[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to helping students understand the importance of work and future career and educational opportunities; and adding new sections to chapter 28A.300 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

The goal four voluntary grant program is created to aid parents, schools, and communities in their efforts to help students understand the importance of work and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect a student's future career and educational opportunities. The grant program shall be administered by the office of the superintendent of public instruction. In its administration of the program, the responsibilities of the office of the superintendent of public instruction shall include, but need not be limited to:

(1) Distribution of program guidelines;

(2) Use of simple, brief, and clear application processes, forms, and reporting requirements that help make the grant program accessible to schools and school districts with minimal administrative teams;

(3) Selection of grant recipients. The selection criteria shall include a priority for the extent of community support including matching funds and in-kind services; and

(4) Distribution of a report at least once every two years to the governor, the education and fiscal committees of the legislature, the educational community, and other interested parties. The report shall focus primarily on the results of grant recipients and the program as a whole, and shall include any recommendations for program improvements.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 28A.300 RCW to read as follows:

The goal four voluntary grant program shall include the following elements:

(1) Participation is open to school districts and individual public high schools, middle schools, and junior high schools.

(2) Participating school districts may develop a district-wide career development component and shall require each participating school in the district to develop a school career development component to its school improvement plan. The career development component shall be designed to provide high school students with an opportunity to identify and pursue both career and educational objectives.

(3) The elements in each career development component shall include, but need not be limited to:

(a) Career preparation activities that include, but need not be limited to: Career awareness and exploration; development of career goals; workplace habits; work-based learning experiences; and job search and job retention skills;

(b) Curriculum components designed to provide opportunities throughout the high school years for students to gain the skills required to transition from high school to the workplace successfully or to additional education and training programs. The curriculum components shall include, but need not be limited to:

(i) Applied and contextual learning opportunities that reinforce core learning, motivate learning, respond to different learning styles, enable students to explore or survey career interests, and promote student leadership;

(ii) Programs that incorporate industry-approved skill standards and industry certification;

(iii) Programs that articulate with postsecondary institutions;

(iv) Programs that enable students to receive college credit for knowledge and skills learned while enrolled in high school; and

(v) Programs with a math and technology emphasis.

(c) Program components should be designed for the transition of high school students to their thirteenth year, through career pathways, school-to-work efforts, or school-to-career efforts and should include early planning, individual planning with parental involvement, and a community presentation that reaches beyond the school;

(d) Learning opportunities for teachers and staff that include training on contextual learning and teaching methods, work-based learning experiences; and methods to standardize assessments;

(e) The development of a work-ready endorsement for inclusion in the high school transcript of students who have successfully demonstrated entry-level proficiency of workplace skills. Workplace skills shall include, but need not be limited to workplace habits, including safety, and skills that encompass job search and job retention;

(f) Methods to impart and assess the understanding of rules of conduct and activities that reenforce the values of personal responsibility, honesty, and integrity. The methods shall include consequences for student attendance, homework completion, and student discipline; and

(g) An accountability system that measures the work-related learning occurring in the school and, if applicable, school district. The system shall include, but need not be limited to: Employment or enrollment in postsecondary education programs, and attendance, drop-out, and graduation and high school completion rates.

(4) The career development component shall be developed and monitored by a local advisory committee that includes, but need not be limited to secondary and postsecondary vocational teachers, parents, students, and community members including representatives from local businesses and labor organizations. The majority of the committee shall be comprised of customers of the educational system. In its deliberations, the committee shall consult with appropriate educational and economic organizations within the local labor market, including public and private providers of postsecondary education and training. This advisory committee may have other functions so long as membership criteria is met.