ENGROSSED SECOND SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1304

ByHouse Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives MacEwen, Stonier, Santos, Harris, Steele, Griffey, Reeves, Stokesbary, Sells, Dolan, Eslick, Lekanoff, Bergquist, Jinkins, Leavitt, Thai, and Wylie)

AN ACT Relating to career and technical education in alternative learning experience programs; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.700.070; adding a new section to chapter 28A.232 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.232 RCW to read as follows:

(1) The vocational alternative learning experience pilot program is created. The purpose of the pilot program is to assess the feasibility and accountability in various course types, and implementation strategies for providing a vocational program funding enhancement to students enrolled in an alternative learning experience course in accordance with chapters 28A.250 and 28A.700 RCW.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall select up to ten school districts to participate in the pilot program. Each school district selected to participate in the pilot program must agree to do so for four complete school years, with the initial selections beginning their participation in the 2020-21 school year. Of the school districts selected to participate in the pilot program, at least two must be districts with multidistrict online school programs established in accordance with chapter 28A.250 RCW.

(3) Schools participating in the pilot program, including schools with multidistrict online school programs, are eligible for the vocational program funding enhancement for career and technical education courses, subject to RCW 28A.150.265.

(4) In accordance with RCW 43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall submit a report on the pilot program to the education committees of the house of representatives and the senate by January 1, 2026, that includes:

(a) The number of students participating in the pilot program that received the vocational program funding enhancement;

(b) The impact of the pilot program to career and technical education programming;

(c) The fiscal impact of the program;

(d) Recommendations for statewide implementation; and

(e) Any other information deemed relevant by the office of the superintendent of public instruction.

Sec. 2. RCW 28A.700.070 and 2018 c 191 s 1 and 2018 c 177 s 304 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

(1) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall support school district efforts under RCW 28A.230.097 to adopt course equivalencies for career and technical courses by:

(a) Recommending career and technical curriculum suitable for course equivalencies;

(b) Publicizing best practices for high schools and school districts in developing and adopting course equivalencies; and

(c) In consultation with the Washington association for career and technical education, providing professional development, technical assistance, and guidance for school districts seeking to expand their lists of equivalent courses.

(2) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall provide professional development, technical assistance, and guidance for school districts to develop career and technical course equivalencies that also qualify as advanced placement courses.

(3) The superintendent of public instruction, in consultation with one or more technical working groups convened for this purpose, shall develop and, after an opportunity for public comment, approve curriculum frameworks for a selected list of career and technical courses that may be offered by high schools or skill centers, in alternative learning experience courses in accordance with chapter 28A.232 RCW, or in multidistrict online school programs established in accordance with chapter 28A.250 RCW, whose academic standards content is considered equivalent in full or in part to the academic courses that meet high school graduation requirements. These courses may include equivalency to English language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, arts, world languages, or health and physical education. The content of the courses must be aligned with the most current Washington K-12 learning standards in English language arts, mathematics, science, arts, world languages, health and physical education, social studies, and required industry standards. The first list of courses under this subsection must be developed and approved before the 2015-16 school year. An additional list of courses that may be offered in alternative learning experience courses in accordance with chapter 28A.232 RCW and in multidistrict online school programs established in accordance with chapter 28A.250 RCW must be developed and approved before the beginning of the 2021-22 school year. Thereafter, the superintendent of public instruction may periodically update or revise the list of courses using the process in this subsection.

(4) Subject to funds appropriated for this purpose, the superintendent of public instruction shall allocate grant funds to school districts to increase the integration and rigor of academic instruction in career and technical courses. Grant recipients are encouraged to use grant funds to support teams of academic and technical teachers. The superintendent of public instruction may require that grant recipients provide matching resources using federal Carl Perkins funds or other fund sources.

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