AN ACT Relating to providing for career and technical education opportunities for elementary school students; amending RCW 28A.230.130, 28A.700.005, 28A.700.010, 28A.700.020, and 28A.700.050; adding a new section to chapter 28A.188 RCW; and making an appropriation.

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

Sec. 1.  RCW 28A.230.130 and 2011 c 77 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) All public high schools of the state shall provide a program, directly or in cooperation with a community college or another school district, for students whose educational plans include application for entrance to a baccalaureate-granting institution after being granted a high school diploma. The program shall help these students to meet at least the minimum entrance requirements under RCW 28B.10.050.

(2) All public high schools of the state shall provide a program, directly or in cooperation with a community or technical college, a skill((s [skill])) center, an apprenticeship committee, or another school district, for students who plan to pursue career or work opportunities other than entrance to a baccalaureate-granting institution after being granted a high school diploma. These programs may:

(a) Help students demonstrate the application of essential academic learning requirements to the world of work, occupation-specific skills, knowledge of more than one career in a chosen pathway, and employability and leadership skills; and

(b) Help students demonstrate the knowledge and skill needed to prepare for industry certification, and/or have the opportunity to articulate to postsecondary education and training programs.

(3) Within existing resources, all public high schools in the state shall:

(a) Work towards the goal of offering a sufficient number of high school courses that give students the opportunity to earn the equivalent of a year's worth of postsecondary credit towards a certificate, apprenticeship program, technical degree, or associate or baccalaureate degree. These high school courses are those advanced courses that have accompanying proficiency exams or demonstrated competencies that are used to demonstrate postsecondary knowledge and skills; and

(b) Inform students and their families, emphasizing communication to underrepresented groups, about the program offerings and the opportunities to take courses that qualify for postsecondary credit through demonstrated competencies or if the student earns the qualifying score on the proficiency exam. This information shall encourage students to use the twelfth grade as the launch year for an advance start on their career and postsecondary education.

(4) ((A))An elementary or middle school that receives approval from the office of the superintendent of public instruction to provide a career and technical program in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics directly to students shall receive funding at the same rate as a high school operating a similar program. Additionally, ((a))an elementary or middle school that provides a hands-on experience in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics with an integrated curriculum of academic content and career and technical education, and includes a career and technical education exploratory component shall also qualify for the career and technical education funding.

Sec. 2.  RCW 28A.700.005 and 2008 c 170 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The legislature finds that many ((secondary)) career and technical education programs have made progress in retooling for the twenty-first century by aligning with state and nationally certified programs that meet industry standards and by increasing the rigor of academic content in core skills such as reading, writing, mathematics, and science.

(2) However, the legislature also finds that increased expectations for students to meet the state's academic learning standards require students to take remedial courses. The state board of education is considering increasing credit requirements for high school graduation. Together these policies could restrict students from pursuing high quality career and technical education programs because students would not have adequate time in their schedules to enroll in a progressive sequence of career and technical courses.

(3) The legislature further finds that teachers, counselors, students, and parents are not well-informed about the opportunities presented by high quality career and technical education. ((Secondary))Career and technical education is not a stopping point but a beginning point for further education, including through a bachelor's degree. Secondary preapprenticeships and courses aligned to industry standards can lead directly to workforce entry as well as to additional education. Career and technical education is a proven strategy to engage and motivate students, including students at risk of dropping out of school entirely.

(4) Finally, the legislature finds that state policies have been piecemeal in support of career and technical education. Laws exist to require state approval of career and technical programs, but could be strengthened by requiring alignment with industry standards and focusing on high-demand fields. Tech prep consortia have developed articulation agreements for dual credit and smooth transitions between high schools and colleges, but agreements remain highly decentralized between individual faculty and individual schools. Laws require school districts to create equivalences between academic and career and technical courses, but more support and professional development is needed to expand these opportunities.

(5) Therefore it is the legislature's intent to identify the gaps in current laws and policies regarding ((secondary)) career and technical education and fill those gaps in a comprehensive fashion to create a coherent whole. This act seeks to increase the quality and rigor of ((secondary)) career and technical education, improve links to postsecondary education, encourage and facilitate academic instruction through career and technical courses, and expand access to and awareness of the opportunities offered by high quality career and technical education.

Sec. 3.  RCW 28A.700.010 and 2008 c 170 s 101 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) To ensure high quality career and technical programs, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall periodically review and approve the plans of local districts for the delivery of career and technical education. Standards for career and technical programs shall be established by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall develop a schedule for career and technical education plan reapproval under this section that includes an abbreviated review process for programs reapproved after 2005, but before June 12, 2008. All school district career and technical education programs must meet the requirements of this section by August 31, 2010.

(2) To receive approval, school district plans must:

(a) Demonstrate how career and technical education programs will ensure academic rigor; align with the state's education reform requirements; help address the skills gap of Washington's economy; and maintain strong relationships with local career and technical education advisory councils for the design and delivery of career and technical education;

(b) Demonstrate a strategy to align the five-year planning requirement under the federal Carl Perkins act with the state and district career and technical program planning requirements that include:

(i) An assessment of equipment and technology needs to support the skills training of technical students;

(ii) An assessment of industry internships required for teachers to ensure the ability to prepare students for industry-defined standards or certifications, or both;

(iii) An assessment of the costs of supporting job shadows, mentors, community service and industry internships, and other activities for student learning in the community;

(iv) A description of the leadership activities to be provided for technical education students; and

(v) Annual local school board approval;

(c) Demonstrate that all preparatory career and technical education courses offered by the district meet the requirements of RCW 28A.700.030;

(d) Demonstrate progress toward meeting or exceeding the targets established under RCW 28A.700.040 of an increased number of career and technical programs in high-demand fields; and

(e) Demonstrate that approved secondary career and technical programs maximize opportunities for students to earn dual credit for high school and college.

(3) To ensure high quality career education programs and services in ((secondary)) schools, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may provide technical assistance to local districts and develop state guidelines for the delivery of career guidance in ((secondary)) schools.

(4) To ensure leadership development, the staff of the office of the superintendent of public instruction may serve as the state advisors to Washington state FFA, Washington future business leaders of America, Washington DECA, Washington SkillsUSA, Washington family, career and community leaders, and Washington technology students association, and any additional career or technical student organizations that are formed. Working with the directors or executive secretaries of these organizations, the office of the superintendent of public instruction may develop tools for the coordination of leadership activities with the curriculum of technical education programs.

(5) As used in this section, "career and technical education" means a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options; supports basic academic and life skills; and enables achievement of high academic standards, leadership, options for high skill, high wage employment preparation, and advanced and continuing education.

Sec. 4.  RCW 28A.700.020 and 2012 c 229 s 802 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with the workforce training and education coordinating board, the Washington state apprenticeship and training council, and the state board for community and technical colleges, shall develop a list of statewide high-demand programs for primary and secondary career and technical education. The list shall be developed using the high-demand list maintained by workforce development councils in consultation with the employment security department, and the high employer demand programs of study identified by the workforce training and education coordinating board. Local school districts may recommend additional high-demand programs in consultation with local career and technical education advisory committees by submitting evidence of local high demand.

(2) As used in this section and in RCW 28A.700.040, 28A.700.050, and 28A.700.060((, and section 307 of this act)):

(a) "High-demand program" means a career and technical education program that prepares students for either a high employer demand program of study or a high-demand occupation, or both.

(b) "High employer demand program of study" means an apprenticeship or an undergraduate or graduate certificate or degree program in which the number of students per year prepared for employment from in-state programs is substantially fewer than the number of projected job openings per year in that field, either statewide or in a substate region.

(c) "High-demand occupation" means an occupation with a substantial number of current or projected employment opportunities.

Sec. 5.  RCW 28A.700.050 and 2008 c 170 s 105 are each amended to read as follows:

Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, or skill centers, to develop or upgrade high-demand career and technical education programs as identified under RCW 28A.700.020. Grant funds shall be allocated on a one-time basis and may be used to purchase or improve curriculum, create preapprenticeship programs, upgrade technology and equipment to meet industry standards, and for other purposes intended to initiate a new program or improve the rigor and quality of a high-demand program. Priority in allocating the funds shall be given to programs that are also considered high cost due to the types of technology and equipment necessary to maintain industry certification. Priority shall also be given to programs considered in most high demand in the state or applicable region.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  A new section is added to chapter 28A.188 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall implement a grant program to fund K-12 STEM programs provided by a national entity that is exempt from taxation under Title 26 U.S.C. Sec. 501(c)(3) of the federal internal revenue code of 1986, as amended, as of the effective date of this section. Awards from the grant program shall be used to pay for one-time start-up costs for courses to be offered to students beginning in the 2016-17 school year. Priority must be given to schools that have an enrollment of seventy percent or more students eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the national school lunch program or the school breakfast program to receive lunch or breakfast at no cost to the student or at a reduced cost to the student.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction and the education data center in the office of financial management shall track student participation and long-term outcome data.

(2) The funding in this section must be used for one-time start-up costs for courses to be offered to students beginning in the 2016-17 school year.

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