BILL REQ. #:  H-3200.1 

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

     AN ACT Relating to removing the culminating project as a state graduation requirement; and amending RCW 28A.230.090, 28A.230.097, and 28A.320.240.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 28A.230.090 and 2011 c 203 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state board of education shall establish high school graduation requirements or equivalencies for students, except as provided in RCW 28A.230.122 and except those equivalencies established by local high schools or school districts under RCW 28A.230.097. The purpose of a high school diploma is to declare that a student is ready for success in postsecondary education, gainful employment, and citizenship, and is equipped with the skills to be a lifelong learner.
     (a) Any course in Washington state history and government used to fulfill high school graduation requirements shall consider including information on the culture, history, and government of the American Indian peoples who were the first inhabitants of the state.
     (b) The certificate of academic achievement requirements under RCW 28A.655.061 or the certificate of individual achievement requirements under RCW 28A.155.045 are required for graduation from a public high school but are not the only requirements for graduation.
     (c) Any decision on whether a student has met the state board's high school graduation requirements for a high school and beyond plan shall remain at the local level. Effective with the graduating class of 2015, the state board of education may not establish a requirement for students to complete a culminating project for graduation.
     (2)(a) In recognition of the statutory authority of the state board of education to establish and enforce minimum high school graduation requirements, the state board shall periodically reevaluate the graduation requirements and shall report such findings to the legislature in a timely manner as determined by the state board.
     (b) The state board shall reevaluate the graduation requirements for students enrolled in vocationally intensive and rigorous career and technical education programs, particularly those programs that lead to a certificate or credential that is state or nationally recognized. The purpose of the evaluation is to ensure that students enrolled in these programs have sufficient opportunity to earn a certificate of academic achievement, complete the program and earn the program's certificate or credential, and complete other state and local graduation requirements.
     (c) The state board shall forward any proposed changes to the high school graduation requirements to the education committees of the legislature for review and to the quality education council established under RCW 28A.290.010. The legislature shall have the opportunity to act during a regular legislative session before the changes are adopted through administrative rule by the state board. Changes that have a fiscal impact on school districts, as identified by a fiscal analysis prepared by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, shall take effect only if formally authorized and funded by the legislature through the omnibus appropriations act or other enacted legislation.
     (3) Pursuant to any requirement for instruction in languages other than English established by the state board of education or a local school district, or both, for purposes of high school graduation, students who receive instruction in American sign language or one or more American Indian languages shall be considered to have satisfied the state or local school district graduation requirement for instruction in one or more languages other than English.
     (4) If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if:
     (a) The course was taken with high school students, if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes, and the student has successfully passed by completing the same course requirements and examinations as the high school students enrolled in the class; or
     (b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors.
     (5) Students who have taken and successfully completed high school courses under the circumstances in subsection (4) of this section shall not be required to take an additional competency examination or perform any other additional assignment to receive credit.
     (6) At the college or university level, five quarter or three semester hours equals one high school credit.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.230.097 and 2013 c 241 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) Each high school or school district board of directors shall adopt course equivalencies for career and technical high school courses offered to students in high schools and skill centers. A career and technical course equivalency may be for whole or partial credit. Each school district board of directors shall develop a course equivalency approval procedure. Boards of directors must approve AP computer science courses as equivalent to high school mathematics or science, and must denote on a student's transcript that AP computer science qualifies as a math-based quantitative course for students who take the course in their senior year. In order for a board to approve AP computer science as equivalent to high school mathematics, the student must be concurrently enrolled in or have successfully completed algebra II.
     (2) Career and technical courses determined to be equivalent to academic core courses, in full or in part, by the high school or school district shall be accepted as meeting core requirements, including graduation requirements, if the courses are recorded on the student's transcript using the equivalent academic high school department designation and title. Full or partial credit shall be recorded as appropriate. The high school or school district shall also issue and keep record of course completion certificates that demonstrate that the career and technical courses were successfully completed as needed for industry certification, college credit, or preapprenticeship, as applicable. The certificate shall be ((either)) part of the student's high school and beyond plan ((or the student's culminating project, as determined by the student)). The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop and make available electronic samples of certificates of course completion.

Sec. 3   RCW 28A.320.240 and 2006 c 263 s 914 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The purpose of this section is to identify quality criteria for school library media programs that support the student learning goals under RCW 28A.150.210, the essential academic learning requirements under RCW 28A.655.070, and high school graduation requirements adopted under RCW 28A.230.090.
     (2) Every board of directors shall provide for the operation and stocking of such libraries as the board deems necessary for the proper education of the district's students or as otherwise required by law or rule of the superintendent of public instruction.
     (3) "Teacher-librarian" means a certified teacher with a library media endorsement under rules adopted by the professional educator standards board.
     (4) "School-library media program" means a school-based program that is staffed by a certificated teacher-librarian and provides a variety of resources that support student mastery of the essential academic learning requirements in all subject areas and the implementation of the district's school improvement plan.
     (5) The teacher-librarian, through the school-library media program, shall collaborate as an instructional partner to help all students meet the content goals in all subject areas, and assist high school students completing ((the culminating project and)) high school and beyond plans required for graduation.