BILL REQ. #: H-2872.1

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HOUSE BILL 2697
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State of Washington

63rd Legislature

2014 Regular Session

By Representatives Ortiz-Self, Stonier, Lytton, Santos, Ryu, Roberts, Magendanz, Jinkins, Sells, Ormsby, Stanford, Springer, Takko, Fey, Bergquist, Freeman, Tarleton, and Riccelli

Read first time 01/27/14. Referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to a weighted grade point average for purposes of the standardized high school transcript; amending RCW 28A.230.125; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 The legislature finds that assigning greater value to grades earned in more challenging courses provides an incentive for students to challenge themselves academically. In addition, weighted grades deservedly reward students who take tougher courses, recognize higher levels of academic accomplishment, and provide a more fair and balanced system of grading in schools.

Sec. 2   RCW 28A.230.125 and 2011 1st sp.s. c 11 s 130 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the four-year institutions as defined in RCW 28B.76.020, the state board for community and technical colleges, and the workforce training and education coordinating board, shall develop for use by all public school districts a standardized high school transcript. The superintendent shall establish clear definitions for the terms "credits" and "hours" so that school programs operating on the quarter, semester, or trimester system can be compared.
     (2) The standardized high school transcript shall include a notation of whether the student has earned a certificate of individual achievement or a certificate of academic achievement.
     (3) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the entities listed under subsection (1) of this section, shall develop a common methodology to assign additional weight to advanced placement (AP) courses and higher level international baccalaureate (IB) courses for purposes of calculating a high school student's grade point average. Beginning in the 2014-15 school year, school districts shall use the common methodology for calculating the grade point average of all high school students for the standardized high school transcript.

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