HOUSE BILL REPORT

ESHB 1600

As Reported by House Committee On:

Education

Title: An act relating to increasing the career and college readiness of public school students.

Brief Description: Increasing the career and college readiness of public school students.

Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Santos, Pettigrew, Harris, Young, Stonier, Pike, Appleton, Johnson, Fey, Bergquist, Hudgins, Kraft, Slatter and Tarleton).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Education: 2/6/17, 2/16/17 [DPS], 1/9/18, 1/18/18 [DP2S];

Appropriations: 2/23/17, 2/24/17 [DPS(ED)].

Majority Report: The second substitute bill be substituted therefor and the second substitute bill do pass. Signed by 19 members: Representatives Santos, Chair; Dolan, Vice Chair; Stonier, Vice Chair; Harris, Ranking Minority Member; Muri, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Bergquist, Caldier, Hargrove, Johnson, Kilduff, Lovick, McCaslin, Ortiz-Self, Senn, Slatter, Steele, Stokesbary, Valdez and Volz.

Staff: Ethan Moreno (786-7386).

Background:

Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

In addition to its constitutional charge of supervising all matters pertaining to public schools, the Superintendent of Public Instruction (SPI) and its office has numerous and broad responsibilities prescribed in statute, including:

• making rules and regulations necessary for the administration of public education requirements;

• preparing courses of study and other materials and books for the discharge of education duties; and

• fulfilling financial responsibilities, including distributing legislatively allocated funds to districts for the operation of the public school system and awarding numerous state and federally funded grants.

Career and Technical Education.

As defined in statute, "career and technical education," or CTE, is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options and supports basic academic and life skills. State law specifies that CTE enables the achievement of high academic standards, leadership, options for high skill, high wage employment preparation, and advanced and continuing education.

Center for the Improvement of Student Learning.

The Center for the Improvement of Student Learning (CISL), housed at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), serves as a clearinghouse for information, promising practices, and research that promotes and supports effective learning environments for all students, especially those in underserved communities. The duties of the CISL are contingent on funds appropriated for the purpose.

Washington State Institute for Public Policy.

The Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP) conducts nonpartisan research at the direction of the Legislature using its own policy analysts and economists, specialists from universities, and consultants. The WSIPP is governed by a board of directors that represents the Legislature, the Governor, and public universities. Fiscal and administrative services for the WSIPP are provided by The Evergreen State College.

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Summary of Second Substitute Bill:

Work-Integrated Learning Initiative.

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (Initiative) is established. The purpose of the Initiative is to promote work-integrated learning experiences for students by providing:

• an opportunity for students to engage in work-based academic programs, such as internships, externships, and apprenticeships with public and private sector employers; and

• a framework for the development and replication of successful work-integrated learning programs throughout the state.

"Work-integrated learning" is defined to include early, frequent, and systematic learning experiences that are essential for preparing Washington youth for high-demand, family-wage jobs in Washington, and that engage students in grades 5 through 12 or through high school dropout reengagement plans.

Applicant schools receiving funding through participation in the Initiative must meet specified requirements, including:

• providing academic curricula in a work-integrated and career-contextualized manner and including an external mentor for each student in the program;

• demonstrating collaboration with and input from students, parents or guardians, local employers, community members, a workforce development council, and a labor organization;

• reflecting local circumstances, including local industries, employers, and labor markets;

• aligning the high school and beyond plans of participating students to reflect opportunities that may be available through the Initiative; and

• providing reports and data to specified recipients by August 1, 2020, and August 1, 2021.

Matching Grant Program.

Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the OSPI must contract with a statewide nonprofit organization with expertise in promoting and supporting work-integrated learning from early learning through postsecondary education to establish a matching grant program to fund projects implemented by schools selected to participate in the Initiative.

The matching grant program must include the following minimum requirements for the schools:

• a measurable and accountable focus on low-income youth, homeless youth, and youth of color;

• accountability for increasing registered youth apprenticeships, internships, mentors, career planning, and other work-integrated learning experiences;

• the existence of regional coordinators or liaisons to facilitate links between schools, higher education institutions, business, labor, and the community in developing internships and other work-integrated learning experiences; and

• the existence of system-wide support for work-integrated learning experiences, including but not limited to career awareness, career explorations, career counseling, and career preparation and training.

Grant funds awarded through the program may be expended only to the extent that they are equally matched by private sector cash contributions for the program. Also, by November 15, 2020, and yearly thereafter, the OSPI must provide an evaluation to the Governor and the education and economic development committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Work-Integrated Learning Advisory Committee.

The SPI, in consultation with the Employment Security Department and the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (Workforce Board), must convene a Work-Integrated Learning Advisory Committee (Advisory Committee) to provide advice to the Legislature and the education and workforce sectors on creating opportunities for students to: explore and understand a wide range of career-related opportunities through applied learning; engage with industry mentors; and plan for career and college success.

The chair or co-chairs of the Advisory Committee must be selected by its members, and staff support must be provided by the OSPI.

The Advisory Committee is tasked with:

• assisting the OSPI in the development of an application process and the selection of schools to participate in the Initiative;

• advising the SPI on the development and implementation of work-integrated instructional programs;

• reviewing the instructional programs of schools selected to participate in the Initiative;

• analyzing barriers to statewide adoption of work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities and instructional programs;

• recommending policies to implement work-integrated and career-related strategies that increase college and career readiness of students statewide;

• consulting with individuals from the public and private sectors with expertise in CTE and work-integrated training; and

• reporting its findings and recommendations to the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the State Board of Education, the Washington Student Achievement Council, and the education committees and economic development committees of the House of Representatives and the Senate by July 1, 2022.

The Advisory Committee must, at a minimum, be composed of the following members:

• one member from each of the two largest caucuses of the House of Representatives and the Senate;

• the SPI or the SPI's designee;

• one educator representing the kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) CTE sector, appointed by the SPI;

• one school counselor appointed by the SPI;

• one educator representing the community and technical colleges;

• one member of the Office of the Governor specializing in CTE and workforce needs; and

• one member of the Workforce Board.

In addition, the Advisory Committee must convene a subcommittee that includes members representing manufacturing, industry, labor, apprenticeships and other members with specialized expertise.

Review and Analysis Duties.

To the extent funds are appropriated for this purpose, the CISL and the WSIPP must jointly review and analyze the reports and data submitted by schools selected to participate in the Initiative to evaluate their work-integrated learning project programs. The evaluation must determine:

• the impact on in-school progress, high school graduation rates, state test scores, indicators of career and college readiness, employment outcomes, and community partnerships;

• best practices for partnering with industry and the local community to create opportunities for applied learning through internships, externships, registered youth apprenticeships, and mentorships; and

• best practices for linking high school and beyond plans with work-integrated and career-related learning opportunities, and increasing college readiness.

The evaluation must be completed with sufficient time for the Advisory Committee to review the results and incorporate any provisions into its findings and recommendations.

Second Substitute Bill Compared to Engrossed Substitute Bill:

The substitute bill makes the following changes to the original bill:

• removes all provisions of the underlying bill establishing the work-integrated learning demonstration pilot project and instead establishes, subject to the availability of specific funding, the Initiative;

• defines "work-integrated learning;"

• delineates requirements for schools receiving funding through the Initiative;

• directs, subject to the availability of specific funding, the OSPI to contract with a statewide nonprofit organization with expertise in promoting and supporting work-integrated learning from early learning through postsecondary education to establish a matching grant program to fund projects implemented by schools selected to participate in the Initiative;

• establishes grant requirements and other related provisions;

• directs the OSPI, in consultation with the Employment Security Department and the Workforce Board, to convene an Advisory Committee to provide advice to the Legislature and the education and workforce sectors on creating specified opportunities for students;

• includes modified membership provisions and duties for the Advisory Committee;

• specifies that staff support for the Advisory Committee and the subcommittee must be provided by the OSPI;

• directs, subject to the availability of specific funding, the CISL and the WSIPP to review reports and data submitted by schools selected to participate in the Initiative;

• advances dates by one year; and 

• removes the null and void clause.

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Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Available.

Effective Date of Second Substitute Bill: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.

Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill is the culmination of good ideas that come from all parts of Washington, including a partnership that exists in southwest Washington.  The federal Manpower Act gave young people a chance to visit workplaces and to explore career opportunities, but today's youth do not have the same opportunities.  Some students, including those at Aviation High School, have impactful learning experiences.  This bill attempts to seed these types of work-integrated learning opportunities, building on the work of the Governor and bringing back to the House Education Committee lessons that it might use to give every student an outside mentor and a work-integrated learning opportunity.

The bill and the concept of work-integrated learning should be supported.  A recent report from the SBE encouraged exploring career integrated learning.  The SBE should be added to the Advisory Committee established in the bill.

The concepts in the bill and the ability to advance work-integrated learning deserve support, but some duties should be shifted to the OSPI. Stakeholders look forward to supporting the bill, reviewing the amendment, and synergizing the ideas to deliver engaging K-12 education.

A network of career-connected learning supporters are ready to support the concept, but they have needed a policy infrastructure to properly advance their efforts.

(Opposed) None.

Persons Testifying: Representative Santos, prime sponsor; Randy Spaulding, State Board of Education; Rebecca Wallace, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; Tim Knue, Washington Association of Career and Technical Education; and Eleni Papadakis, Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board.

Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.