SENATE BILL REPORT
E2SHB 1526
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. |
As Reported by Senate Committee On:
Early Learning & K-12 Education, March 27, 2013
Title: An act relating to increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in running start through a middle school, high school, and running start college partnership pilot project.
Brief Description: Creating a pilot project to increase enrollment of underrepresented students in the running start program.
Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Education (originally sponsored by Representatives Orwall, Reykdal, Santos, Goodman, Upthegrove, Maxwell, Seaquist, Freeman, Bergquist, Lytton, Ryu, Kagi, Tarleton, Jinkins, Fey and Pollet).
Brief History: Passed House: 3/08/13, 75-23.
Committee Activity: Early Learning & K-12 Education: 3/18/13, 3/27/13 [DPA-WM, DNP].
SENATE COMMITTEE ON EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION |
Majority Report: Do pass as amended and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.
Signed by Senators Litzow, Chair; Dammeier, Vice Chair; McAuliffe, Ranking Member; Rolfes, Assistant Ranking Member; Billig, Cleveland, Fain, Hill and Mullet.
Minority Report: Do not pass.
Signed by Senator Brown.
Staff: Katherine Taylor (786-7434)
Background: The Running Start Program (Running Start) allows juniors and seniors in high school to enroll in college courses offered at a community or technical college or a participating public baccalaureate institution, and receive both high school and college credit. Students must demonstrate that they are ready for college-level work, usually through a placement test administered by the participating institution. Institutions may use different tests or have different readiness standards.
Running Start students do not pay tuition. Instead, the student is reported as enrolled in the school district for purposes of state funding allocations, and the district pays the institution an amount equal to the statewide average basic education allocation, minus 7 percent, which is retained by the district. The allocation amount for the 2012-13 school year is $4,961.76 per full time equivalent student for regular courses, and $5,856.48 for vocational
courses.
Students must purchase textbooks, provide for their own travel, and pay any fees associated with the course. Since 2009, students have also been required to pay other mandatory fees. Institutions must waive the mandatory fees for low-income students. In the 2011-12 academic year, 18,604 students participated in Running Start, primarily through a community or technical colleges.
Summary of Bill (Recommended Amendments): Meetings are required between participating Running Start institutions that have over 50 Running Start students and school districts to develop a plan for increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in Running Start. The plans must include strategies to provide outreach to underrepresented populations in middle and high schools regarding Running Start. The plans must also include details regarding coordination between high schools and participating institutions to provide academic guidance to underrepresented students. School districts without a high school or with fewer than 2000 students do not need to participate in these meetings.
Plans identified by the school district and participating institution must be provided to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) by August 1, 2014. OSPI must then provide guidelines to the appropriate committees of the Legislature regarding outreach and collaboration based on the plans provided by districts.
OSPI must collect current demographic data from each school district related to student participation in Running Start and compare that with data to be collected after two years of collaboration and submit that data to the Legislature by December 1, 2017.
EFFECT OF CHANGES MADE BY EARLY LEARNING & K-12 EDUCATION COMMITTEE (Recommended Amendments): Reinstates a partnership pilot project involving middle schools, high schools, and higher education institutions that participate in Running Start, for the 2014-15 school year only.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Committee/Commission/Task Force Created: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Engrossed Second Substitute House Bill: PRO: We support this bill but want it in its original version, as a pilot project. Our students need support too. It would not take much extra funding to roll out the bill in its original form. We would love to be the first state to get kids into Advancement Via Individual Determination in third and fourth grade. Many people benefit from Running Start.
OTHER: We have concerns. We would prefer to see a pilot project rather than rolling this out statewide. Running Start is important. The concepts in this bill are critical. We need to help kids be successful after high school.
Persons Testifying: PRO: Erin Jones, Federal Way School District; Bailey Stober, WA State Commission on African American Affairs.
OTHER: Lucinda Young, WA Education Assn.; Jerry Bender, Assn. of WA School Principals.