BILL REQ. #:  H-3335.1 

Read first time 01/16/14.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to addressing barriers for students to participate in the running start program; adding a new section to chapter 28A.630 RCW; creating new sections; 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 the running start program. Running start provides a cost-effective way for high school students to obtain college credits and also accelerates their progress through the education system.
     Because low-income students and students of color are underrepresented in the running start program, they are unable to take advantage of its benefits. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the program and barriers to participating in the program is necessary to improve enrollment among those populations and to ensure that the running start program is accessible to all students.
     It is also necessary to improve collaboration between K-12 schools and running start institutions, and for those institutions and schools to develop concrete plans for improving underrepresented student enrollment.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   (1) The student achievement council shall conduct a comprehensive analysis of the running start program. The analysis must include a review of the barriers that students face in participating in the program, identification of best practices in making the program accessible and preparing students academically for the program, and the degree completion outcomes of students who participate in the program. The council shall submit a report based on this analysis to the education committees of the legislature by January 1, 2015.
     (2) This section expires August 1, 2015.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 28A.630 RCW to read as follows:
     (1)(a) Participation plans shall be developed to increase enrollment of underrepresented students in the running start program.
     (b) Development of the plans shall be facilitated by the office of the superintendent of public instruction and through close collaboration and coordination between 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 the program. School districts of the second class and nonhigh districts are not required to participate.
     (c) 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.
     (d) 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 November 1, 2014.
     (2) Each plan identified under subsection (1) of this section 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, including 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; and
     (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 the program.
     (3) By January 1, 2015, the office of the superintendent of public instruction must provide to the appropriate committees of the legislature guidelines for improving outreach to students who have been underrepresented in the running start program and for collaboration among middle schools, high schools, and participating institutions of higher education based on the plans that were reported under subsection (1) of this section by school districts and participating institutions of higher education.
     (4) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall collect current demographic data from each school district related to student participation in the running start program. This data shall be compared with data collected after two years of collaboration as described in subsection (1) of this section, and submitted to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2017.
     (5) This section expires August 1, 2018.