1333-S AMH STAM MULV 143

SHB 1333 - H AMD 172

By Representative Stambaugh

ADOPTED 03/07/2017

    Strike everything after the enacting clause and insert the following:

"NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  The legislature finds that advanced placement coursework prepares students for postsecondary success and provides opportunities for them to earn college credit or secure placement in advanced courses. The legislature further finds that eighty-four thousand eight hundred sixty-six students took an AP exam in Washington state in 2015. The legislature further finds that six thousand six hundred sixty-seven of those students were underrepresented minority students and nine thousand four hundred seventy-one were low-income students. The legislature further finds that of the students that took an AP exam in Washington state in 2015, fifty-one thousand seven hundred twenty-five scored a three, four, or five.

Therefore, the legislature intends to establish a policy for granting as many undergraduate course credits as possible to students who have earned a minimum score of three on their AP exams and clearly communicate credit awarding policies and course equivalencies to students. The goal of the policy is to award course credit in all appropriate instances and maximize the number of college students given college credit for AP exam scores of three or higher.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  A new section is added to chapter 28B.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The institutions of higher education must establish a coordinated, evidence-based policy for granting as many undergraduate college credits to students who have earned minimum scores of three on AP exams as possible and appropriate.

(2) Credit policy regarding all AP exams must be posted on campus web sites effective for the 2017 fall academic term. The institutions of higher education must conduct biennial reviews of their AP credit policy and report noncompliance to the appropriate committees of the legislature by November 1st each year beginning November 1, 2019."

EFFECT:

· Includes a new intent section that describes how many students take AP exams, how many are minority students, and how many receive scores of three or higher, while also including a statement about the Legislature's intent to establish a policy for awarding undergraduate course credit for AP exams.

· Requires a coordinated, evidence-based policy for granting as many undergraduate college credits to students who have earned minimum scores of three on AP exams as possible and appropriate, rather than specifying the specific options for course credits.

· Removes the Student Achievement Council (Council) from collaborating on the AP credit policy and removes the requirement for the Council to post the credit policy in accordance with the Council's master list of high school courses, qualifying examination scores, and demonstrated competencies that qualify for postsecondary credit.

· Changes the reporting requirement from a one-time report to a biennial reporting requirement.

--- END ---