BILL REQ. #:  H-1665.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/22/13.   

     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; adding new sections to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating a new section; and providing expiration dates.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that low-income students and students of color often do not have access to dual-credit programs that allow students to earn both high school and college credits. Low-income students and students of color are underrepresented in running start. Running start provides a cost-effective way for high school students to obtain college credits. It also accelerates their progress through the education system. Because low-income students and students of color are underrepresented in running start, they are unable to take advantage of its benefits. Therefore, a pilot project is necessary to improve enrollment among those populations and to ensure that running start is accessible to all students.
     The legislature finds that there are currently effective programs that provide a college preparatory curriculum to middle school and high school students, based on research methods of effective instruction that can be expanded through a pilot project. This curriculum will help students transition into dual credit programs. The purpose of this pilot project is to provide coordination between middle schools, high schools, and running start college programs to help address the existing opportunity gap and to implement a proven college preparatory curriculum and summer institute training to help serve this partnership.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A partnership pilot project involving middle schools, high schools, and participating institutions as defined in RCW 28A.600.300, aimed at increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in running start programs is established for a four-year period beginning no later than the 2014-15 school year.
     (2) A pilot project under this section must have the following characteristics:
     (a) A partnership between at least one middle school, one high school, and one participating institution;
     (b) The schools and participating institution must purchase curriculum emphasizing college preparation in writing, inquiry collaboration, and reading;
     (c) Some teachers and faculty from each of the schools and the participating institution must attend a summer institute geared toward both closing the opportunity gap and college preparation of students;
     (d) Each school and participating institution must identify and provide part-time funding for a lead teacher, whose duties must include:
     (i) Conducting regular meetings with the other lead teachers to discuss the effectiveness of the pilot project and identify additional supports for students;
     (ii) Interacting with and providing outreach to prospective students;
     (iii) Visiting the other partnering school or schools and participating institutions within their school district to observe programming and develop ideas for improving the collaboration; and
     (iv) Attending a summer institute geared toward both closing the opportunity gap and college preparation of students.
     (e) Each school and participating institution must incorporate the college preparatory curriculum into its instruction;
     (f) Each partnering school and participating institution must collect and report data on the demographics of its participating students;
     (g) The school district must provide outreach to students regarding the running start program; and
     (h) The school district must provide incentives for students participating in the running start component of the pilot project, which may include providing money to help pay for required running start textbooks, classroom fees, or transportation.
     (3) The curriculum and summer institute programming required under subsection (2) of this section must be provided by an organization that has at least thirty years of experience in secondary and postsecondary instructional services that have been implemented nationwide and evaluated, tested, and proven to be successful.
     (4)(a) Subject to funds appropriated specifically for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a competitive grant process for school districts and allocate one grant of not more than one hundred eighty thousand dollars per year.
     (b) Applicants must meet the requirements listed in subsection (2) of this section.
     (c) Eligibility for the grant is limited to school districts that already offer a college preparatory program as described in subsection (3) of this section.
     (5) Participating institutions, in consultation with partnering school districts, may establish an alternative admission process for students participating in the pilot project who apply for the running start program.
     (6) Each pilot project shall submit an annual progress report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by December 1st. The report must include demographic data of students involved in the pilot project and demographic data of students enrolled in the running start program. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall compile and summarize the reports in a standard format and forward them to the legislature each year.
     (7) This section expires August 1, 2019.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) A second component of the increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in the running start pilot project shall be facilitated by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and involve close collaboration and coordination between the participating institutions of higher education as defined in RCW 28A.600.300 that have over fifty students participating in the running start program and school districts with students participating in that program. School districts of the second class and nonhigh districts are not required to participate. School districts must meet with participating institutions of higher education located within their district and identify a plan for increasing enrollment of underrepresented students in the running start program. These meetings may include more than one school district or participating institution of higher education. A plan identified by each school district and partnering running start institution must be provided to the office of the superintendent of public instruction by August 1, 2014. The plan must include a focus on:
     (a) Identifying and implementing strategies to provide outreach regarding the running start program to underrepresented populations at middle schools and high schools to ensure that students and families have information on the program. These strategies should include outreach efforts conducted by students from underrepresented populations, representatives from participating institutions of higher education visiting local high schools, and school districts providing explicit information sessions regarding running start;
     (b) Ensuring better coordination between middle schools, high schools, and participating institutions of higher education to provide academic guidance to students who have been underrepresented in the running start program so that these students are better able to participate in that program.
     (2) By December 1, 2014, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must provide to appropriate committees of the legislature guidelines for improving outreach to students who have been underrepresented in the running start program and collaboration among middle schools, high schools, and participating institutions of higher education based on the plans that were reported by school districts and participating institutions of higher education.
     (3) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall collect current demographic data from each school district related to student participation in running start. This data shall be compared with data collected after two years of collaboration as described in subsection (1) of this section, and submitted to appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2016.
     (4) This section expires August 1, 2017.