HOUSE BILL REPORT

2SSB 5624

As Reported by House Committee On:

Higher Education

Title: An act relating to aligning high-demand secondary STEM or career and technical education programs with applied baccalaureate programs.

Brief Description: Aligning high-demand secondary STEM or career and technical education programs with applied baccalaureate programs.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators McAuliffe, Litzow, Shin, Kohl-Welles, Hasegawa, Rolfes, Hobbs, Becker, Frockt, Chase, Eide and Conway).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Higher Education: 3/20/13, 3/26/13 [DP].

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 11 members: Representatives Seaquist, Chair; Pollet, Vice Chair; Haler, Ranking Minority Member; Hansen, Hargrove, Pedersen, Riccelli, Sawyer, Sells, Tarleton and Wylie.

Minority Report: Do not pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Zeiger, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Fagan, Johnson, Magendanz, Scott, Smith and Walsh.

Staff: Luke Wickham (786-7146).

Background:

Washington Director for Math, Science, and Technology.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction must provide support for statewide coordination of math, science, and technology, including employing a statewide director for those subjects. The duties of that director include, among others, collaborating with the community and technical colleges, the four-year institutions of higher education, and the Workforce Training Board to conduct outreach efforts to attract middle and high school students to careers in math, science, and technology and educate students about the necessary coursework to adequately prepare for those fields.

Applied Baccalaureate Degree.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) may select community and technical colleges to develop and offer programs of study leading to applied baccalaureate degrees. An applied baccalaureate degree is:

• specifically designed for individuals who hold an associate of applied science degree in order to maximize application of his or her technical credits toward the baccalaureate degree; and

• based on curriculum that incorporates both theoretical and applied knowledge and skills in a technical field.

The SBCTC selects community or technical colleges to develop and offer programs leading to applied baccalaureate degrees based on:

• the college demonstrating the capacity to make a long-term commitment of resources to build and sustain a high-quality program;

• the college readily engaging faculty appropriately qualified to develop and deliver high quality curricula at the baccalaureate level;

• the college demonstrating demand for the proposed program from a sufficient number of students within its service area to make the program cost-effective and feasible to operate;

• the college demonstrating that employers demand the level of technical training proposed within the program, making it cost-effective for students; and

• the program filling a gap in options available for students because it is not offered by a public four-year institution of higher education in the college's geographic area.

In 2005 the Legislature allowed up to four institutions to offer baccalaureate programs in an applied field as part of a pilot project. In 2007 three additional institutions were authorized to offer applied baccalaureate degrees. In 2010 the Legislature removed the pilot status from the applied baccalaureate program and removed the limitation on the number of institutions offering the degrees. Currently, there are 13 applied baccalaureate degrees at eight colleges, including Bellevue College, Centralia College, Columbia Basin College, Lake Washington Technical College, Olympic College, Peninsula College, Seattle Central Community College, and South Seattle Community College. The degrees offered at these colleges include Bachelor's of Applied Science in Radiation and Imaging, Bachelor's of Applied Science in Applied Management, and Bachelor's of Science Nursing, among others.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Summary of Bill:

Subject to available funding, the duties of the Washington director for math, science, and technology are expanded to include working with the SBCTC to develop high-demand applied baccalaureate programs that align with secondary science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), and career and technical education programs.

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the SBCTC must select community or technical colleges to develop and offer two programs that support the continuation of high quality STEM programs, or career and technical education programs offered to K-12 students who are prepared and aspire to pursue these areas in college and careers. Subject to available funding, a college selected may develop curriculum and deliver courses leading to a high-demand applied baccalaureate degree.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

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

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is in line with the strategic mission of the SBCTC to develop skilled workers, strengthen student success, and achieve increased educational attainment among state residents. The focus on STEM subjects will provide the use of technology, collaboration, and innovation to improve student success. There have been many successes in the applied baccalaureate program. There are eight colleges offering 13 different applied baccalaureate programs. There are 15 colleges that have applied for applied baccalaureate programs. Applied baccalaureate programs in the STEM fields are greatly needed in our communities.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Edward Esparza, State Board for Community and Technical Colleges.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.