Washington State House of Representatives Office of Program Research	BILL ANALYSIS
Education Committee

HB 1312

Brief Description:  Changing provisions for minimum high school graduation requirements.

Sponsors:  Representatives Armstrong, O'Brien, Schoesler, Veloria, Cox, Quall, Bush, Talcott, Morell, Benson and Simpson.

Brief Summary of Bill

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Hearing Date:  2/19/01

Staff:  Susan Morrissey (786‑7111).

Background: 

By law, the State Board of Education (SBE) is responsible for determining the state=s minimum high school graduation requirements.  The board began to review current requirements in the Fall of 1997.  Following 18 month of work that included 11 public forums conducted around the state and three public hearings, the board adopted new graduation requirements in October 2000.  The requirements will be take effect for the graduating class of 2008.  The new requirements are:

Each student must obtain at least 19 credits but districts may add additional requirements as well.

Any subject for which essential academic learning requirements have been adopted must include material on those requirements plus any additional material beyond the standards that has been developed by the district.

One of the required credits will be in the Arts.  The requirement may be satisfied in the visual or performing arts.

The existing two-credit requirement in physical education is revised to two credits in health and fitness.

One credit is still required in occupational education.

Two non-credit requirements are established.  Each student will complete a culminating project that allows the student to demonstrate competency in goals three and four.  In addition, student must have an education plan for high school and the year following graduation.

School districts will determine student achievement in subject areas that are not covered by the Washington Assessment of Student Learning.

School districts may award credit for clearly identified competencies that have been locally determined through district policy.  Districts are not required to award credit based on 150 of planned instruction for each subject.

Students must also successfully complete the WASL in reading, writing, mathematics and listening.

Summary of Bill: 

The SBE will limit its minimum high school graduation requirements to either the subject matter competencies that students must demonstrate or to the subject matter Carnegie units that students may complete.  Local school boards have the sole authority to determine how to organize a student=s learning opportunities.  The boards also have the sole authority to determine the means by which each student will demonstrate subject matter competence and the skills and knowledge necessary to meet the state=s learning goals.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not Requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.