standards. Our CTE courses have to meet a certain standard; if other courses are to be granted CTE credit, they should also have to meet that standard.

(Opposed) The colleges and the SBCTC are not aware that there are lingering issues. If we had known there were problems, we would have addressed them. If our colleges are not following the law, we should know about that. Any high school or skill center has only to pick up the phone, and we will become involved.

Persons Testifying: (In support) Representative Liaas, prime sponsor; Dennis Kampe, Clark County Skills Center; Kathleen Lopp, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Tim Knue, Washington Association of Career and Technical Education.

(Opposed) Pat Ward, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.