BILL REQ. #:  S-0645.1 

Read first time 01/15/2003.   Referred to Committee on Higher Education.

     AN ACT Relating to remedial postsecondary education; amending RCW 28B.10.685; reenacting and amending RCW 28A.225.220; adding new sections to chapter 28B.10 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.15 RCW; and creating a new section.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1   The legislature finds that some students who have recently graduated from high school must immediately enroll in one or more remedial or precollege classes at Washington's public colleges and universities before they proceed with college-level courses. The legislature also finds that these students should have received basic skills in English; reading; writing, including spelling and grammar; study skills; and mathematics before graduating from high school. It is the intent of the legislature to give meaning to the high school diploma. Therefore, it is the intent of the legislature that the school districts from which these students received their high school diplomas either provide remedial education for recent high school graduates or pay the cost of providing state-supported remedial classes for recent high school graduates.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   The definitions in this section apply throughout sections 3 and 4 of this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Recent high school graduate" means an individual who, within three years after high school graduation, enrolls at an institution of higher education as defined in RCW 28B.10.016.
     (2) "State-supported" means that the developmental, remedial, or precollege class or laboratory is supported in whole or in part by money from the state general fund.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   (1) By June 30th of each even-numbered year, the state board for community and technical colleges shall establish and report to the superintendent of public instruction the average per-student cost of instruction for state-supported developmental, remedial, and precollege classes and laboratories offered in the community and technical colleges. The classes shall include, but need not be limited to precollege classes in study skills, mathematics including intermediate algebra, English grammar, reading, spelling, and writing. English as a second language classes shall not be included.
     (2) By June 30th of each even-numbered year, each of the state universities, regional universities, and the state college shall report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction the average per-student cost of instruction for state-supported remedial and precollege classes offered by that institution in study skills, mathematics including intermediate algebra, English grammar, writing, spelling, and reading. English as a second language classes shall not be included.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   (1) Once an institution of higher education has determined that a recent high school graduate needs to improve his or her competency in material that is determined by the institution of higher education to be precollege material, the institution shall notify the Washington school district that awarded the high school diploma to the recent high school graduate.
     (2) The school district may either provide the needed precollege instruction in a timely manner, or the district may pay the institution of higher education to provide the needed precollege instruction.
     (a) If the school district provides the instruction, it shall not charge tuition to the student. The school district shall not use any state funds to provide the necessary precollege instruction to the student.
     (b) If the school district chooses to pay the institution of higher education to provide the necessary precollege instruction, then the school district shall pay to the institution of higher education an amount equal to the relevant average per-student cost of instruction reported under section 3 of this act. The school district shall not use any state funds to pay the institution of higher education to provide the necessary precollege instruction to the student. The school district shall not access any financial aid on behalf of the student. The institution of higher education shall not charge tuition to the student.

Sec. 5   RCW 28B.10.685 and 1995 c 310 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:
     ((Beginning in 1997,)) By September 30th of each year, each state university, regional university, state college, and, for community colleges and technical colleges, the state board for community and technical colleges shall provide a report to the office of the superintendent of public instruction, the state board of education, and the ((commission on student learning under RCW 28A.630.885)) higher education coordinating board. The report shall contain the following information on students who, within three years of graduating from a Washington high school, enrolled the prior year in a state-supported precollege level class at the institution: (1) The number of such students enrolled in a precollege level class in mathematics, reading, grammar, spelling, writing, or English; (2) the types of precollege classes in which each student was enrolled; and (3) the name of the Washington high school from which each student graduated.
     For students who enrolled in a precollege class within three years of graduating from a Washington high school, each institution of higher education shall also report to the Washington high school from which the student graduated. The annual report shall include information on the number of students from that high school enrolled in precollege classes, and the types of classes taken by the students.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6   A new section is added to chapter 28B.15 RCW to read as follows:
     Subject to the limitations of RCW 28B.15.910, the governing boards of each of the colleges and universities shall waive tuition fees for precollege classes taken by any student who is a recent high school graduate from a high school and the student's high school district is paying the average per-student cost of instruction for the student to take precollege classes in the state of Washington.

Sec. 7   RCW 28A.225.220 and 1995 c 335 s 602 and 1995 c 52 s 2 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
     (1) Any board of directors may make agreements with adults choosing to attend school, and with the exception of students attending under section 4 of this act, may charge the adults reasonable tuition.
     (2) A district is strongly encouraged to honor the request of a parent or guardian for his or her child to attend a school in another district or the request of a parent or guardian for his or her child to transfer as a student receiving home-based instruction.
     (3) A district shall release a student to a nonresident district that agrees to accept the student if:
     (a) A financial, educational, safety, or health condition affecting the student would likely be reasonably improved as a result of the transfer; or
     (b) Attendance at the school in the nonresident district is more accessible to the parent's place of work or to the location of child care; or
     (c) There is a special hardship or detrimental condition.
     (4) A district may deny the request of a resident student to transfer to a nonresident district if the release of the student would adversely affect the district's existing desegregation plan.
     (5) For the purpose of helping a district assess the quality of its education program, a resident school district may request an optional exit interview or questionnaire with the parents or guardians of a child transferring to another district. No parent or guardian may be forced to attend such an interview or complete the questionnaire.
     (6) Beginning with the 1993-94 school year, school districts may not charge transfer fees or tuition for nonresident students enrolled under subsection (3) of this section and RCW 28A.225.225. Reimbursement of a high school district for cost of educating high school pupils of a nonhigh school district shall not be deemed a transfer fee as affecting the apportionment of current state school funds.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 8   Sections 2 through 4 of this act are each added to chapter 28B.10 RCW.