H-3127              _______________________________________________

                                                   HOUSE BILL NO. 2318

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                               51st Legislature                              1990 Regular Session

By Representatives Valle, Betrozoff, Peery, Walker, G. Fisher, Brumsickle, Rector, Ferguson, Brekke, Cole, Rayburn, Basich, Jacobsen, Winsley, Schoon, K. Wilson and H. Myers

Read first time 1/10/90 and referred to Committees on Education/Appropriations.

AN ACT Relating to dropouts; adding new sections to Title 28A RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     In the past few years it has been recognized that up to one-fourth of the students who enter Washington high schools drop out before completing their high school education.  The impact of this is lifelong.  It is important to develop a better understanding of the reasons why students drop out of school and to determine whether these students pursue any further training or high school equivalency through passage of the general educational development test.  In attempt to answer these and other questions relating to dropouts, the dropout tracking program is created.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The dropout tracking program shall assign one full-time equivalent counselor to each of four high schools and four middle schools within the state with the highest dropout rates and one high school and one middle school with the lowest dropout rate.  The counselor shall:

          (1) Identify those students who have dropped out of school;

          (2) Contact students identified as dropouts and determine whether they are enrolled in another school or general educational development program;

          (3) Determine the reasons for the student dropping out of school;

          (4) Determine if the student is employed;

          (5) Determine if the student is lacking in particular skills that would make the student employable; and

          (6) Direct the student to possible resources in the school or community that may assist the student in the school district or community.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The counselor identified in section 2 of this act shall track the dropouts for four years to determine the impact of dropping out on the student's further educational or vocational training and employability.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The superintendent of public instruction shall report the results of the tracking program to the education committees of the house of representatives and senate no later than December 15 of each year beginning in 1991 and ending in 1994.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     Sections 1 through 3 of this act are each added to Title 28A RCW.