BILL REQ. #:  H-4269.1 

Read first time 01/22/10.   Referred to Committee on Education.

     AN ACT Relating to dual credit programs; amending RCW 28A.600.290; reenacting and amending RCW 28B.92.030; and adding a new section to chapter 28B.10 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The higher education coordinating board shall convene a work group to include representatives from the state board for community and technical colleges, the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction. In consultation with the association of Washington school principals, the work group shall jointly develop and recommend rules governing the acceptance of advanced placement and international baccalaureate credit.
     (2) The state board for community and technical colleges, the state universities, the regional universities, The Evergreen State College, and the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall each adopt rules based on the work group's recommendations. The rules shall address institutional obligations regarding the adoption and publication of statewide standard minimum scores required for acceptance of advanced placement and international baccalaureate credit. The rules shall be written to encourage the maximum use of the program and may not narrow or limit the enrollment options.
     (3) Participation in the state student financial aid program, as defined in chapter 28B.92 RCW, is conditioned on the acceptance of advanced placement and international baccalaureate credit based on rules developed and adopted under this section.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.600.290 and 2009 c 450 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, the higher education coordinating board, and the public baccalaureate institutions shall jointly develop and each adopt rules governing the college in the high school program. The association of Washington school principals shall be consulted during the rules development. The rules shall be written to encourage the maximum use of the program and may not narrow or limit the enrollment options.
     (2) College in the high school programs shall each be governed by a local contract between the district and the institution of higher education, in compliance with the guidelines adopted by the superintendent of public instruction, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the public baccalaureate institutions.
     (3) The college in the high school program must include the provisions in this subsection.
     (a) The high school and institution of higher education together shall define the criteria for student eligibility. The institution of higher education may charge tuition fees to participating students. The amount of tuition fees charged shall be determined jointly by the high schools and institution of higher education.
     (b) School districts shall report no student for more than one full-time equivalent including college in the high school courses.
     (c) The funds received by the institution of higher education may not be deemed tuition or operating fees and may be retained by the institution of higher education.
     (d) Enrollment information on persons registered under this section must be maintained by the institution of higher education separately from other enrollment information and may not be included in official enrollment reports, nor may such persons be considered in any enrollment statistics that would affect higher education budgetary determinations.
     (e) A school district must grant high school credit to a student enrolled in a program course if the student successfully completes the course. If no comparable course is offered by the school district, the school district superintendent shall determine how many credits to award for the course. The determination shall be made in writing before the student enrolls in the course. The credits shall be applied toward graduation requirements and subject area requirements. Evidence of successful completion of each program course shall be included in the student's secondary school records and transcript.
     (f) An institution of higher education must grant college credit to a student enrolled in a program course if the student successfully completes the course. The college credit shall be applied toward general education requirements or major requirements. If no comparable course is offered by the college, the institution of higher education at which the teacher of the program course is employed shall determine how many credits to award for the course and whether the course fulfills general education or major requirements. Evidence of successful completion of each program course must be included in the student's college transcript.
     (g) Eleventh and twelfth grade students or students who have not yet received a high school diploma or its equivalent and are eligible to be in the eleventh or twelfth grades may participate in the college in the high school program.
     (h) Participating school districts must provide general information about the college in the high school program to all students in grades ten, eleven, and twelve and to the parents and guardians of those students.
     (i) Full-time and part-time faculty at institutions of higher education, including adjunct faculty, are eligible to teach program courses.
     (4) The definitions in this subsection apply throughout this section.
     (a) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning in RCW 28B.10.016 and also includes a public tribal college located in Washington and accredited by the Northwest commission on colleges and universities or another accrediting association recognized by the United States department of education.
     (b) "Program course" means a college course offered in a high school under the college in the high school program.

Sec. 3   RCW 28B.92.030 and 2009 c 238 s 7 and 2009 c 215 s 5 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     As used in this chapter:
     (1) "Board" means the higher education coordinating board.
     (2) "Disadvantaged student" means a post high school student who by reason of adverse cultural, educational, environmental, experiential, familial or other circumstances is unable to qualify for enrollment as a full-time student in an institution of higher education, who would otherwise qualify as a needy student, and who is attending an institution of higher education under an established program designed to qualify the student for enrollment as a full-time student.
     (3) "Financial aid" means loans and/or grants to needy students enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at institutions of higher education.
     (4) "Institution" or "institutions of higher education" means:
     (a) Any public university, college, community college, or technical college operated by the state of Washington or any political subdivision thereof; or
     (b) Any other university, college, school, or institute in the state of Washington offering instruction beyond the high school level which is a member institution of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the board for the purposes of this section: PROVIDED, That any institution, branch, extension or facility operating within the state of Washington which is affiliated with an institution operating in another state must be a separately accredited member institution of any such accrediting association, or a branch of a member institution of an accrediting association recognized by rule of the board for purposes of this section, that is eligible for federal student financial aid assistance and has operated as a nonprofit college or university delivering on-site classroom instruction for a minimum of twenty consecutive years within the state of Washington, and has an annual enrollment of at least seven hundred full-time equivalent students: PROVIDED FURTHER, That no institution of higher education shall be eligible to participate in a student financial aid program unless it agrees to and complies with program rules ((and regulations)) adopted pursuant to RCW 28B.92.150 and section 1 of this act.
     (5) "Needy student" means a posthigh school student of an institution of higher education who demonstrates to the board the financial inability, either through the student's parents, family and/or personally, to meet the total cost of board, room, books, and tuition and incidental fees for any semester or quarter. "Needy student" also means an opportunity internship graduate as defined by RCW 28C.18.162 who enrolls in a postsecondary program of study as defined in RCW 28C.18.162 within one year of high school graduation.
     (6) "Placebound student" means a student who (a) is unable to complete a college program because of family or employment commitments, health concerns, monetary inability, or other similar factors; and (b) may be influenced by the receipt of an enhanced student financial aid award to complete a baccalaureate degree at an eligible institution.