ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 5534

BySenators Randall, Holy, Nobles, and Wellman

AN ACT Relating to workforce education investment accountability and oversight board staffing changes; amending RCW 28C.18.200 and 28B.50.925; adding a new section to chapter 28B.77 RCW; and recodifying RCW 28C.18.200.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 28C.18.200 and 2020 c 2 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The workforce education investment accountability and oversight board is established. The board consists of ((seventeen))18 members, as provided in this subsection:

(a) Four members of the legislature consisting of the chairs and ranking minority members of the respective higher education and workforce development committees of the senate and house of representatives, ex officio; and

(b) The following members appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate:

(i) Five members representing the businesses described in RCW 82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 82.04.290(2)(a)(i);

(ii) Two members representing labor organizations, one of which must have expertise in registered apprenticeships and training a high-demand workforce and one of which must represent faculty at the four-year institutions of higher education;

(iii) Two members representing the institutions of higher education, as defined in RCW 28B.10.016, one of which must be from the four-year sector and one of which must be from the community and technical college sector;

(iv) Two members representing students, one of which must be a community and technical college student;

(v) One member representing the independent, not-for-profit higher education institutions; ((and))

(vi) One member representing the workforce training and education coordinating board created under RCW 28C.18.020; and

(vii) One member representing the student achievement council, established under this chapter (( 28B.77 RCW)).

(2) Except for ex officio and student members, board members shall hold their offices for a term of three years until their successors are appointed. Student board members shall hold one-year terms.

(3) The board shall have two cochairs. One cochair shall be one of the chairs of the respective higher education and workforce development committees of the legislature and the other cochair shall be one of the board members representing the businesses described in RCW 82.04.299 or subject to the tax rate under RCW 82.04.290(2)(a)(i). The cochairs shall hold the position for a one-year term. The board members shall elect the cochairs annually.

(4) Nine voting members of the board constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The board shall meet four times a year.

(5) Staff support for the board shall be provided by the ((workforce training and education coordinating board))student achievement council established in this chapter.

(6) The purposes of the board are to:

(a) Provide guidance and recommendations to the legislature on what workforce education priorities should be funded with the workforce education investment account; and

(b) Ensure accountability that the workforce education investments funded with the workforce education investment account are producing the intended results and are effectively increasing student success and career readiness, such as by increasing retention, completion, and job placement rates.

(7) The board shall consult data from the education data center established under RCW 43.41.400 and the workforce training and education coordinating board established under this chapter when reviewing and determining whether workforce education investments funded from the workforce education investment account are effectively increasing student success and career readiness. The workforce training and education coordinating board shall maintain the workforce education investment accountability and oversight board data dashboard on a public-facing portal and work with the board to update and modify the data dashboard as new performance metrics are identified.

(8) The board shall report its recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature by August 1st of each year.

(9) For the purposes of this section, "board" means the workforce education investment accountability and oversight board established in this section.

Sec. 2. RCW 28B.50.925 and 2021 c 272 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Subject to availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, each community and technical college shall fully implement guided pathways. At a minimum, guided pathways implementation must include:

(a) Comprehensive mapping of student educational pathways with student end goals in mind. These must include transparent and clear career paths that are tightly aligned to the skills sought by employers. Pathways must align course sequences to show clear paths for students, alignment with K-12 and university curriculum, and skill sets needed to enter the workforce;

(b) Dedicated advising and career counseling that helps students make informed program choices and develop completion plans. Advising services may include processes that help students explore possible career and educational choices while also emphasizing early planning. Advising must be culturally competent and with an emphasis on helping historically underserved, low-income, and students of color navigate their education;

(c) Data analysis of student learning as well as program and service outcomes. Data must be used to inform program development, the creation and further refinement of student pathways, and to provide opportunities for early intervention to help students succeed; and

(d) A student success support infrastructure using programs that the state board for community and technical colleges finds have been effective in closing equity gaps among historically underserved student populations and improve student completion rates. The student success support program must be based on research or documented evidence of success. In tandem with guided pathways implementation, student success support programs may include evidence-based elements such as:

(i) Equity competent academic advising services;

(ii) Equity competent career development programming;

(iii) Clear information regarding financial aid and financial literacy; and

(iv) Inclusive curriculum and teaching practices.

(2) Each community and technical college shall post on its website and include in the guided pathways program documentation and reports definitions for key terms including: Diversity, equity, inclusion, culturally competent, culturally appropriate, historically marginalized communities, communities of color, low-income communities, and community organizations.

(3)(a) The Washington state institute for public policy, in consultation with the workforce education investment accountability and oversight board under RCW 28C.18.200 (as recodified by this act), shall complete an evaluation of the guided pathways model. To the extent possible, the institute shall complete a preliminary report that evaluates the effect of the guided pathways model on early student outcomes including, but not limited to, student retention and persistence, college level English and math within the first year, and graduation and transfer rates. The preliminary report must review the implementation of the guided pathways model in Washington and any available evidence of the effectiveness of the guided pathways model. The preliminary report must be submitted by December 15, 2023.

(b) The Washington state institute for public policy shall complete a final report that evaluates the effect of the guided pathways on longer-term student outcomes including, but not limited to, degree completion, time to degree, transfer to four-year institutions, employment, and earnings, to the extent possible. The final report must be submitted by December 15, 2029.

(c) Both the preliminary and final reports must consider differences in outcomes by racial and ethnic subgroups and socioeconomic status.

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