H-0522.1

HOUSE BILL 1898


State of Washington	65th Legislature	2017 Regular Session

By Representatives McCaslin, Orwall, Van Werven, Holy, Dolan, Kraft, Koster, Shea, Gregerson, Taylor, Bergquist, Volz, Buys, Hayes, Haler, and Muri

Read first time 02/02/17. Referred to Committee on Education.

AN ACT Relating to career and technical education programs in middle schools; adding a new section to chapter 28A.700 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.

(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grants to middle schools for career and technical education programs. Grant funds must be allocated on a one-time basis and must be used to refurbish or upgrade technology and equipment to meet industry standards in new or existing programs. Priority in allocating the funds must be given to programs that develop and improve skills that have direct applicability in construction trades.

(2) Middle schools, in applying for grant funds under this section, must, in accordance with other requirements determined by the office of the superintendent of public instruction, demonstrate how the technology and equipment purchases funded with the grant would be employed and improve the rigor and quality of a proposed or existing career and technical education program.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1)(a) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall examine barriers to increased participation in career and technical education programs by middle school students. Examined barriers may include, but are not limited to, shortages of qualified educators with career and technical education teaching certificates.

(b) In addition to determining and describing participation barriers, the examination must include a three-year strategy for increasing: The number and quality of career and technical education programs available to middle school students; and the number of middle school students participating in career and technical education programs. The examination may also include recommendations for modifications to certification requirements governing career and technical education educators.

(2) The report required by this section, including findings and recommendations, and any draft legislation, must be provided to the governor and, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by December 1, 2017.